Telemusic

    Rehearsal for a collaborative project in Telemusic class this past semester. This video was taken from the Syneme Lab at the University of Calgary. A laptop orchestra from Mcmaster University in Ontario was accompanying this performance.   



    This class consisted of a couple students with art & music backgrounds as well as computer science. The synthesis of interdisciplinary knowledge was key in the creation of our final project. Those who weren't as capable of writing code made up for it sampling sounds, writing music, working in Ableton Live, etc. On the other hand, the few without much of a background in the arts handled the necessary programming tasks/problems with exceptional accuracy. 


    I enjoyed learning about the process that goes on behind a live networked performance. I can only see this type of networked collaboration increasing in popularity. Our instructor Ken Fields, (the Canadian Research Chair in Telemedia Arts,) taught us all about the Syneme Lab at the University of Calgary where most of his research takes place. A plethora of microphones, cameras, projectors, acoustic and digital mixers are available in the lab. You must learn how to route these devices properly between computers and instruments based on the artist's needs. Eventually, through a program called Jacktrip, we learned how to link up with other Universities & Research centers around the globe. Ken trusted us enough to head to Beijing for MUSICACOUSTICA 2011, leaving us in charge of the lab. Our skills were put to the test as we routed different participants to one another over the high speed ipv6 network.


“There is an essential gap in terms of arts and science collaborations,” says Fields. “The strength of this new program lies in invigorating the current research infrastructure by fostering interdisciplinary creation.”                quote from http://www.ucalgary.ca/innovators/2/fields

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