Professor Milton Mermikides’ first book Hidden Music– The Composer’s Guide to Sonification has been published by Cambridge University Press. The book reveals the what, how and why of sonification and data music practices; and their role and potential in scientific and artistic communication.

“Hidden Music brings rigour and wonder in equal measure to a topic that until now lacked serious analysis. Essential for those musically minded and those who are data driven too” – Professor Chris Lintott, Astronomer and Presenter of BBC’s The Sky at Night

Hidden Music – The Composer’s Guide to Sonification (Mermikides 2025, Cambridge University Press) explores the intersection of data sonification (the systematic translation of data into sound) and musical composition. Section 1 engages with existing discourse and offers an original model (the sonification continuum) which provides perspectives on the practice of sonification for composers, science communicators and those interested in this rapidly emerging field. Section 2 engages with the sonification process itself, exploring techniques, models of translation, data fidelity, analogic and symbolic data mapping, temporality and the listener experience. In Section 3 these concepts and techniques are all made concrete in the context of a selection of the author’s projects (2004–2023). Finally, some reasons are offered on how sonification as a practice might enrich composition, communication, collaboration, and a sense of connection.

“Hidden Music is truly excellent and fills a huge gap in the literature. In this carefully argued book, Mermikides presents a very personal, academically rigorous, yet highly accessible view of how to bring together data sonification, modern information theory and music composition”  – Morten Kringelbach, Professor of Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Director of Center for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishingand Co-founder Center for Music in the Brain

ISBN 978-1-009-50031-9 Hardback
ISBN 978-1-009-25857-9 Paperback
ISSN 2633-4585 (online)
ISSN 2633-4577 (print)
Publishers site: www.cambridge.org/9781009500319