#Hooked Silent Disco Preview

Hello again! Hardly a day goes by now when I don't see the editing page of a blog post, but there is no use complaining! So what was I up to this time? Well, let me indulge you in my travels (again)...

#Hooked

Not part of the research,
but it does show a lot of
people. And it's at MOSI.

No, it's not a twitter campaign for fishermen and sailors. In fact, it's a new exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) in Manchester. The idea behind it is that when you listen to a song, there are certain parts where you have to nod your head and sing along. These parts are called the "hook" of the song and believe me, you know one when you hear one (Paul Simon anyone? No? Just me?).

For a while, MOSI have been getting people to tell them the catchiest song they know, so they can try and identify what makes a song catchy. This is all part of a larger experiment, to help scientists understand our musical memory, the data of which could be used in Alzheimer's disease research.

Yet, they need a lot of data and that means they need a lot of people. This is where we all come in! They need more people to listen to songs and identify these "hooks". So to get people to come, MOSI are organising several events for the Manchester Science Festival (MSF) based around these catchy tunes. 

Silent Disco

These screens will cause you to either have a blast from the past,
or you'll be laughing at the crazy advertising
of yesteryear.

This is where I come in. One of the events for the MSF based around "hooks" is a "silent disco"! A "silent disco", for those for don't know, is not exactly silent. Everyone is given a pair of fancy headphones, which are able to tune into multiple channels. On each of these channels, different music is playing. So you can effectively have a different disco to everybody else if you want! This isn't an ordinary silent disco though (an odd phrase), as all the songs being played are ones identified by the general public as the catchiest tunes around. So you won't be able to stop yourself dancing!

The preview was recently, which is what I was invited to. I got to try out this silent disco and I have to tell you, it was a lot of fun. I was up and dancing after a few songs and it was contagious. Once a few people were dancing, more and more people joined in. This was only at the preview, so at the actual event it's going to be heaving!

Dates

Now that I've got you "hooked" (I couldn't help myself), I best tell you about the date of the main silent disco. It is happening on Wednesday 30th October 2013, starting at 7PM. It's coupled with a free chat with the creator of #Hooked and special guests, about what makes music catchy and addictive. The actual disco will be starting later on and will cost a £5 deposit (for the headphones, I assume).

See you there, I hope you bring your best shapes. I know I will!