SEAM: Somatic Embodiment, Agency & Mediation in Digital Mediated Environments.

Critical Path (Director, Margie Medlin) and University of Western Sydney (Dr. Garth Paine) present SEAM 2010 Agency and Action.

SEAM 2010 follows on from the success of the inaugural SEAM 2009, and promises the same intriguing mix of artistic and academic research and presentations, crossing disciplines and offering a smorgasboard of performances, exhibitions, forums, workshops, laboratories, papers and presentations to specialist researchers and the general public alike.

Underpinning SEAM 2010 is groundbreaking academic and practitioner-based research occurring at the VIPRe Lab (Virtual Interactive Performance Research Environment), at the University of Western Sydney, Macquarie University and Critical Path as well as ongoing research from around the world.  In 2010, SEAM will establish a number of experimental environments to investigate and record the relationship between performer and audience and how notions of agency, embodiment and mediation are altered by interactive technologies. The notion of performance embodied in a myriad of forms made available through the most current technological advances will be thoroughly scrutinized.

The primary focus for SEAM 2010 is to provide a resource rich, stimulating environment for local dancers and choreographers and media artists to interact with local and international leaders in the field of interactive technologies and allied arts disciplines. We want dancers and choreographers to take away with them a raft of new tools, new knowledge, philosophical and performance frameworks, contacts and possible future partnerships in the creation of new or more profound directions within their contemporary choreographic practice.

For further information on SEAM 2010 events, click through the program of events on the left hand menu.

For more information on Critical Path, go to the Critical Path website.

via SEAM2010 Agency and Action: ABOUT SEAM 2010.

ABC The Drum Unleashed - Arts funding: think outside the box.

Ben Eltham has written and excellent and well researched article questioning the status-quo of music, arts funding in Australia. He points out that the vast majority of funding goes to classical music and in particular the symphony orchestras, and that the crumbs left over are all that supports contemporary practice and the development of music that represents our experiences, our stories in the now.

I wrote on this issue also a few years ago - the article can be found here on my blog

The paper examines the funding environment for sound focused art within Australia, be it, digital, new media or analogue. Some of the underlying assumptions commonly applied to sonic artworks, often considered too abstract and intangible for exhibition in art galleries and major public spaces, are discussed.

The paper asks why the audible domain remains subordinate? Why do we not respect and honour the audible culture, the experiential, visceral, instinctive, intuitive, spontaneous, intimate perceptual habitat where the human body is central, where the visceral engagement with sonic architectures dismisses the western mind-body split as hopelessly inadequate. We can listen with the mind, but not without the body.

Not withstanding consideration of the uniqueness of the sonic experience, many experimental sound artists have struggled to find funding support and to create opportunities for the presentation of their work in Australia.

Music based funding is characterized as conservative. The importance placed upon historic, practices has been clearly illustrated by the federal government’s substantial funding increase to the ABC symphony orchestras in early 2005 against the recommendations of the Strong report it commissioned. The report by James Strong, recommended the Queensland, Adelaide and Tasmanian orchestras be reduced in size . The state orchestras are supported by a budget of more than $57 million dollars per annum with a total of $80 to $100 million dollars being earmarked for classical music activities in Australia.

Figures for attendance at symphony orchestra concerts and analyses of the number of unique individuals who attended concerts (rather than repeat attendances) is difficult to find, however the Symphony Australia website has figures for 1999-2001 , which show a total of 990907 attendances with 263537 of those attending free concerts, and 76046 attending school concerts, leaving a total of 651324 ticket purchasing members of the public. This represents a subsidy of $87.51 per paying attendee.

Such subsidy is not and is never likely to be forthcoming for contemporary and experimental music, but what this figure does show is the vast chasm between the establishment institutions, the symphony orchestras and the other classical music endeavours and the music of our time.

As Ben Eltham points out, the orchestras, including ACO identify less than 10% of their performance program as Australian music.

It really is a shame that even after the Strong report, the vast majority of music funding in Australia supports the living archive of classical music and adds nothing new to our culture. It does not assist us in developing a contemporary Australian identity or culture and offers nothing toward the telling of our stories - the stories of now, which critically are well supported in publishing, and in the visual arts.

airpianoThe airpiano is a new musical interface which allows playing and controlling software instruments simply by moving hands in the air.The airpiano introduces a magical user experience, a cool performance element and an experimental instrument to explore.So how does it work? The airpiano's array of sensors create a virtual matrix of keys and faders in the air above it. Each of the eight sensors can provide 3 keys or alternatively one vertical control fader. LED feedback confirms user actions and assures easy interaction and control. A custom software allows creative MIDI mapping as well as the assignment of Open Sound Control OSC messages.The first airpiano prototype introduced the innovative concept around two years ago and since then the airpiano has been further developed and greatly improved.Award winning musician Jo Hamilton was the first to get her hands on an airpiano prototype. She practices and explores the instrument, plays it live and supports the development of the airpiano by reporting on her experiences playing it.So where can you get one? Expect a brand new design with new features in a product that will soon be available. Feel free to contact me and i will update you as soon as the first airpianos will be ready for sale! Designed by Omer Yosha contact@airpiano.de , filed as a patent application.

via airpiano.

A video of the early tests of my new Singing Bowl robot - the sound is not good yet, but there is more experimentation in the beater leather to soften the sound timbre

The Singing Bowls Robot V2 from Garth Paine on Vimeo.

Create Digital Music have put together an interesting article on the rise of digital music sales and the sources we use to get the grooves... Digital Sales Up, But is Apple Monopoly the Price? NPD, Mint Data, Editorial Analysis

I am giving a lecture/performance at Concordia University on Oct 21 from 12:30 - 3:30 - the event is free and open to the public

Electronic Music Foundation is about to present a series of concerts of Iannis Xenakis's music in New York. Keep an eye on their site for the concerts in January and February 2010.

Creative Explosion in the West - Communication Arts Multi-Disciplinary Festival | University of Western Sydney UWS

The School of Communication Arts (UWS) presents ‘Creative Explosion in the West,’ a multi-disciplinary festival and forums for the general public, staff, School-based Honours and Higher Degree Research (HDR) candidates as well as undergraduates.
The event will be held on the 14, 15, 16, 21, 22 and 23 October 2009 on the Penrith Campus (The Playhouse, The Performance Space, Kingswood and Building BJ, Werrington South). It features leading new music group Ensemble Offspring, interacting with the rich knowledge Diaspora and improvising traditions characteristic of Western Sydney, especially the Korean, Philippine, Japanese and Macedonian traditions in 2009.

I have just completed a new work for clarinet and live electronics. The piece has been composed for Jason Noble of Ensemble Offspring and will be performed on Thursday October 22, 2009 - 7:00pm to 9:30pm at the Playhouse on Kingswood Campus of UWS at Penrith, along with a number of new works by colleagues from UWS. See the Ensemble Offspring site for more detail. Here is a very rough draft peak of the new work to whet your appetite
Grace Space

 

 Grace Space [4:58m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download