hicksm@spock (Michael Hicks) (11/28/89)
Hello. My name is Michael Hicks and I and others are preparing a performance art piece to be presented to the general public of Tucson Arizona. Even though the project itself is not quite completely defined at this point we have re- served the band shell in the park for next july and later this week are scheduled to meet with the Director of Arts for this town's park department to discuss our plans and the possibility for public funding. I have had very little experience in putting together projects like this so I would like to describe what we have in mind and ask for comments and any sug- gestions and ideas. We intend this to be an multi-media piece of computer graphics and music with a high degree of audience interaction (both passive and active). We intend to use an AMIGA 500 as our main computer. I don't own a computer at the moment but might by a cheap XT clone (I'm on a shoestring budget) and use it as the MIDI controller. Other hardware should come in as we assemble a work group. We would like to come up with inovative but simple ways to interface ourselves and the audience to the process of creating . It's fundementally important to us that we entertain our audience. The performance will be divided into many sections which individuals will have reposibility to develope and also should include sections of live performance. We thought this would be a good way to divide the work up so that the indivduals involved would have thier own room for personnal expression but the final decision on weither or not it shall be included in the performance shall remain with the working group as a whole. Though personnally I enjoy things with a slight twist to the and that make me think (Eno and Anderson are good examples) we in no way want this to become an excercise in intellectual hobnob. We want everyone to get something out of this. Even those with no real exposure to performance art, electronic music, computer graphics, or anything with an advant-garde bent. I have kept things a bit schetchy is this notice in part because it is schetchy right now but also because I do not wish to color your comments and suggestions which I hope you will find time to send us. In particular we would like input on: -Anyone's past experience with similar projects -Ideas on interfacing techniques -Ideas on hardware and software for both the graphics and the music aspects I invite you to respond. Yours sincerely Michael Hicks
chymes@zug.csmil.umich.edu (Charles Hymes) (11/29/89)
Charles Hymes
garym@ulysses.UUCP (Gary Murphy) (11/30/89)
In my previous incarnation as a computer artist, I was involved in many
such shows in the Toronto and Hamilton area. These events were
invariably orchestrated by our premier Happening Architect Udo
Kasemets, so I can't really relate much detail about the problems of
the show, the funding &c, but I can describe some of the more
successful participants in these events.
Easily the most popular item we ever displayed was David Rokeby's
various environment pieces. These permit audience interaction in mass
or may be controlled by more 'serious' performers. His first big hit
was an item called Narcissus, which consisted of a 'well' made from
old circuit boards - the well captured sounds in its immediate
vicinity and ran these through various frequency shifters and the
like. The effect was very subtle and it was a joy to see people when
they finally discovered what the source of the sound was (themselves).
His second big work, and I forget the name he uses, consists of four
homebuilt cameras which relay the stage scene to an Apple II where the
signals are parsed for the formants of movement. These are then
mapped to a DX-11 (?) FM synthesizer. One performance consisted of
two installations, one in NY and another in Paris, networked over
phone lines: once familiar with the kinds of movement to sound
mappings, one could be in NY and, from the sound, imagine the activity
happening on the Paris floor. This work has the advantage of
including the audience (cameras in the lobby) or of being controlled
by one or more dancers (close feedback loop!).
One of my own more successful shows was actually a score by Marcel
DuChamp, which I performed as part of the centennial last year. This
involved a Lionel model train which passed under a hopper collecting
stones and then dumped the stones on an A:D converter. The converter
then passed the digital values to a PC where they were converted to
pitches and durations. In one version, the resulting score was
displayed on a monitor for the pianist (Gordon Monahan), and in a
second version, we used the signals to drive a homebuild 16x4 audio
mixer connected to continuously varying sine-wave generators. The
audience had a huge train layout to browse and the whole room became
both stage and (what do you call where the audience sits), one of my
favourite themes.
In a nutshell, I guess I'm recommendings the all-at-once, trade-show
pandemonium presentation style, where each participant is free to
focus on any aspect and the aspects placed and chosen to fit. I've
never been fond of the attitude that, "we are artists so shut up and
listen!", and I've always found Udo's format of multi-ring circuses to
be a perfect vehicle.
