I heard the melody of my brainwaves through a digital instrument created by a Juno-nominated artist

I laughed nervously as I slipped the headband on — equipped with five electroencephalogram (EEG) sensors that rested against my forehead — as I sat in a lab.

This would turn my brainwaves into sound. But wait, I wondered, what if the world would be able to hear my innermost thoughts, too? 

Then I had an even worse thought. What if there was no sound at all? 

Andrew Staniland is the one behind this creation. He is a professor, composer and recently added a third Juno nomination to his resume. His album, The Laws of Nature, is nominated for classical composition of the year.

Staniland created his album using a device called JADE — a digital instrument he developed along with his team.

Essentially, it’s a musical instrument, but instead of playing it with your hands or a bow, it’s your vital signs that bring it to life, is how Staniland describes it.

His album that's nominated for a 2026 Juno included songs in which dancers from the Kittiwake Ballet in St. John's donned the headband and danced and moved as they reacted to the sounds their brainwaves were producing in real time.

And now, it was my turn to give it a try.

I calmed my nerves, or tried to, as Staniland warned me that my brainwaves might not show up right away as the system got itself up and running.

As the colourful inputs made a dull flat line for the first few seconds, I thought, the jig is up. There’s nothing going on upstairs.

But then the frequencies on the visual display danced to life. Staniland clicked a button, and the room erupted into the sound of my brainwaves. 

For the next hour, we tried different settings — the elegant harp, ominous drone of the organ, and melodic piano. 

It was unlike any instrument I’d ever experienced. I didn’t have to try and play — just existing was enough.

How does a machine that looks like a miniature UFO do this?