According to Greek mythology, Prometheus, the Titan, stole fire from the gods and gave it to humanity. Seeing the theft of fire as an act of ultimate treason; one that would place humanity on an equal footing with the deities, Zeus exiled Prometheus; chaining him to a rock where he was tortured by an unrelenting predatory eagle. His punishment was deemed fitting by the gods; an eternity of isolation and banishment for the crime of presumption.
Some hold that the story of Prometheus and the theft of fire is a tale of human innovation and progress against the forces of nature. Most see the story only in the context of defiance against immovable divinity; the established order.
Prometheus was an explorer. Prometheus was the quintessential heretic. Prometheus was a questioner.

What then, is the balance between subservience and autonomy and why is this initiative called a ‘trust’ rather than a ‘fund?’
Some would attach a financial implication to the word ‘fund’ calling up notions of monetary investment. ’Trust’ however, imparts a sense of confidence; an ethos of permission-giving where questioning and trailblazing are the rule of the day; a safe place where the emphasis is on cultivating creativity and engendering innovation. Someone wrote about creativity this way:
“Creativity is the #1 leadership trait of the future...As we look forward to a future of rapid technological and social change, it’s clear that a creativity deficit would have sweeping consequences. We need to nurture the skills that will help future generations solve 21st century problems.”
This ‘trust’ is very much like planting a tree, the shade of which the gardener will never enjoy. The reward is in the doing. The fruits are in the future. The seeds of confidence and permission-giving planted in the lives of the explorer, the heretic, the questioner are humanity's answer to the Latin dictum Invent aut mori; Invent or die!

Individuals looking to implement or develop creative technology for music are not alone: it is a uniquely human goal and it transcends barriers. While the stories of each artist’s perseverance and sensibilities about their craft are unique, the desire to develop new technologies in order to realize an unspoken and invisible idea is simultaneously mysterious and relatable.

Yet barriers do exist. These funds are given by the Holec family who understand this and want to help individuals transcend those barriers with the help of dedicated WPI music faculty mentors who use these funds to support students seeking to explore innovative paths in music and sound artistry.

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Please note: our labs are infested with Lab Researchers and Technologists (Lab RATs), a highly-talented and appropriately-caffeinated group of students who work with me on various projects related to music technology. If you step on them, they will bite.