--
Gary Murphy decvax!utzoo!dciem!nrcaer!cognos!garym
(garym%cognos.uucp@uunet.uu.net)
(613) 738-1338 x5537 Cognos Inc. P.O. Box 9707 Ottawa K1G 3N3
"There are many things which do not concern the process" - Joan of Arc
--
Gary Murphy decvax!utzoo!dciem!nrcaer!cognos!garym
(garym%cognos.uucp@uunet.uu.net)
(613) 738-1338 x5537 Cognos Inc. P.O. Box 9707 Ottawa K1G 3N3
"There are many things which do not concern the process" - Joan of Arcg1@drivax.UUCP (Bruce Holloway) (11/30/89)
If you need to buy a cheap computer just for the MIDI controller, I suggest getting a cheap Atari 520ST. There is a lot of software out for the ST and its MIDI port. Why wouldn't you be able to use the Amiga 500? It's multitasking, and if the foreground stuff isn't too complex, might be able to handle MIDI as background. 'Course, you would have to buy the MIDI interface anyway. I've been using an Atari ST to control my electric piano for almost a year now, and it works wonderfully. Since Atari has abandoned the US market, STs and MIDI software can be hand for a nickel and a song, especially used. - Bruce -- ******************************************************************************* * Bruce Holloway - Terminal Netnews Addict uunet!amdahl!drivax!holloway * * ALBATROSS, ATARI*TROS @ Plink ALBATROSS @ Delphi *
jtn@zodiac.ADS.COM (John Nelson) (12/05/89)
In article <7595@ulysses.UUCP> garym@cognos.UUCP (Gary Murphy) writes: > >One of my own more successful shows was actually a score by Marcel >DuChamp, which I performed as part of the centennial last year. This >involved a Lionel model train which passed under a hopper collecting >stones and then dumped the stones on an A:D converter. The converter >then passed the digital values to a PC where they were converted to >pitches and durations. What? You didn't run the locomotive into a tiny truck loaded with teeny tiny harpsichords? What an opportunity you've missed! Graduate of the Gomez Addams school of music and model railroading. John T. Nelson UUCP: sun!sundc!potomac!jtn Advanced Decision Systems Internet: jtn@potomac.ads.com 1500 Wilson Blvd #512; Arlington, VA 22209-2401 (703) 243-1611
fagan@mfci.UUCP (Brendan Fagan) (12/08/89)
Concerning simple ways of getting the crowd involved: I'd think some form of velocity or acceleration transducers in the hands (feet? on heads?) of the crowd could yield interesting results. Person dances -- instrument sings. Another fun idea is some form of proximity sensor -- two gizmos which return one signal indicating distance between the two. Either idea would let the people get directly, physically involved in sound production. (official opinions of the 1992 Olympics) brendan fagan fagan@multiflow.com fagan@mfci.UUCP
sparks@corpane.UUCP (John Sparks) (12/09/89)
In article <1156@m3.mfci.UUCP> fagan@mfci.UUCP (Brendan Fagan) writes: >let the people get directly, physically involved in sound production. Yea... Hook proximity sensors up to the crowd, interface with a music program and have them all play Twister.. on a nintendo power pad. ;-) -- John Sparks | {rutgers|uunet}!ukma!corpane!sparks | D.I.S.K. 24hrs 1200bps ||||||||||||||| sparks@corpane.UUCP | 502/968-5401 thru -5406 I used to be lost in the shuffle. Now I just shuffle along with the lost.
monty@sagpd1.UUCP (Monty Saine) (12/12/89)
In article <1250@corpane.UUCP> sparks@corpane.UUCP (John Sparks) writes: >In article <1156@m3.mfci.UUCP> fagan@mfci.UUCP (Brendan Fagan) writes: >>let the people get directly, physically involved in sound production. > >Yea... Hook proximity sensors up to the crowd, interface with a music program >and have them all play Twister.. on a nintendo power pad. ;-) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ BOO... HISS... We should use Amiga Joy Boards. Monty Saine > >-- >John Sparks | {rutgers|uunet}!ukma!corpane!sparks | D.I.S.K. 24hrs 1200bps >||||||||||||||| sparks@corpane.UUCP | 502/968-5401 thru -5406 >I used to be lost in the shuffle. Now I just shuffle along with the lost. Nothing follows except mailer fodder To the guy that mailed me and thought these mailers were right--enjoy the bandwidth........ . . . . . . . . . .
liberato@drivax.UUCP (Jimmy Liberato) (12/13/89)
monty@sagpd1.UUCP (Monty Saine) writes: > > ... We should use Amiga Joy Boards. I keep thinking that there is a wharehouse somewhere with hundreds of Joy Boards collecting dust awaiting the next video game boom. Wouldn't that be neat! I recall RJ Michal showing a video tape at a user group meeting a couple years ago that featured an excerpt from a Merv Griffin show of the early '80s. Some famous skier was the Amiga Corp. spokeswomen and did quite a demonstration of the proper "technique" :-) :-). OK, trivia question for those with more history than me: Just who was this asset to the original Amiga Corp.? -- Jimmy Liberato ...!amdahl!drivax!liberato
kim@uts.amdahl.com (Kim E. DeVaughn) (12/13/89)
In article <3F99JQ@drivax.UUCP>, liberato@drivax.UUCP (Jimmy Liberato) writes: > > Some famous skier was the Amiga Corp. spokeswomen and did quite > a demonstration of the proper "technique" :-) :-). > > OK, trivia question for those with more history than me: Just who was this > asset to the original Amiga Corp.? The blonde with the great technique was mome other than Suzy Chaffee (I think that's how she spells it). /kim -- UUCP: kim@amdahl.amdahl.com or: {sun,decwrl,hplabs,pyramid,uunet,oliveb,ames}!amdahl!kim DDD: 408-746-8462 USPS: Amdahl Corp. M/S 249, 1250 E. Arques Av, Sunnyvale, CA 94086 BIX: kdevaughn GEnie: K.DEVAUGHN CIS: 76535,25
easu021@orion.oac.uci.edu (Jason Goldberg) (12/14/89)
>I recall RJ Michal showing a video tape at a user group meeting a couple >years ago that featured an excerpt from a Merv Griffin show of the early >'80s. Some famous skier was the Amiga Corp. spokeswomen and did quite >a demonstration of the proper "technique" :-) :-). > >OK, trivia question for those with more history than me: Just who was this >asset to the original Amiga Corp.? > OK ... Alex ... What is ... "Suzy Chapstick?" Am I ready for Jeopardy? -Jason-
unland@cbmvax.commodore.com (Rick Unland - Regional Support) (12/14/89)
The famous skier was of course Suzie Chapstick. It's a real riot to hear the guys R.J, Dale and the others relate this one. -- ******* Rick Unland Commodore Business Machines **************************** * Usenet: uunet!cbmvax!unland ARPA: cbmvax!unland!@uunet.UU.NET * * These opinions are my Own! Not my employers, unless so stated! * * "I thought they said the Commodore could stand up to anything!" * *********************************************** Earth Girls Are Easy! **********