Symphony of Science explores cosmos anew by setting scientists' words music

Carl Sagan explored the Cosmos. (NASA)

If the inner workings of a cell inspire you or the vastness of space causes you to ponder human existence, then you’ll probably appreciate the musical endeavors of John Boswell, creator of the popular “Symphony of Science” remixes viewed by millions on YouTube. Boswell has captured the words of scientific giants like Carl Sagan, Stephen Hawking and Richard Dawkins, enhanced them with pitch-correcting electronics, and framed them in his own original compositions—haunting melodies that make listeners swing while considering who we are, where we came from, and where we are going.

To date, Boswell has produced four Symphony of Science video remixes for YouTube, and two of the four have gone viral. All four are posted at the bottom of this page.

“Understandably, not everybody will be affected by the videos in the same manner,” Boswell says. “I hope to convey different things to different people. I hope that people with little passion for science get a glimpse of how powerful scientific philosophy can be and the videos serve as an education-entertainment hybrid in this way. For people already familiar with all the concepts involved, I am hoping to reintroduce these concepts in a new light and entertain them with a new approach.”

Born in Northern Idaho in November 1985, Boswell was raised in Spokane, Wash., and says music has been a strong passion since his teen years. “I got into music production at about age 17, taking a year of piano lessons and teaching myself elementary production techniques.” But instead of studying music, Boswell earned a degree in financial economics at Western Washington University. (I guess that’s probably just as well considering the state of the economy; we need all the help we can get.)

The first remix, “A Glorious Dawn,” features clips of astrophysicist Carl Sagan and theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking. Sagan’s words certainly qualify as lyrical. Who can forget his poetic descriptions of space from his books or from his public television show Cosmos? Remember “billions and billions”? Also, his voice is mellow and soothing. Using video clips of Sagan makes sense for a project like this. But Stephen Hawking? Hawking’s voice already comes with its own electronic augmentation due to the impact of his lengthy motor neuron disease. Yet the words of the two scientists elegantly weave together, creating a beautiful scaffold from which the simple and unadorned keyboard melody suspends like the glorious dawn Sagan describes.

Beyond the audio, Boswell considers the visual impact of the clips he chooses for his remixes; those selected propel the song forward and compel the viewer to keep watching. This first video has had more than 2.7 million hits on YouTube since it was posted Sept. 17, 2009. A 7-inch vinyl recording of the song was released on November 9 in honor on what would have been Sagan’s 75th birthday. It is available to order from Boswell’s website (see below).

Boswell’s second posting, “We Are All Connected,” adds to Sagan’s voice, the somewhat nasal voices of physicist Richard Feynman and science educator Bill Nye the Science Guy with the heftier baritone of astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. Boswell captures the enthusiastic passion of these outspoken science characters and the melody spiral and flows—literally connecting the elements of the song. Besides, who could not love a video remix that features a clip of Feynman playing bongo drums? Boswell’s skilled musicianship clearly shows in this piece; the melody will get stuck in your head.

The third remix, “Our Place in the Cosmos,” may be Boswell’s most musically adventurous effort. The tune possesses a sultry R&B groove that the other compositions lack. Furthermore, along with Sagan, the song brings in the words of cosmologist Robert Jastrow, string theory expert Michio Kaku, and biological theorist Richard Dawkins. Boswell makes judicious use of the ‘auto-tune’ device here, allowing the voices of the speakers to come through unaltered at times. Dawkins evocative refrain stays with the listener long after the song has ended: “Matter flows from place to place, and momentarily comes together to be you. Some people find that thought disturbing; I find the reality thrilling.”

“Matter flows from place to place, and momentarily comes together to be you. Some people find that thought disturbing; I find the reality thrilling.” ~ Richard Dawkins

In Boswell’s most recent remix, “The Unbroken Thread,” posted Jan. 6, naturalist David Attenborough and primatologist Jane Goodall join Sagan. This remix features numerous animations to visualize the spoken words. Goodall’s enhanced soprano comes in at the bridge, and the addition of a female voice provides a nice change over previous efforts.

Boswell says the time it takes to produce each video varies. “The average time to compile a video is about three weeks of working a couple hours per day. It generally takes the most time to sift through all the scientific material and distill it down to digestible song lyrics; this stage can often be tedious and occasionally frustrating. The rest of the work is the most enjoyable part and flows freely from there on. I make the song in its entirety first then edit the video afterward,” he says.

What drives someone who is not a scientist or even a full-time musician to spend so much time of such projects.

“I am indeed not a scientist, but I have had a layman’s passion for the subject since college,” Boswell explains. “I was enthralled the first time I watched Cosmos with Carl Sagan, and since I was recently experimenting with remixes, I thought it would be fitting to do a tribute to him. The hugely positive response to “A Glorious Dawn” and the potential for further similar videos inspired me to keep going with the idea and expand into different arenas.”

In some ways, Symphony of Science is just a creative exercise, but in other ways, Boswell said, it has a deeper purpose. “(The remixes) are certainly creative exercises with a deeper meaning that will hopefully be detected by a portion of the viewership,” he says. “Some people appreciate the music more than anything; some appreciate the message much more than the music. I will be happy with whatever extent people appreciate the messages inherent in the videos.”

Boswell says he definitely plans to continue making Symphony of Science videos but also has some ideas for songs that are not science related. “I intend to branch out with the science remixes, possibly including some famous philosophers and other figures relevant to whatever themes that will crop up in the process,” he adds.

For more information on John Boswell’s Symphony of Science or his other musical project Colorpulse, go here.