Artist in Residency: July 2025

Can a musical composition genuinely influence our mental state?

On July 15, 2025, the Musical Atelier of Casa degli Artisti hosted the first Open Studio of the 40Hz project, featuring Novecento (Tobia Della Puppa), sound artist, producer and frontman of the band Denoise. This event marked the public debut of the research activities developed during his residency within the 40Hz Music & Neuroscience Research platform.

During his residency, Novecento worked closely with a team of neuroscientists and researchers to develop an original long-form composition specifically conceived to investigate the potential therapeutic effects of composed music, moving beyond the study of isolated frequencies. His work explores how structured musical forms, rather than single sonic stimuli, may influence perception, cognitive states and emotional regulation.

The compositional process integrates environmental acoustics, electronic sound design and elements drawn from folk and popular traditions, articulating a dialogue between human and machine, memory and innovation, physical presence and digital processes. The resulting piece unfolds over extended durations, allowing controlled exposure to different sonic conditions and compositional strategies.

Research and EEG Sessions

In the days preceding the Open Studio, the first EEG data collection sessions were conducted. A selected group of participants listened to multiple versions of the same composition, ranging from pure frequency-based stimuli to progressively more complex and creative musical stratifications. These sessions were designed to observe how different compositional approaches modulate neural activity and listening engagement.

The Open Studio itself expanded the research to a broader audience. Two public sessions, held at 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM, enabled the collection of EEG and behavioral data on a larger scale, integrating live performance with scientific observation. In this context, the audience became an active component of the research process, contributing directly to the experimental framework.

This Open Studio represents the first experiment in Italy to apply a rigorous scientific protocol to music understood not merely as sound, but as a living creative process, shaped by compositional intent, temporal structure and embodied listening.

Contribution to the 40Hz Project

Novecento’s residency plays a foundational role within the 40Hz project, establishing an early model for how artistic composition and neuroscientific methodology can coexist within a shared research framework. His work contributes to the ongoing development of compositional protocols aimed at the artistic integration of sub-frequencies, including 40Hz, within complex musical forms, laying the groundwork for future phases of research and experimentation.