The Driving Question
How can we use mathematical concepts to create visual representations that capture the essence and diversity of Brazilian music?
The Project: Visualizing the Numbers in Music
In response to this question, Huxley developed a computational and cultural exploration of music, transforming sound into data-driven visualizations that reveal its hidden mathematical structures while honoring its cultural roots.
The Conceptual Goal
Huxley challenges the idea that music is only what we hear, proposing instead that music exists across multiple forms such as video, sheet music, and MIDI. His goal was to redefine music as a combination of human experience, cultural identity, and structured patterns.
Mathematics & Technology
Using Fourier transforms and programming, Huxley converted audio signals into numerical data. These numbers were then analyzed and translated into visual representations, allowing patterns like rhythm, melody, and harmony to be seen rather than just heard.
Decoding the Visuals
The resulting visualizations communicate multiple musical elements simultaneously:
- The central spectrum represents the frequencies present in the sound.
- Color indicates root notes and tonal shifts.
- Texture reflects noise levels and rhythmic complexity and spiral shapes and spacing reveal drum patterns and timing structures.
Cultural Context & Meaning
To ground his project in lived experience, Huxley explored the deep cultural significance of music in Brazil:
- Music as Identity: In Brazilian culture, particularly in Bahia, music is inseparable from daily life, history, and spirituality.
- Spiritual Foundations: Through Candomblé, an Afro-Brazilian religion, rhythm becomes a form of connection between people and deities (orixás), each associated with specific musical patterns.
- Celebration & Community: Events like Carnival demonstrate music as a collective expression of joy, resistance, and cultural pride, where rhythm and movement unify communities.
Final Product
The project culminated in a presentation combining cultural analysis, mathematical modeling, and interactive visualizations.
Huxley demonstrated how computational tools can uncover the structural patterns of music while maintaining its human and cultural significance.
The Summative Reflection
He concludes that while there are “numbers in the music,” music itself cannot be reduced to data alone. It is ultimately defined by the people behind it—their experiences, emotions, and cultural contexts—making music both a mathematical structure and a deeply human expression.