Yesterday I visited Steim to see Tanto de Nada for voice, live electronics and live video by duo bang.grab.stutter and Eric Lyon with The Biomuse Trio. Tanto de Nada is a very nice composition by Evelien van den Broek and Danny de Graan, in which the voice controls software processing the voice, resulting in a pleasant and dynamic sonic experience based on sung and spoken words in different languages.
The Biomuse Trio showed a work in progress by composer Eric Lyon consisting of sound input from violinist Gascia Ouzounian, processed by software controlled by sensors attached to Benjamin Knapps' arms. After the performances there was room for discussion and one interesting question arose: Do those sensors attached to a persons body form an instrument?
A violinist has to practice for years and years and the same movement has to be repeated time after time before she reaches a high level of skill. She has to live with her instrument and play hours and hours every day to master it. And once she does she will know what to do to play the notes perfectly in tune and with great expression, and her instument will react the same every time.
In case of sensors attached to the body the effect each movement has can vary. The software has to be calibrated and the incoming signal can be mapped to any available parameter. Thus the performer has to adjust to the way the software reacts to the movement. So can he learn to play this instrument like a violin or can he only learn how to handle it in order for the software to correctly understand what's happening?
The composer's answer in this case was that all elements combined form the instrument. Violin, sensors, dsp software. You can see it that way, especially from a composer's point of view. Although it leaves the original question somewhat unanswered.
One might question wether the audience should understand what's happening, that's another thing. For every piece of music the mapping of parameters can be different, so the movements the performer makes will not always have the same effect on the sound. So what do you want to show your audience, the technical possibilities of a system and what you can do with it, or a piece of art in which the use of technology greatly enhances the overall experience?
Photo by Clav