Linux Laptop Orchestra (L2Ork): A music ensemble with laptops as the instruments. This specific type utilizes Linux software and Nintendo Wii remotes and was founded by Dr. Ico Bukvic.
Would you believe me if I said that the speaker to the left was made from a salad bowl?
The Meeting
Because I was not able to attend this workshop, I set up a meeting with a student in the L2Ork ("lohrk") ensemble to learn more about the technology and what she does as part of the orchestra. Since I got the viewpoint from a student as opposed to the professor, the perspective I got was centered on the music as opposed to the technology.
She walked me through how to set up and play the instrument and let me play with the different movements and corresponding notes using the controller.
Because of the many possible movements, here is a huge dance component to this technology. It honestly made me a bit uncomfortable trying to perform some of the drastic hand gestures she showed me because I kept feeling like I did something wrong, but she was very encouraging.
This also really reminded me of Wii Music (the game) which I used to play as a child. You would click buttons and "play" the instrument depending on how you moved the remote controller.
What I find really interesting is that since you can code the different notes to the different movements, you can create a more distinct mood to the performance aspect of the piece. For example, an upbeat song could require sharper shifts in movement emphasize that mood, while a slower song could require slower, broader movements. All of these can be coded into the system and tracked with the accelerometer in the remote. Below is a video from their performance that she showed me.
Reflection
This is some really new technology to me. Being a violinist for almost 10 years of my life, I really appreciated seeing how technology can be utilized in this way, but I still favor traditional instruments. What I enjoyed the most was learning that the black sensor machine was created from a salad bowl and that the their remotes were actually Wii controllers. It's just another example of giving old objects new meaning and purpose.
The integration of music and technology is also a new topic for me. I am reminded of how Kanye's integration of more tech-ish beats into his songs was a monumental moment in the rap industry. However, this is cool because it's integrated into an orchestra- something much more traditional in nature.
This also really reminds me of the arduino workshop we had in which we used a simple board and wired/coded a task for it to complete. I'm assuming that a similar mechanism is utilized in this system.
Applications/Further Research
I was surprised to learn that other schools, such as Stanford and Princeton, also have laptop orchestras.
Below is a video where musician and computer scientist, Ge Wang, takes the audience through how this unique technology works, and some of the limitless variations that exist with this technology.
Immediately I'm reminded of the beat-making technologies used in the current day. A lot of our modern music does not use actual instruments, but computer-generated beats and remixed samples of old songs. Take Drake's "Nice for What" hit that samples Lauren Hill's "Ex-Factor", or Wale's "The Break Up Song" with Stevie Wonder's "All I Do". I can list sampled songs for days.. Even Kanye's mix of electronic-style funk beats brought him to the top as a producer. Below is Chaka Khan's "Through the Fire" and West's "Through the Wire" version.
Not only has this workshop forced me to think of the large integration of technology in modern-day music, but it also made me think of the idea of giving objects a new purpose. In the L2Ork case, Wii remotes and salad bowls were given a new purpose as instruments. It forces me to think of how powerful coding is. Virtually everything digital that we use is coded. Even coding softwares are coded.. so what is the first code...? Ever since I got more familiar with coding in college, I've had a Chicken or the Egg crisis with it. What is the first code?? Anyways, this workshop helped me grow a greater appreciation for code in general. It's so powerful that a Wii remote is now a musical instrument.
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