“This is an opportunity to essentially relearn our instruments and to transform how we approach live performance. “Polar Suite,” is a very different kind of string quartet and an extraordinary sonic adventure–thanks in large part to the K-Bow and what is now possible!” - Kronos Quartet founder David Harrington

This Wednesday November 9, 2011 is the premiere performance of the worlds first string quartet for sensor bow at the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University. Composer Douglas Quin’s Polar Suite, performed by the Grammy award winning Kronos Quartet, is driven by the K-Bow system I’ve developed with Keith McMillen since 2006. The piece is the result of a weeklong residency by the group culminating months of work developing a groundbreaking musical experience that couples the world’s most adventurous string quartet with cutting edge technologies.

The K-Bow is standard string instrument bow augmented with a variety of sensor technologies to bridge the gap between traditional musical performance and the possibilities of computers. The sensors integrated into the carbon fiber bow detect detailed data on every aspect of a string player’s performance and send it to a laptop computer via Bluetooth wireless. Once there, a suite of custom software uses that data to control audio effects, sample playback, surround sound, or video. The Kronos Quartet was outfitted with a entire quartet of these bows, one for each member, providing a foundation for interactive sound creation over the whole ensemble.

Composed by Douglas Quin, hailed as the “Audubon of Audio” by the Washington Post, “Polar Suite” integrates the sounds of traditional instruments processed with captured sounds all controlled by movements of KMI’s K-Bow. The piece was commissioned by Kronos and features soundscape recordings from the polar regions of the earth and outer space plus additional processed samples.

The Kronos Quartet of David Harrington, John Sherba, Hank Dutt, and Jeffrey Zeigler has pursued a singular artistic vision, combining a spirit of fearless exploration with a commitment to expanding the range and context of the string quartet, for more than 30 years. Kronos has become one of the most celebrated and influential groups of our time, performing thousands of concerts worldwide, releasing more than 45 recordings of extraordinary breadth and creativity, collaborating with many of the world’s most eclectic composers and performers, and commissioning more than 750 works and arrangements for string quartet. In 2011, Kronos became the only recipients of both the Polar Music Prize and the Avery Fisher Prize, two of the most prestigious awards given to musicians. No other musician or ensemble has ever won both prestigious prizes, let alone in a single year. The group’s numerous awards also include a Grammy for Best Chamber Music Performance (2004) and “Musicians of the Year” (2003) from Musical America.

The K-Bow was the flagship product of Keith McMillen Instruments, a Berkeley, CA based company producing advanced technologies bridging the gap between traditional ensemble music performance and the collaborative information processing machine that is the computer. It measures a number of axes of control, including:

• XYZ 3D Accelerometer – measures the playing force and angle of the bow
• Hair Tension Sensor – detects how hard the bow presses against the strings
• Grip Pressure Sensor – gives a measure of how hard you are gripping the bow
• Bow to Fingerboard – a measure of the distance you are playing from the fingerboard via the antennas embedded in the bow
• Bow Length – by interacting with the included fingerboard emitter, an infrared light sensor shows the distance from the bow frog to the strings of the instrument
• Bow Tilt – measures the angle of the bow, useful to know which string is being played

By enabling the string quartet to access the unlimited sound world of the computer, the K-Bow advances western art music to places never before possible, and allows the interpretation of electronic scores by multiple ensembles. Complete with integrated software, the K-Bow applications feature sophisticated DSP processing that allow performers to process their sound, recording multitrack loops, control surround panning, and communicate with other software; all from their familiar instrument.

Logistics

Date: Wednesday, September 21st
Times: 7pm – 8:30pm
Cost: $5 – $20 suggested donation (no one turned away for lack of funds)
Location: GAFFTA, 998 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

Overview

We’re back for round two of the Sound Research group. Our first meetup had great turnout of some of the field’s preeminent audio researchers and we expect that this one will be even better! The topic for this meetup is Ambisonics.

ambisonics [ˌæmbɪˈsɒnɪks] n.
Ambisonics is a surround sound system first developed in the 1970s. Its main difference from other surround techniques is that it separates transmission channels from speaker feeds, the speaker feeds being derived using a decoder situated in the living room. Decoders can be implemented in either hardware or software. Typically more speakers are used than transmission channels, and the more speakers used then the more stable the resulting soundfield. Speakers can be arranged in a number of configurations, regular polygons being the most popular.

Luckily there will be no shortage of experts in the house. Eric Benjamin of Dolby Labs will be presenting some of his research. Eric is the author of a multitude of papers pertaining to Ambisonics decoding, Ambisonic localization, tetrahedral microphone techniques, and configuration of irregular loudspeaker arrays. His work has opened the door for many sound artists interested in 3 dimensional sound and is largely recognized in the spatial audio community as being groundbreaking research.

