Read more at source.
Read more at source.
The idea for the Dinosaur Choir was born during a family road trip in 2011, when Brown visited a dinosaur museum and was intrigued by the crest on a Parasaurolophus skull. This led to the creation of her first project, Rawr! A Study in Sonic Skulls, which focused on the Corythosaurus. The Dinosaur Choir continues this work, examining how changes to the dinosaur's crest during its lifespan could have affected its vocalizations.
The original project, Rawr!, required users to physically blow into a mouthpiece to create sound. However, this method was not hygienic for public exhibitions, particularly during the pandemic. This led Brown, who also holds a computer science degree, to shift to a more computational approach, resulting in the interactive, camera-and-microphone-based system of the Dinosaur Choir.
The Dinosaur Choir was recently recognized at Georgia Tech's 2025 Guthman Musical Instrument Competition. The competition's chair, Jeff Albert, praised the project for its combination of scientific research and musical expression. The project's recognition signals the potential for further exploration in the intersection of music, science, and technology.
"As a musician, I felt empathy with them, like—OK, you were singers too." - Courtney Brown, on her initial inspiration from the crested dinosaurs.
