jeux deux, for hyperpiano, orchestra, and live computer graphics (june 2005)
jeux deux is a piece for hyperpiano and orchestra written by tod machover with interactive piano software by mike fabio and live computer graphics by
marc downie. it was premiered by the
boston pops in june of 2005 with michael chertock, hyperpiano, and keith lockhart, conductor.
jeux deux utilizes a number of novel approaches to live interaction using a
yamaha disklavier. all midi data generated by the player is transformed with custom software written in max/msp to accompany and augment the live piano playing. among the various processes are:
- real-time transposition varying by range
- real-time aleatoric improvisation based on live piano parameterization
- pre-composed sequence triggering
- "pebble in a bucket": single notes cause waves to 'splash' out from the center
- textural "blobs" of notes generated using gaussian distributions
- "knob blob": a textural blob of notes generated from knobs which are turned on a midi controller to alter range, distribution, speed, and velocity of notes
midi data and mode changes are transmitted separately via local area network using
open sound control to the graphics computer which generates live visualization of the music being played. this produces images that can accurately "notate" in real-time the interaction between the pianist and the notes being played by the disklavier (hence the title
jeux deux, a "game of two").
audio excerpts from jeux deux (mp3)
video excerpt (quicktime 7 required)
computer graphics excerpt (quicktime 7 required)
marshall fields flower garden (march 2005)
each year
marshall fields presents a flower garden show in their downtown minneapolis store. a vast production with thousands of plants, the flower garden draws visitors from across the twin cities. for the 2005 show, marshall fields approached the
mit media lab to install an interactive sound exhibit to augment the garden.
the initial conception for the garden consists of several zones which are themed after paintings by matisse, dufy, and picasso. in order to complement these artists, the soundscape will utilize music by debussy, satie, and stravinsky.
there are several layers of sound:
- four yamaha disklaviers with interactive pressure-sensitive touchpads playing variations on debussy/satie/stravinsky
- a row of music "shapers" capable of mixing and creating sound effects and intricate musical sounds
- a forest of electro-mechanical windchimes controlled by pinwheels blown on by audience members
- ubiquitous sound design throughout the auditorium utilizing up to 32 channels of discrete sound
- the finale: an amalgamation of all the music heard throughout the garden, mixed and processed into a complex and fascinating piece of new music
publiPod
publiPod is a system for community based
podcasting. it allows users to upload sound data via the world wide web which is automatically transfered to users'
iPods via a public docking station. this system allows for the transfer of news, music, or any other form of sound information among a small group of listeners.
with the proliferation of iPods and computer recording technology, the creation of content and ease of transmission is simpler and more efficient than ever before.
let's take a simple example.
jenny wants to tell everyone about her birthday party. rather than email everyone she knows, she records a short message on her computer using any ordinary computer microphone. 'hey everyone! this is jenny, and i'm having a party on friday. you are all invited. please bring friends and have some cake.'
jenny then uploads this message to the publiPod server via an easy to use web interface.
throughout the day, users will plug their iPods into the publiPod docking station which is centrally located in her lab, allowing everyone in the lab access. the user's iPod is automatically loaded with jenny's message and the user can listen to it as he is walking home.
of course this is only a single use for the system. any type of sound material may be transmitted. music, speech, noise, silence... just about anything can be put onto the system and transmitted, allowing not only for the dissemination of messages, but for a collaborative artistic experience as well.
song of penance system rebuild
song of penance is a composition by tod machover for hyperviola, small orchestra, and live electronics. it is part of the
hyperstring trilogy. developed at the mit media lab in 1992, this piece utilized a fleet of computers, numerous custom-built sensor boxes, and a huge rack of equipment.
needless to say, the old computers don't work so well any more.
in order to bring this piece into the 21st century and keep it viable and performable, i spent several months developing a new performance rig using only two laptops and a small rack of equipment. the system is now completely portable and can be run by just about anyone. it uses some simple software written by josh strickon to control midi routing and uses software samplers and synthesizers to replace the outdated (and broken) synths originally used in the piece.
the newly recreated song of penance was premiered in november 2004 by
john graham (hyperviola), robert franz (conductor), and the
louisville orchestra at the
indiana state university contemporary music festival.
song of penance (and the rest of the hyperstring trilogy) was recorded and released in 2003 on oxingale records.
hyperstring trilogy (excerpts), mp3
the toy symphony
the
toy symphony is a project 6 years in the making. when i came to the mit media lab, i managed to catch the tail end of development, but i was on board for the entire production.
a multifaceted educational experience, the toy symphony culminated in workshops and concerts around europe and the united states in which children played alongside symphony orchestras and worldclass performers like
joshua bell.
the toy symphony project is too vast to explain here. for more details, check the link above.
toy symphony (excerpts), mp3.
sparkler
sparkler is the overture to the toy symphony, but was originally conceived as a stand-alone piece for orchestra and electronics. it is based on
tristan jehan's analysis engine for
max/msp.
as lead sound designer, i worked closely with tristan to develop a means of creating textural sounds (which we dubbed "texture blobs") that can be manipulated by an orchestra using the analysis engine.
six strategically placed microphones are placed within the orchestra. these microphones are analyzed for pitch, timbre, spectral qualities, etc. in real-time, and are fed into a max patch. max then generates midi data which corresponds to the sound of the orchestra and sends the midi to
reason for synthesis and sound generation.
sparkler was premiered at
carnegie hall in 2001 with the
american composer's orchestra (this was actually the first concert i ever engineered.... yes, i had my premier at carnegie hall). tristan and i wrote a
paper (pdf) about this which was published at the 2002 international computer music conference.
sparkler (excerpts), mp3.
other stuff
i've worked on all kinds of stuff. here are some smaller projects:
resurrection
- an opera by tod machover. originally premiered by the houston opera, it was performed again by the boston lyric opera. i worked on setting up the equipment and helped with performances.
toward the center
- a chamber music piece by tod machover for amplified flute, clarinet, violin, and cello, hyperpercussion, and keybaord. rego sen and i put together this ancient system from salvaged computer parts and recovered software.
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Clown: Narrative Structure and Purpose in Arnold Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire
- this was my undergraduate thesis in music. it's my only major work of purely musicological research. it's still a work in progress, though it was finished enough for me to graduate :) paper, pdf
