Re: [microsound] Getting started

[alex <alex@xxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, 2007-05-15 at 13:37 -0500, Kyle Klipowicz wrote:
> There is also the human connection with the audience, where
> they see what you are doing and respond to it in a subconscious way.
> Although singing a solo without accompaniment might be worse, I've had
> some hard moments performing computer pieces, namely because of the
> sacrificing of this human connection. People want to see what you are
> doing, or else the connection won't be quite there. 

So why not remake the human connection show them what you're doing?

I think computer language performances can be as engaging as
instrumental performances, for example I'd be interested in your
thoughts about "study in keith" here:
  http://impromptu.moso.com.au/gallery.html

And the demos of al-jazari (which sadly doesn't show the full range of
whats possible, you'll just have to imagine the rest or try it out):
  http://www.pawfal.org/al-jazari/

> Hmmm I don't think so. I think we are paying for craftmanship and
> skill. You can build a violin for free, but a Stradivarius will sound
> better. Open Source software is beautiful, but even the prime example
> of successful open source technology (FireFox) got its start as a
> proprietary project. I'm a big fan of the idea that companies open up
> their source code if it is older than say 7 years, or if they go under
> it should become public domain or GNU-ish.

There really is a huge range of high quality free software available
now, whole operating systems full, much of which has always been free.
The difference is that it's not marketed at you so much, and does not
(in general) try to flatter you.  I treat these as positive aspects.

> I got over my dork pride long ago when I realized that I had limited
> time to spend reinventing the wheel, and that I was spending hours
> making patches rather than music. Now if the 'wheels' I'm using don't
> have a certain tread, I'll change that, but there's no need building a
> new axel if you've already got one that works fine.

The power of computer languages is of abstraction.  You don't make a
wheel, you write a program about a wheel.  You don't make music, you
write programs about music, and programs about programs about music.
This way you externalise your musical style as software and can see and
play with it there, while it transforms itself into music.

alex



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