Plymouth brain-computer music interfacing project: from EEG audio mixers to composition informed by cognitive neuroscience

This paper reports the current level of development achieved by our research into brain-computer music interfacing (BCMI), which is aimed at special needs and Music Therapy, in addition to the entertainment industry. It surveys the technology developed to date at ICCMR and glances at work-in-progress designs informed by cognitive experiments. Research into BCMI involves three major challenging problems: (1) the extraction of meaningful control information from signals emanating from the brain, (2) the design of generative music techniques that respond to such information and (3) the definition of ways in which such technology can effectively improve the lives of people with special needs and address therapeutic needs. This paper focuses on the first two challenges, particularly the music technology side of BCMI research. In overall, this paper focuses on the creative computer music component of our research rather than on the minutiae of its underlying scientific protocols and experimental methods.