Inside the Sun with Dwight Frizzell: Music, Science, and the Solstice in Surround Sound
06.17.2025
An immersive summer solstice concert brings the sound of the sun to Earth with the help of musicians including Dwight Frizzell, Professor and Head of the KCAI Sound Program.
Event Info:
Saturday, June 21 | 2 p.m.
Charlotte Street Courtyard | 3333 Wyoming, KCMO
Free | All Ages Welcome
Solstice Concert
Dwight Frizzell, Professor and Head of the KCAI Sound Program, says the sun rings like a bell every 4 minutes and 48 seconds.
“And we know this through helioseismology [...the study of vibrations and sound waves inside the sun]. That solar resonance follows the same harmonic rules as music here on Earth—anything that resonates with overtones, really. So it’s this beautiful, pure kind of music,” Frizzell says.
This idea sparked an annual summer solstice concert, which returns this year with a special one-hour performance on Saturday, June 21 at 2 p.m. in the Charlotte Street Courtyard (3333 Wyoming). Directed by Patrick Conway, Sam Hughes, and Dwight Frizzell, the event is free, open to all ages, and will feature Gamelan Genta Kasturi alongside their musical friends.
What to Expect?
“The performers form a circle, and the audience sits inside—as if they’re inside the sun. You hear the harmonic pulsing moving and circulating around you. It’s immersive. On top of that, we include the sounds of solar storms, or sunspots. We only see the little dots, but sunspots are actually these electromagnetic braids, vigorously weaving through the convection zone,” Frizzell explains.
The performance is timed to happen during the solstice because it’s a moment of global connection, Frizzell says. “It’s the longest day and shortest night—the Earth at full tilt. But beyond astronomy, it’s a moment that touches every person, every culture, every religion. Everyone experiences the solstice. So, this music connects us all—humans, planets, even the solar system itself. The sun is a living being in this sense.”
As for the performance, the music is divided into twelve repeating sections, each lasting exactly 4 minutes and 48 seconds. Every section starts off loud and energetic, then slowly fades away, much like a wave of energy pulsing from the sun.
The instruments follow a steady beat, with melodies that shimmer, pulse, and gently vibrate to create a feeling of warmth and resonance—like sunlight through sound. The percussion keeps the rhythm going, also starting strong and slowly softening.
At different points in the piece, two musicians perform "storm duets" that represent sunspots—those dark patches on the sun’s surface caused by magnetic activity. These musical duets twist and weave together, mimicking the way solar storms move and change.
“They’re kind of free from the harmonic pulsing that surrounds us in the ‘core’ of the performance. So they function like solos or duets against a harmonic backdrop,” Frizzell says.
“The music itself is solar music—it’s the music of the sun,” Frizzell says. “Some might say it’s not human music, but I’d argue it’s the music that makes us human.”
Celebrate the Solstice Under the Sun
Featuring Gamelan Genta Kasturi and Friends
Saturday, June 21 at 2 p.m.
Charlotte Street Courtyard – 3333 Wyoming
Free | All Ages Welcome
The sun rings like a giant Balinese gong every 4 minutes and 48 seconds, as revealed by modern helioseismology. In honor of this cosmic rhythm, Gamelan Genta Kasturi and their musical collaborators present a one-hour performance of solar-inspired music, directed by Patrick Conway, Sam Hughes, and Dwight Frizzell.
Gamelan Genta Kasturi is Kansas City’s community Balinese Semaradana gamelan, founded in 2003 by I Ketut Gede Asnawa and family. Join them for this immersive celebration of sound, light, and celestial connection.
Performers (Heliophonists):
Roy Alanis
Patrick Conway
Malcolm Cook
Dwight Frizzell
Sam Hughes
Carmen Jalbuena
Jude Seidel
Allan Winkler
Wayne Yockey