Traces
for cello and computer
This piece was created as part of a research based on experimentation and exploration of the connection between an acoustic instrument (in this case, cello) and electronics — in aesthetic, conceptual, and technological dimensions. I examine the relationship between the acoustic instrument and the computer, and the balance of power between them. What feeds what? Who controls whom? This is an ongoing dialogue between the acoustic and the electronic, between the tangible and the abstract. I trace parallels between the relationships that are formed and those around me — in nature and in society. At times, it seems that the closer I get to these relationships, the more distant I remain.
I built a system in Max/MSP software that can capture live audio data - pitch, duration, and sound intensity. The data is analyzed and routed to affect various parameters in the patch. The data triggers recordings, influences the recording intensity, and controls the sound output balance between left and right channels, among other things. Additionally, I manipulate the incoming sound. I conducted numerous experiments with my instrument, the saxophone, and subsequently composed a piece for cello using this computer system.
