NIME 2014 Workshop

Keyboard Salon: Connecting Instrument Designers and Artistic Practitioners

Submission Deadline: May 21, 2014 (now closed) (by email to keyboardsalon@media.mit.edu)
Notification: May 24, 2014
Workshop date: June 30, 2014 (changed to 2-5pm)

Call for Participation

We invite contributions from pianists and from designers of keyboard-related musical interfaces for a workshop on extended keyboard performance.

In recent years, many new keyboard-related instruments have been developed in and around the NIME community. These instruments have the potential to be used by a large worldwide community of trained pianists. However, typical conference presentations and concerts rarely offer sufficient opportunity for performers to explore these new instruments.

This workshop will bring together instrument builders and piano/keyboard performers to explore new artistic uses of keyboard-related technologies in a relaxed and open setting. The 3-hour session will consist of three parts:

• A round of very brief 3-minute introductions and demos from each participant
• A period of hands-on, decentralised exploration and discussion, during which participants can explore other technologies and talk to other performers
• A series of short performances or demos where instruments are played by musicians other than the creator, or where performers integrate artistic ideas from other participants

The workshop will strongly focus on the experience of performing with new keyboard technologies. As such, we are looking for instruments with applicability to expert-level live performance. Instruments with a track record of previous performances are especially welcome. Likewise, we welcome the participation of pianists with an interest in contemporary performance practice, whether or not this practice has previously involved electronics. The goal of the workshop will be to facilitate the exchange of ideas between performers and designers, so participants should come prepared to explore other technologies and artistic ideas as well as presenting their own.

Submission Format

You are invited to participate in this session as a designer, as a pianist, or both. To apply, please submit a 1-2 page summary of your work, addressing the following points:

Designers:

• Provide a brief overview of your instrument/technology, with a link to a video demo (where possible). A link to a paper or website is also welcome.
• Who other than yourself can use your instrument? (It is not necessary for the instrument to have previously been used by others, but we seek contributions from designers willing to make their technology available to others at the workshop.)
• What styles/genres of music is your instrument best suited to?
• What capabilities of your instrument have been previously explored and which remain to be explored?
• f your instrument has previously been used in live performances, briefly summarise how/where it has been used.
• What are the technical requirements for setup at the workshop?

Pianists:

• Provide a brief summary of your recent musical practice and interests, particularly as they relate to contemporary music (any genre).
• Have you previously incorporated technology into your piano performance, and if so, how?
• Describe a previous musical project in which you worked with other artists or technologists.
• If you would like to give a brief (3-minute) demo/performance at the workshop, do you have any technical requirements? (A grand piano will be available.)

Please email your application by May 21, 2014 to keyboardsalon@media.mit.edu. Results will be announced by May 23, 2014.

Organisers

Xiao Xiao - MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, MA, USA
Andrew McPherson - Queen Mary University of London, UK
Thomas Walther - Technische Universität München, Germany

Please contact the organisers at keyboardsalon@media.mit.edu with any queries.