* HOME * SAMPLES * BIO * STATEMENT * CONTACT The Synesthetic Machine 2008 I actually recommend staging this at just barely audible level. Individuals create unique mental "images" of the music, individualized to their neurology/physiology. But to our perception, the images are based on two main factors, what sensory information finally survives a selection process, where only a very small percentage goes on to the neo-cortex, etc, to be identified, and our expectations as honed down from context. In other words, if very little info is available about some aspect of the live environment, the mind eagerly fills in the blanks according to its ideal abstractions. This "barely audible" idea is something Glenn Gould talks about, regarding rehearsing as a kid with his mother running the vacuum cleaner. He could only partially hear the piano, but because he intentionally was causing the music, but in his mind it sounded ideal. In his mind he got to practice on an ideal Steinway in an acoustically perfect concert hall. *Dance in front of the web version, with a web cam at your desk. (Don't worry, nothing gets sent to me or uploaded to the net, but Java needs permission to access your camera.) This piece requires a fair amount of processing muscle from yur computer, that it is connected either to a "web cam" (even the new driverless ones) via USB or a video camera visa firewire. Big bass speakers are highly recommended. If you're all set, have fun! *(.swf) video recording of what the piece does live for you to see/hear *tech explanation featured at FONLAD Festival in Portugal featured at UAVM Festival (best of FONLAD collection)