Episode 19: Composing the Tinnitus Suites

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Daniel Fishkin is a young musician who played in bands and studied composition at Bard College. When he was 22 he got a bad case of tinnitus, a continuous ringing in his ears that drowned out all the sounds around him, and even some of the music in his head. It was a pretty tough blow for an aspiring composer. It wasn't the first time that a musician has had to deal with hearing loss, but what Fishkin did with this situation is remarkable.

Produced by Jascha Hoffman.

 

 

 
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Daniel Fishkin
Photo by Samuel Lang Budin

 
 
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Daniel Fishkin's feedback system, where a piano string vibrates without being touched.
Fishkin used this to create the Tinnitus Suites.
Photo by Oliver Jones

 
 
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Transducers attached to long strings that create a feedback loop when amplified.
Photo by Oliver Jones

 

Banner image by Samuel Lang Budin