Harvestworks Presents Kinefy Workshop: movement interaction with Max and Processing by Federico Visi and Andrew Telichan Phillips
Kinefy is a software framework designed for enhancing conventional musical instruments through the body movements and gestures of the performer. It provides tools for using widely available wearable sensors to extend the expressive possibilities of existing musical instruments.
Sunday May 8th 2016, 5hr Workshop + 1hr Performance
Workshop ($100) from 12pm-5pm For Questions: mail@federicovisi.com
Performance (Free) from 8pm-9pm
Harvestworks Digital Media Arts Center 596 Broadway Suite 602 New York NY 10012
Through Machine Learning technologies, Kinefy can adapt its algorithms to the various movements and postures required for playing different musical instruments, thus allowing control of live electronics and sound processing in an organic and intuitive way. Kinefy expands and alters the sound of a conventional instrument using complex techniques such as physical modeling and granular synthesis, thus allowing the musician to explore new sonic territories using movements that merge with – or complement – techniques with which he or she is already familiar. The motivations behind Kinefy arise from studies of embodiment in music performance, which suggest that movement is an essential component of music cognition, and that the gestures of a musician are an expressive feature that contribute to the overall musical experience. Kinefy also aims at redefining the ways motion sensors are used in musical performance. By allowing for quick and intuitive control, Kinefy enables musicians to experiment with new ways of playing their instrument without having to modify the instrument or to manually tweak complex software parameters. During the workshop, the participants will learn and share techniques for interactive music performance using wearable motion sensors and explore conceptual implications that arise when designing gestural interactions with music and sound. A performance night will follow, where Federico Visi and Andrew Telichan Phillips will perform pieces involving motion sensors, live electronics and acoustic instruments.
Requirements for participants:
Familiarity with basic concepts of digital music production. Programming skills are not required.
The main programming environment used throughout the workshop will be Max 7. A free 30-day trial can be downloaded fromhttps://cycling74.com/
Each participant is expected to bring his/her own laptop capable of running Max 7, and possibly their favorite input sensor. Examples of suitable sensors are: iPhones or Android phones (we will use the built-in motions sensors), Nintendo Wii controllers, Arduino-based accelerometers, Thalmic Myo sensor armband, Kinect for Xbox, Leap Motion etc. If you’re not sure if your device is compatible, please contact us before the workshop and we will help you out: mail@federicovisi.com. If you don’t have such devices, the organizers will provide a limited number of controllers for the participants to use during the workshop.
This will be agreed via email prior to the workshop in order to make sure every participant will have everything required and avoid disappointment. Max. 15 participants
Info: mail@federicovisi.com
Researcher, composer and performer. Federico Visi is currently based in Plymouth (UK) where he is conducting his doctoral research at the ICCMR (Interdisciplinary Centre for Computer Music Research), focusing on body movement in performances with traditional musical instruments. He has composed music for films and installations, performed live in solo sets, with bands and in contemporary theatre and dance performances and has presented his research at several international conferences. He has worked on collaborative interdisciplinary projects with researchers in Europe (Ghent University, University of Bologna), North America (NYU, UCLA) and South America (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul). He is the leader of the Kinefy project, which is an international collaboration between researchers and musicians in Europe (Plymouth University), North America (NYU) and South America (UFRGS).
The Performance: Ana García Caraballos: Sax . A short video of one of the pieces