High-Density EEG at
@funkhaus.berlin 🎹🧠
During our recent Berlin trip,
@olydurcan recorded high-density EEG during a private piano improvisation by
@ruthlssmusic on
@4DSound with
@monomstudios and
@__mastery .
This session adds a new ecological layer to an ongoing PhD research project.
▪️ The wider research ▪️
As part of his PhD,
@olydurcan has recorded EEG from 45 expert pianists performing improvisation and sight-reading in a controlled neuroscience lab.
The aim: to understand how flow is represented in the brain — and whether improvisation and sight-reading produce different variants of flow states.
Results are due Q3 2026.
▪️ What is flow? ▪️
Flow is a state of deep absorption, effortless attentional control, and intrinsic reward — often described as being “in-the-zone,” where time and self-awareness diminish.
▪️ What made Berlin different? ▪️
With Ruthlss, we measured flow during fully free improvisation inside Saal 1 at Funkhaus — on a Steinway Model D with high density EEG.
Unlike the lab study, this was a 20-minute uninterrupted performance in an immersive concert space.
▪️ Sound holograms (Slide 3) ▪️
With
@monomstudios , the piano triggered real-time sound holograms circulating across 108 speakers.
These spatial cues extend the feedback loop beyond the acoustic piano, potentially shaping how performers enter and sustain flow, and supporting creative ideation.
(You can hear elements in the videos — though the physical experience is very different IRL.)
▪️ Measuring flow over time (Slide 5) ▪️
Flow fluctuates — especially across 20 minutes.
For this case study,
@olydurcan used Temporal Experience Tracing, where the performer maps their experience moment-to-moment.
This allows specific periods in the EEG to be analysed, rather than averaging the entire performance into one score.
▪️ Early insights ▪️
1️⃣ Flow rarely begins immediately — improvisation starts with exploration before shifting into automaticity.
2️⃣ In creative contexts, emotion appears central to getting “lost.”
3️⃣ Anticipating the end of a performance may disrupt flow.
Full study results will follow in 2026.
📸
@stefan.g.hanegraaf 