Aside from GAFFTA’s 8-channel speaker array, we will have a 2nd order Ambisonics system for listening experiments and demos. The sound system belongs to independent sound artist and Ambisonics enthusiast Elan Rosenman. Elan will discuss his experiences configuring his sound system.

This speaker array consists of 12 speakers mounted to 10’x10’x11’8.75” cubic steel frame. (The frame is extended higher to compensate for the loudspeaker offset). By placing a speaker at the center point of each 12 sections (facing the center at 45 degrees), a geometric relationship is created that meets the requirements for a “full-sphere” 2nd order ambisonic system. The frame is made out of 1.5 inch steel square tubing consisting of ~5‟ sections that are connected with larger diameter brackets and couplers. The pieces slide together and are secured with set screws. The speakers mount in the same fashion to the mid-point of each section.

Agenda

7:00pm – 7:30pm : Presentations
7:30pm – 8:00pm : Demos / Listening
8:00pm – 8:30pm : Discussion / Show and Tell

Eric Benjamin

Presenter

Eric Benjamin, formerly of Dolby laboratories, is a consultant for Surround Research and for other consumer electronics companies. He has been a Papers Chairperson of five Audio Engineering Society (AES) Conventions and Conferences and is an active researcher in the areas of audio reproduction and quality.

Elan Rosenman

Presenter

Elan is a pioneer in exploring different applications for spatial audio and ambisonics, including physical healing, personal development, and interactive programs. Elan is passionate about realizing the potential of sound and music to impact the mind, body and spirit. He is the founder of Soun3d, a San Francisco based audio production company that specializes in creating immersive audio environments through the design and installation of ambisonic playback systems.

Elan began his education at Northern Arizona University with an undergraduate degree in Arts Management and Anthropology, and went on to study audio production and techniques for sound therapy at the Globe Institute of Psychoacoustics in San Francisco. He began his career in music working in Radio Promotion at Columbia Records in New York City and Crescent Moon Records in Miami, then as a Producer and on-air host for Mana’o Radio in Maui.

The next season of Soundwave will explore our sonic connections to the human condition. For HUMANITIES, Soundwave seeks artists, composers and musicians to investigate our human experience, and examine the future of our human constructs, cultures and rituals through sound.
From Season 4’s outward examination of the environment to Season 5’s inward reflection of our own being and existence, the 2012 festival attempts to voice what makes us human in the backdrop of the MesoAmerican Long Count Calendar “Rebirth” and the ensuing mythologies and theories.

Soundwave seeks experience-driven performances that reinterpret the connections between sound and our human experience through its instrumentation, concept, visual collaboration, installation, audience interaction, or production by local and international sound and media artists, technologists, designers, musicians, and composers.

the questions
How can the human body, mind and spirit affect sound? What are the future sonic traditions of our cultures (ethnic, social, community)? How will technology affect our humanity and our sonic experience and traditions? What does it means to be human? (How we live, where we come from, how we think, and how we construct existence (physical, emotional, spiritual)). How will we construct our humanness (ideas about higher power/purpose, myths, legends, cultures and traditions, human consciousness, metaphysical constructs, human identity, human exchange, and our relation to the world)? How do we measure existence now and in the future? What does evolution look like/sound like for the self, body, mind/intellect, and the world?

concepts to consider
electric body impulses; mind-manipulated sound technologies and recordings; body sonics; body instrumentation; brain waves to soundwaves; re-imaginations of ritual acoustics, spiritual, cultural, social acoustics, sonic legends, myths, folklore and fables; new concepts of the Griots, Bards, & Minstrals; hybridized traditions/cultures; imagined utopias; evolutions, regeneration, rebirth, and revolutions; how the world came to be in present form/ future form; supernatural heroes, gods, shamans; magic, illusions and faith; re-imagination and re-interpretations of existence; regenerations and cycles of life; re-interpretation of the home/soul/heart; new ways of experiencing human instinct and desire; human-enabled sonic technologies; dance collaborations, film collaborations, theatrics, and other artist imaginations.

season 5 mission
HUMANITIES hopes to engage artists and audiences with new voices exploring / celebrating / challenging human existence, and re-inventing a world of human possibility. It hopes to inspire thought and action while showcasing sound’s inherent connection to our physical and spiritual bodies and innovative artistic voices for the ‘rebirth’ of our humanity.

important dates
Open Call Deadline: October 10 2011
Artist Notification: November 2011
Artist Performance Development: Jan-June 2012
Performance Dates: July through Sept 2012

festival details
Dates and Venues: Soundwave will take place on various dates between July and September 2012 at various venues in San Francisco. We work with the invited artist to schedule available dates, as well as venues appropriate for their work. Typically, specific dates and venues are confirmed three months in advance.

Artist Fees: Fees to performing artists are modest. Amount is dependent on grant awards and fundraising currently in process. Typically, fees are confirmed three months in advance of performance date.

