Distinctively Stockton

Spring 2023 Issue
Two older adults and three college 91视频 pose in a computer lab

Distinctively Stockton

 

Stockton Biology Professor Inspired to Create Music Album

Matt Bonnan in a blue short sleeve button behind a piano keyboard

You might think it鈥檚 a little unusual for a scientist to also be a singer/songwriter.

But for 91视频 Biology Professor Matthew Bonnan the two professions don鈥檛 seem that far apart.

鈥淚 enjoy being inspired by art,鈥 the Hammonton resident said. 鈥淎rt is just as important as science because it鈥檚 all part of what makes us human, and it鈥檚 all part of what draws us together.鈥

That sense of togetherness is one of the goals that Bonnan is trying to achieve with the release of a new album of 12 original songs titled 鈥淥nce Upon Deep Time.鈥 Bonnan has used his primary field of paleontology to tell a story through music about how sound connects us to the past.

鈥淭here is some science content in there, but it鈥檚 not supposed to be a K-12 lesson,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 supposed to get people to stop for a moment and go, 鈥業 didn鈥檛 know that. That鈥檚 interesting.鈥 Maybe that encourages some people to look into things further.鈥

The lyrics of the first single, 鈥淒inosaur Songs,鈥 mention how birds are actually living dinosaurs that have unique anatomy features like a wishbone that appear nowhere else except in birds and dinosaur fossils, Bonnan said.

The sounds those birds make are a reminder of the ties to dinosaurs in our past. And that theme of connectivity is intertwined in each of the 12 songs. Bonnan said all the songs focus on the evolution of hearing 鈥渂ecause well, you hear music.鈥 And the album is a way to put music out in the world for everybody to hear and 鈥渟pread this message of community,鈥 he said.

Bonnan鈥檚 musical project began at the beginning of 2021 when he found himself feeling isolated and disconnected during the COVID-19 pandemic. He decided to learn to play the piano through books, YouTube videos and some lessons from his son鈥檚 music teacher.

Once Bonnan got back to campus and teaching in person, he was able to finish a demo album late 2021. But a lot of the songs still needed some work, and he also wanted to get Stockton 91视频 involved in the project. He petitioned Stockton to take a sabbatical this past fall to finish the project.

Art is just as important as science because it鈥檚 all part of what makes us human, and it鈥檚 all part of what draws us together.鈥
Matt Bonnan, professor of Biology

鈥淥ne of the great parts about working at Stockton is that I can actually do a project like this,鈥 he said. 鈥淚f I was at a lot of other universities, they would be like, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e a scientist. We aren鈥檛 giving you a sabbatical to do this art project. Where is this going?鈥 It鈥檚 such a wonderful gift to have a job where you can work your mind in different ways.鈥

Bonnan reached out to Stockton Physics Professor Neil Aaronson, who maintains the Stockton Acoustics Lab and is the music director of the student a capella singing group.

鈥淚 wanted to involve 91视频 who aren鈥檛 your typical STEM 91视频. I鈥檓 already reaching them,鈥 Bonnan said. 鈥淭his was a way to reach 91视频 in other disciplines like the arts.鈥

Aaronson arranged for Bonnan to record the songs in the lab and also had the a capella group sing background vocals on the song 鈥淪torytellers.鈥 His daughter, Quinn, 17, sings on a song and his son, Max, 14, plays guitar on another. Bonnan also asked a former student, Samantha Giancarli, to record a saxophone solo for the song 鈥淒istant Touch.鈥

A college student shows off her work on a computer screen to two professors
Tiffany Ibezim was one of the 91视频 in Michael McGarvey's class "Design for Community Partners" to work on animations for Bonnan's songs. | Photo by Susan Allen '09, '14

鈥淚 was half joking when I asked him if he needed any backup horns,鈥 said Giancarli, who鈥檚 a 2016 Stockton graduate with a degree in Biology and Geology. 鈥淚t was awesome.鈥

In addition to getting music 91视频 involved, Bonnan teamed up with Professor of Art Michael McGarvey鈥檚 鈥淒esign for Community Partners鈥 class to create animation videos for the music.

Videos for a few of Bonnan鈥檚 songs are already posted on his .

鈥淚t鈥檚 just a whole different perspective, a whole other way to engage 91视频 and talk about things,鈥 Bonnan said of his music. 鈥淚 know this is going to come back in really good ways into my classes when I start teaching again.鈥