![]() ![]() But he was well acquainted with the concepts of order and disorder. Waggoner knew “next to nothing” about soft matter when he took on the commission. For Bowick, the ubiquitous interplay of order and disorder in soft-matter research made it an obvious theme for the composition, and one he thought was broad enough to inspire a composer. The ordered system can then be used to reflect light in cool and useful ways. For example, a small temperature change in liquid crystals can push randomly positioned molecules to spontaneously align in one direction. For many of these systems, this form of disorder is required to create ordered structures that can perform some function. Hexacorda mollia revolves around the theme of order and disorder in soft matter-materials like liquid crystals and biological organisms that can be easily deformed by thermal fluctuations or an external stress, such as an electric or magnetic field. ![]() Waggoner instantly replied “yes” and Hexacorda mollia, a piece for string quartet (Fig. He emailed his colleague Andrew Waggoner, a composer and professor of composition at the University’s Setnor School of Music, to see if he would be interested in taking this challenge on. “ just came to me as I was sitting at my desk one day,” said Bowick. Instead, for the recent Active and Smart Matter conference in Syracuse, New York, Bowick, who is the director of the research program on soft-matter physics at Syracuse University, envisioned a distinctive experience for the scientists coming to Syracuse, as well for the residents of the town: A musical composition inspired by soft-matter physics that would premiere during the meeting. But rarely are these activities time-out from talks on cutting-edge research-scientists inevitably end up discussing their research in these settings. Conferences often schedule breaks for cultural outings: a trip to the theater, a tour of historical landmarks, or wine tasting at a local vineyard. Mark Bowick wanted to do something different. Andrew Waggoner Snapshot of the Hexacorda mollia musical score showing a passage of three-beat rhythmic phrases representing an icosahedral virus. ![]()
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