Concentrations:
Music | Biology
Honors in Music Thesis:
“Dream Diary”
Dream Diary is an EP structured around the neuronal activity of the brain during one cycle of sleep, portrayed in four different forms. When the average adult human sleeps, they undergo non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM) and rapid eye movement sleep (REM). The NREM is further divided into three stages, subsequently labeled N1 (stage 1), N2 (stage 2), and N3 (stage 3). Although sleep and the brain is an area not fully understood nor explored, the stages all trigger different neuronal activity in the brain which allows for understanding, retention, and recovery. The sleep cycle runs in the order as follows: wake, N1, N2, N3, N2, REM, and this EP will be based off of a human’s first and last cycle of sleep in the point of view of a young adult struggling to understand their identity and place in this world. This will be much like what we would like to see if our pillows recorded our brain activity during sleep where the songs, as dreams, will portray the brain attempting to make sense of bubbles of feelings. However, as full comprehension takes time, the brain will lose access to the premature connections it made at the end of its sleep cycle: the brain will sort its information, but also block access to coherent interrelations once the POV awakens. With these paradoxical variables in mind, this EP will embody such complexity and simplicity of living in this age with a musical representation of the scientific breakdown of the neurological sleep cycle. The majority of sounds implemented are designed by myself and incorporated via electronic production, with inspiration taken from Korean folk music and Western electronic music.
Personal Statement:
Moving across the country from the Seattle area to Providence, Sarah Jung’s undergraduate years have been marked with navigation of the Open Curriculum, careers, community, and culture. As a double concentrator in Music and Biology, she has enjoyed delving into the arts industry and health services, resulting in an honors thesis combining neuroscience and music production. Aside from her academics, engaging in various social spheres has influenced Sarah in launching a platform called Konnect, which serves as a networking service for Koreans in the broader Brown community. In the future, she now looks forward to attending Boston College Law School in the fall, with an interest in IP, copyright, and international law.