Peter Silberman + Mario Svirsky

When musician Peter Silberman developed a temporary but total loss of his hearing, his brain filled the silence with static. He discusses his brain’s interpretation of sound and demonstrates how it has affected his music with neuroscientist and hearing science specialist, Mario Svirsky.

Brainwave is supported in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

About the Speaker

Peter Silberman is a Brooklyn-based songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist. He is best known as a member of the rock band The Antlers. Several years ago, Silberman developed a hearing impairment in his left ear that resulted in complete (though temporary) hearing loss, extraordinarily loud tinnitus, and an excruciating sensitivity to everyday noises. He explores these impairments in his upcoming debut solo album, Impermanence, which builds upon work created with The Antlers. This solo material goes beyond experiments in ambience by tracing the stages of healing as Silberman experienced them.

Mario Svirsky trained as an electrical engineer in Uruguay and as a Biomedical Engineering PhD candidate at Tulane University and LSU, where he specialized in speech and hearing sciences. He was a Postdoctoral Associate at MIT’s Speech Communication Group, where he stayed as a research scientist until he took a job at Indiana University in Indianapolis. He joined NYU in 2005 as the first Noel L. Cohen Professor of Hearing Science. When he is not busy uncovering secrets of the human brain, he runs marathons in unusual places or participates in unexpected performances organized by the comedy collective Improv Everywhere.