Accommodations: We are unable to offer accommodation fees for international artists and American artists outside of the Bay Area. We can offer housing, with limited availability, in private homes of friendly and enthusiastic friends of Soundwave to sleep and store belongings.

Travel: We invite all artists to submit proposals, but we are unable to offer financial assistance to cover travel costs for those outside the Bay Area. We ask our international artists and American artists outside of the Bay Area to apply for travel funding through their national arts councils and private foundations in their home country (ie. Canadian Artists – Canada Council for the Arts). We will need to be notified of your travel award or notification of self-travel by March 01, 2012 or the invitation will be rescinded. We do occasionally apply for grants specifically for our International artists and American artists outside the Bay Area. Artists that apply early will have better access to these grants. These grants, however, would not be enough to offset travel and accommodation costs, so we encourage those to continue to apply for travel grants.

Jury: A curatorial committee made up of MEDIATE directors and creative professionals from diverse sonic and artistic backgrounds will rigorously jury proposals based on congruity of theme, ingenuity of project, diversity of artists’ perspective, and feasibility of production.

proposal guidelines
All proposals MUST include:

• Your artistic resume and website (including past performances, exhibitions, commissions, discography, videography)
• A concise project description limited to 500 words. Indicate whether this is a completed project, a work-in-progress or yet to be realized, as well as, the performance duration of your work (most performances are limited to 20-30 minutes long with merited exceptions). Please indicated if it is time specific so we may have the ability to accommodate. Supply dates of availability for performance in San Francisco, if any.
• 3 past works you wish to showcase in support of your proposal (documentation in the form of recordings, images, video, etc.)
• A detailed list of your technical needs and space requirements
• A 100-200 word typed bio of quality for publication in press materials
• High resolution photograph(s) of yourself, your group and/or your work for press materials. Digital images must be a minimum of 8X10 at 300 dpi. In Jpeg or Tiff format with the extension attached (.jpg or .tif). Do not embed photographs in Word or any other program.
• Any support materials such as press articles, CDs, MP3s, videos, documentation, diagrams that will strengthen and enhance your proposal.
• Artists outside Bay Area/International Artists: MUST also provide information of how they will fund their travel (specify self-travel or application to travel grants), and whether they can attend in the event travel assistance is unsuccessful. Your ability to be self-sufficient in travel is favorable, however it will not strengthen/weaken the merits of your proposal.

how to submit
Email:submissions@me-di-ate.net (DO NOT send image, audio or text attachments the email over 5MB. We prefer you providing links to these supporting materials and hi-res pictures. Alternately, these materials can be mailed to the address below.
Mail: MEDIATE, P.O. Box 170305, San Francisco, CA, 94117-0305, USA

Inquiries and Questions: connect@me-di-ate.net

Last week saw another round of rehearsals with the K-Bow over at the Kronos Quartet’s studio. In development is a groundbreaking piece — if not the first string quartet with true computer interaction, it is definitely the quartet with the richest possibilities to date.

Kronos has been outfitted with K-Bow systems on all four instruments, complete with our software suite enabling a huge range of effects to be controlled in realtime from all of the instruments. Composer and sound ecologist Doug Quin is writing the piece, taking advantage of both the DSP capabilities of the K-Bow software and its sample playback and manipulation. Drawing on his archive of recordings he captured in Antartica, Doug is building a soundscape that uses the virtuosic abilities of one of the world’s great string quartets as its vehicle.

I’m looking forward to the première of this work later this year in Syracuse, and hopefully it will open the door for more string musicians to realize the potential of interactive technologies to re-contextualize one of the most venerable art forms so it remains vital for the centuries to come.

PLAYBACK is ME’DI.ATE Art Group’s special fundraising series that showcases our most acclaimed events and raises money for our newly incorporated non-profit. Our goal is to raise $10,000 to be able to continue supporting artists and creating innovative exhibitions and events, including our biennial Soundwave Festival. PLAYBACK is presented in partnership with City Sightseeing San Francisco, National Park Service and ARUP and curated by Alan So and Jorge Bachmann.

Audio Bus: The Genie

Audio Bus: Christopher Willits

Battery Townsley

SoundLab

Also, tickets for the raffle are available.

We are raffling off some great prizes donated from our generous MEDIATE/Soundwave family and community friends including passes to de Young Museum, the Legion of Honor, The Lab, Volti, and CentralWorks, cookbooks from Williams-Sonoma, designer lamp from Kenneth Wingard Home, gift certicate from Burma Superstar, amongst many others. Each prize is valued at least $50 up to $300 and drawings will take place during our five upcoming events. You do not need to attend and you have many chances to win throughout the summer! One ticket for a mere $5, three for $10, or 10 for $25! You could win $500 worth of goods and services for spending as little as $25! And it all goes to a good cause supporting our non-profit to develop innovative art and music programs.

