September 23rd – October 8th: Visiting Researcher
Enrike Hurtado Mendieta: The Digital Txalaparta
Visiting researcher, Enrike Hurtado Mendieta, is working on a project that explores how the txalaparta, a Basque traditional acoustic instrument, can be represented in the digital domain. The project involves studying the generative rules of the txalaparta playing, digital representation and cultural reception of such work. Further activities include:
October 1st, Music at MFM lunchtime seminar
October 1st, Enrike, MFM RiP (Research in Progress) seminar
October 2nd, Txalaparta workshop at 1pm, Recital Room, Falmer House
October 3rd: Guest lecture (Silverstone 121, 2pm)
Andrew Sorensen: Programming In Time – Live Coding for Creative Performances
The act of programming is typically removed from a program’s ongoing execution, both temporally and spatially. This is particularly true for real-time systems, where the system’s operation is often tightly coupled with the physical environment. This talk aims to challenge this separation by looking at programming as the ongoing orchestration of real-time processes through time – an ongoing cyber-physical dialogue between the programmer, the machine and the environment.
After a very brief history of live coding Andrew’s talk will delve into some of the deeper technical issues surrounding this challenging domain.
Using Andrew’s Extempore system, this talk will explore notions of time, liveness, feedback and procedural orchestration, addressing these ideas from the perspective of both end-user programmers as well as system designers.
Biography: Andrew Sorensen is an artist-programmer whose interests lie at the intersection of computer science and creative practice. Andrew is well known for creating the programming languages that he uses in live performance to generate improvised audiovisual theatre. He has been invited to perform these contemporary audiovisual improvisations around the world. Andrew is a Senior Research Fellow at the Queensland University of Technology and is the author of the Impromptu and Extempore programming language environments.
October 28th: Adam Linson – Improvisation Workshop (Creativity Zone, 10-12)
Real-time interactive music systems: Design, Development and Performance
What relationships between interactive system design, development and performance lie beneath the surface? Why should we understand how we interact with our instruments physically, mentally and musically? Why should we understand the internal makeup of the hardware and software we use? In this hands-on workshop, Adam Linson will draw on examples from his experience with electro-acoustic improvisation to discuss the concepts, motivations and technologies behind his approach to real-time interactive music systems. Further information on Adam here.
The workshop is mandatory for the 3rd year Music Informatics students and open to all Media, Film and Music students. Participants are invited to bring any acoustic instruments and/or software along. There will be a chance for practical engagement. Please sign up here
October 30th: Gene Felice II – Biosensor Workshop (Recital Room, Falmer House, 10-11.30)
Bio sensor workshop with Gene Felice II. Open to all MFM students. This event is in relation to Gene’s presentation later in the day, organised by Kate O’Riordan.
December 4th: Alice Eldridge. (Jubilee G35, 3-4pm)
Listening to the Forests and Feeding the Crickets: Field notes from a transdisciplinary soundscapologist
In L’Arte dei Rumori (1913) Russolo decreed the value of everyday soundscape elements in the compositional palette; In The Tuning of the World (1977) Murray Schaefer espoused the value of listening to and preservation of our everyday soundscape as both methodology and aim of Acoustic Ecology. With the emergence of Soundscape Ecology, the scientific value of listening to natural soundscapes as a means of assessing biodiversity is now being recognised.
It was for primarily scientific purposes that I spent 8 weeks recording the soundscape of Ecuadorian Cloud Forest and Amazon this summer, but I could not help listening as a musician and as a human too. In this informal talk I will consider what we can learn from different ways of listening to the soundscape and illustrate with recordings and images from our field work.
December (Date TBC): SLOW (Sussex Laptop Orchestra Workshop)
Chad McKinney will lead the inauguration meeting of the Sussex Laptop Orchestra. Chad will present his research and practice in networked music performance and introduces his software for synced and distributed musical performance. Participants should bring their computers as the orchestra will take form during this session.