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Band theory is a fundamental concept in materials science that describes the energy levels of a material as being contained in sheetlike bands hovering above its atomic structure. Researchers have long used this theory to understand the energy levels of materials and the atoms that make them up. However, with the discovery of hyperbolic materials, which have irregular and warped arrangements, the need arose to reformulate band theory to explain these unique properties.

In 2021, mathematician and mathematical physicist Steven Rayan and freelance composer, pianist, and trombonist Jeff Presslaff embarked on an ambitious project to translate a mathematical physics research paper directly into music. Their goal was to explore whether band theory could be adapted to describe the energy levels of hyperbolic materials.

The result was a five-section concert, 'Math + Jazz: Sounds from a Quantum Future,' which premiered at the University of Saskatchewan in September 2021. The concert featured a 15-piece 'hyperbolic band' of musicians who performed a unique blend of music and science. Each section of the concert corresponded to a portion of Rayan's research article, with the musicians using the scientific concepts to create an original composition.

The concert was not without its challenges. Many of the musicians were not local, so the band had not rehearsed together in person until the night before the performance. Despite these obstacles, the concert was a huge success, attracting a packed house and featuring hyperbolic art created by Elliot Kienzle as part of the slideshow.

The lecture portion of the concert dissected the scientific concepts from Rayan's paper and showed how they were translated into music. The result was a truly unique performance that brought together two seemingly disparate fields: mathematics and jazz.

Throughout their research, Rayan and Presslaff faced many challenges, including the difficulty of translating complex mathematical concepts into musical notation. However, their perseverance paid off, as the concert received widespread acclaim for its innovative approach to music and science.

In conclusion, the 'Math + Jazz' concert was a groundbreaking experiment that successfully translated a mathematical physics research paper into music. The performance demonstrated the power of collaboration between mathematicians and musicians, and showed how band theory can be adapted to describe the unique properties of hyperbolic materials.

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