SEE PRIZES & BUY TIX: http://www.me-di-ate.net/playback-raffle-extravaganza/

PLAYBACK > AudioBus

Created in 2008, AudioBus is a moving live concert venue on an open-top double decker bus, giving audiences an adventurous sonic experience where musicians compose their own San Francisco route and perform live scores to the scenery moving past them. On July 29th hop on the Genie (http://www.myspace.com/thegenie) tour, Bay-Area’s own scratch-guitar phenom taking you past stunning murals and lively sights of The Mission District. On July 30th hop on the Christopher Willits (http://christopherwillits.com/) tour as he guides you through the wonderland of  Golden Gate Park onto Ocean Beach as he performs with dreamy vibrations and electric reverberations.  Double-decker buses are vintage UK-imported open-top biodiesel buses with installed Sennheiser headphones provided for audiences. Sponsored in part by CitySightseeing San Francisco.

PLAYBACK > Battery Townsley

Battery Townsley, Fort Cronkhite, Marin Headlands (off Rodeo Beach)
Marin, CA

ONLINE TICKETS AVAILABLE STARTING 6/27

Arrive by 5:30pm. 20 minute hike to performance site. Showtime: 6pm. Site can be windy and foggy even on a sunny day. We highly recommend warm clothes, blankets and proper foot attire. Limited Attendance.

Introduced in 2010, Battery Townsley explored the extreme resonances inside and around of this historic WWII harbor fortification overlooking the ocean in the hills of the Marin Headlands. August 7 features performances by electroacoustic duo Date Palms w/ Trevor Montgomery & Michael Elrod, vocal dance ensemble M. Mara Ann’s Sugar Pine Tesla, and composer/sound artist Edward Schocker.

DATE PALMS W/ TREVOR MONTGOMERY & MICHAEL ELROD
‘Of Psalms’ is a strange, yet fantastic fusing of Eastern style raga drones, and hypnotic Spacemen 3 style bass buzz. The music is almost like some sort of slowcore, spacerock, dronedrift that is abstract and minimal. http://www.datepalmsofpsalms.com/

M. MARA-ANN’S SUGAR PINE TESLA
As an artist working with language, M. Mara-Ann expresses her creativity through writing, singing, and intermedia performance. She created the vocal/dance ensemble “Sugar Pine Tesla” which features:
Sarah-Elena Palmer (voice)
Julie Binkley (dance)
Caroline Penwarden (voice)
Sonsherée Giles (dance)
Jen Harper (voice)
Vanessa Beggs-Skacel (voice)
Alexa Hall (voice)
M. Mara-Ann (voice)

http://www.medusa.org/

EDWARD SCHOCKER
Edward Schocker’s music is a unique mixture of alternate tuning systems and unique instruments, combined with theater/opera. He has collaborated with many dancers, artists and writers to create a unique combination of sound, movement, and text. Enjoying international recognition, Edward’s music has been performed in numerous countries throughout the world. http://edwardschocker.com/

PLAYBACK > SoundLab

ARUP
San Francisco, CA

FRIDAY 9/23: 7:30pm, 8:15pm, 9:00pm, 9:45pm SHARP!
Battery Townsley: Jacob Felix Heule (drums) & Kanoko Nishi (koto)
Battery Townsley: Gregg Kowalsky (tape)
Special Composition: HoraFlora & Shane Myrbeck

SATURDAY 9/24: 7:30pm, 8:15pm, 9:00pm, 9:45pm SHARP!
Battery Townsley: Danny Paul Grody (guitar/voice)
Unweathered Embers: Myrmyr (20 vocalists and musicians)
Special Composition: HoraFlora & Shane Myrbeck

Limit SIX per show. Please arrive 30mins before showtime. Venue is located in a high security, office environment which requires security processing.

SoundLab is an intimate listening chamber designed by the acoustic engineers of ARUP (http://www.arup.com/Services/Acoustic_Consulting.aspx/) that recreates an ambisonic enviroment true to real life situations. On September 23 & 24, sound artists HoraFlora & Shane Myrbeck create a special ambisonic composition while SoundLab recreates the stunning performances at Battery Townsley by Gregg Kowalsky, Danny Paul Grody, and Jacob Felix Heule & Kanoko Nishi and St. Mark’s Lutheran Church by Myrmyr and 20 vocalists and musicians from last season’s Soundwave ((4)).

HORAFLORA & SHANE MYRBECK

http://horaflora.blogspot.com/

GREGG KOWALSKY

http://greggkowalsky.net/

DANNY PAUL GRODY

http://dannypaulgrody.com/

JACOB FELIX HEULE

http://www.heule.us/

KANOKO NISHI

http://www.myspace.com/kanokonishi

MYRMYR

http://www.myrmyr.net/