Forty-Eight to Sixteen (2012)

Forty-Eight to Sixteen is my bicycle commute from Brooklyn to midtown Manhattan while I am wearing sensors for my heartrate, my breathing, and the cadence of my pedaling. Each of these three biometric sources dictates the timing of a musical line that is interpreted by cellist Topu Lyo.

The piece considers the rhythms of our physical effort as we encounter the city we live in and how these form kinetic memories. I am also interested in “performing” data and Topu’s and my divergent but equally physical relationship to the information. Named after the gear ratio of my bike.

Cello: Topu Lyo. Support: Eyebeam. Thanks: The New York Times Company Research and Development Lab.