MassArt Students and Alumni Combine Forces to Tune Into the Science of Sound

MassArt and TERC bring creative installations together with research on soundscapes and learning.

Five MassArt students and alumni stand side by side in front of a gallery wall displaying pencil sketches and a sign titled “sonicxhibit.” The group appears relaxed, posing for a photo in the well-lit Science of Sound exhibition space.

SIM chair Nita Sturiale with SIM students and alumni, Teagan Far BFA ‘26, Isabella Febbriorella BFA ‘25, Rosa Doherty BFA ‘25, and Amanda McCluskey BFA ‘25.

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Written by Rachael Dubinsky

MassArt students with overlapping interests in art and science can often generate exciting new lines of creative work. Studio for Interrelated Media (SIM) has been teaching the interrelationship between art and science for over 50 years. MassArt students are invited to observe, experiment, and invent ArtScience concepts and natural phenomena through courses like “Nature, Science, and Art”, “Electronic Projects”, and “Observation Data and Art”.

That same spirit of curiosity about the interplay between art and science sits at the heart of Sound Travels, based at TERC, a STEM education nonprofit in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Led by alumna Martha Merson BFA ’07, and with a grant from the National Science Foundation, the Sound Travels project has brought together scientists, educators, designers, and the MassArt community to explore how sound affects learning experiences —especially in informal community settings like parks, nature centers, museums, and neighborhood streets.

MassArt students, alumni, and faculty have been instrumental in bringing creative installations together with research on soundscapes and learning. Initially Martha reached out to MassArt’s SIM chair, Nita Sturiale, to collaborate, bringing SIM students and alumni into the project. Rosa Doherty BFA ‘25, Teagan Far BFA ‘26, Isabella Febbriorella BFA ‘25, and Amanda McCluskey BFA ‘25 all took on different roles in an independent study focused on how sound affects focus and emotion. Their work moved from a seminar and exhibit on campus to public events, participatory experiences, and collaborative sound-based exploration.

The MassArt students collected emotional-response data from peers, then transformed those insights into SonicExhibit, an interactive installation series designed to spark dialogue among visitors. MassArt community members became active co-creators—testing sounds, comparing reactions, and discussing what made them feel grounded, curious, or unsettled.

As part of the SonicExhibit, Isabella welcomed fellow students to take a seat in a glowing orange-lit salon chair with spherical speakers—immersed blindfolded participants heard soft conversation, birdsong, and flowing water. Some felt refreshed, others uneasy. Excluding one sense (vision) is one way to heighten other senses. “Sound is predictably and unpredictably subjective,” Isabella noted.

Proposing prompts or auditory challenges with real-time feedback can heighten sensitivity and real-time feedback offers a pathway to becoming more sonically sophisticated. In a nearby installation, passersby “painted” with sound using a projected spectrogram, competing playfully to create the boldest visual signatures. Isabella, Amanda, and Teagan were on hand to encourage visitors to talk with one another about perception, comfort, and how sound shapes personal and shared experiences.

A black sign titled sonic exhibit explores the Science of Sound with maps, text, and sketches. It stands on an easel in a modern building lobby with glass railings, stairs, and high ceilings in the background.

SonicExhibit signage.

Students were invited to take a seat in a glowing orange-lit salon chair with spherical speakers.

Beyond the gallery, the project cultivated deeper community engagement. The team hosted several World Listening Day events under the title, TuneUP!, which was branded by Teagan and designed as a preview for the in-progress documentary When I Think About Sound.

Amanda planned a local sound walk in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood inviting residents to rediscover their neighborhoods by tuning in to the sonic details—footsteps, birds, distant trains, shifting weather—that often go unnoticed. These walks sparked cross-generational conversations about memory, belonging, and the evolving sound identities of local environments.

On the West Coast, Isabella and fellow artists hosted a performance and discussion that encouraged attendees to share the sounds that comfort them and the ones that define their communities.

Family-centered programming underscores the project’s commitment to accessibility and play. At one event, Amanda—performing as “Agent M.”—led children through active listening “missions,” transforming everyday sounds into opportunities for discovery. Kids returned repeatedly for new challenges, demonstrating how sound can foster focus, curiosity, and joy.

As Sound Travels continues, MassArt alumni are helping develop tools that will give exhibit designers insights into how different soundscapes may resonate emotionally with their audiences.

Martha says it has been a professional dream come true to work with talented MassArt students on a STEM project. “They brought new sounds into the mix, a strong sense of how to shape novel sonic experiences, and a curiosity about the impact of sound on our psyches that has brought new dimensions to the project research.” For everyone involved, the project reveals how sound can connect communities, deepen shared understanding, and inspire creative approaches to how we listen to—and learn from—the world around us.