Whether it’s a soothing classical tune, a heart-pumping electronic mix, or a head-banging rock jam… music is powerful in its innumerable forms and plays an integral role in our lives. That is why the way we experience it matters. In fact, it significantly shapes our connection to the music itself and how it relates to the rest of our life. The music experience goes beyond listening. To get the full impact, you need to feel it. After all, sound is vibration, so shouldn’t music be a physical sensation, too? This idea is at the core of BodyRocks, Silicon Valley-based wearable tech startup that translates audio signals into tactile sensations felt on the body.
On paper, BodyRocks founder Derek Albanese is a business savant. After graduating from Tufts University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from Yale, he fast-tracked his way to Wall Street where he worked at J.P. Morgan and other private equity companies focused on banking and leveraged finance. Running a successful business is his knowhow. However, at heart, Albanese is a bona fide “music junkie”. As a kid, he was infatuated by music legends like Jimmie Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and Rush. That led to exploration of his own musical talents playing guitar, bass, drums, and trumpet. Though he didn’t pursue it professionally, music remained a passion. “It has always been a big part of my life,” said Albanese. “With BodyRocks, everything has finally come together.”
Intrigued by the complex cathartic reactions he’d experienced listening to music, Albanese began experimenting with the physicality of sound by placing miniature speakers on different parts of the body. “When I put those speakers on my shoulders and chest, it seemed to amplify all these profound sensations,” explained Albanese. “It was therapeutic, relaxing, and allowed me to communicate how I connected with music in a whole different way. I thought, ‘how can I share this?’” He reached out to Tim Thompson who has toured with the likes of rock legends including KISS, Tower of Power, and Journey. “[Tim] is a music technophile,” said Albanese, “I asked him how to daisy chain two separate Bluetooth speakers; basically, how to transmit music in two different nodes and it immediately got his interest.” Thompson came on board as a co-founder and CTO of BodyRocks.
Unlike other forms of haptics that provide rumbling sensations in one-dimensional, static streams, BodyRocks is dynamic and nuanced. “We’ve all felt the bass, we’ve all stood a little too close to a speaker, and it’s cool, but this takes it a step further,” said Albanese. The lightweight, stone-like device is designed to register a song, separate its various elements, and distribute each to different locations on the body. Imagine having the bass resonate around your lower back, while the vocals are vibrating in your upper chest and the drums are pulsing around the ribcage, all coming in at most opportune moments of the track. “We don’t want BodyRocks to be just another buzzing box. This is a sophisticated experience where you’re feeling all the different aspects of a song all over your body. Your mind becomes focused on all the different elements as they’re coming in and tries to anticipate what’s going to happen next. It submerges you in the orchestra of sound. It’s like listening to your favorite song for the first time.”
This physical component enhances the music listening experience in all types of environments. From high-energy festivals like Coachella and Electric Daisy Carnival to tranquil settings for mindfulness and meditation, the physical representation of music offers a tactile reference that heightens emotional engagement and encourages a deeper connection between mind and body. It keeps the listener in the present. BodyRocks can also be used as a tool for music therapy to help soothe those in intensive medical treatments. “It helps patients relax and refocus,” he continued, “They can select any music, and this simple element of personal control ends up being so important for people going through recovery and rehabilitation.”
Though the device is currently aimed towards listeners, Albanese aims to evolve the software into a professional studio tool for musicians. “The goal is to have the BodyRocks software fully integrated in the recording music process, so musicians can dictate what type of experience each track is creating,” explained Albanese. “In that way, artists can create greater bonds with their fans.” BodyRocks has also teamed up with Academy of Art University in San Francisco to offer its students a chance to design exclusive accessories. Music is the most democratic art and the process belongs to the people!
Though tactile feeling of music is still a relatively novel concept, Albanese believes it will become standard music listening experience: “With BodyRocks, we are creating something different, something that’s never been done before. I envision a future where people naturally associate listening to music with feeling it physically.” Now, what would be your first BodyRocks playlist? Let the brand know when you follow them on Facebook!