* What may have happened...” expresses the uncertainty of what is experienced by all involved. The final result, combining recordings made in various places, is a registration of ‘what may have happened’ or what could have occurred, but is not in such a way experienced by any of the participants. However, the experience of the participants across those spaces may differ equally. The image suggests performers in multiple spaces connecting to each other through a node, using software that enables establishing connections across the spaces.
“What may have happened...”*
augmenting the sense of sharing in a decentralized improvisation
Research proposal by Johan van Kreij • Institute of Sonology
outline and aim
A musical improvisation session brings together persons that build and explore through musical activity a complex of relationships and intentions. With the protocols and infrastructure that internet services provides, it is no longer required that participants are in the same physical space. It is now quite straightforward to stream audio and video with such quality and speed that musicians dispersed across the globe can join a single improvisation session. At the same time we should recognize that the amount of communication among improvisers goes beyond the acoustic and visual cues—something volatile that is not so easily transferred over an ethernet cable.
This research will focus on extending the amount of communication channels in a decentralized improvisation setting—beyond the audible and visible. The aim will be not just adding extra layers of data exchange, but introducing various modes of interaction. It will approach the situation from a variety of angles by the use of software and mobile devices.
The aim of the research is to further reduce distinction between here and there, increasing the sense of sharing and interaction beyond spatial boundaries. It should allow musicians getting to know each other musically. Moreover, it should lead to the situation where, just like in the course of a typical improvisation, any participant at any moment can team with one or more performers in a shared activity across the various spaces involved. The diagram below attempts to graphically describe such a situation during an improvisation shared in two places.
methodology and research outcome
Practically, this research will lead to the creation of software that runs on mobile devices and that deals with network protocols, to allow the sharing of information in realtime among members of an improvisation group at different locations. This information can be described as additional parameters—who is playing what, at what loudness etc.—or as means to share intensions or instructions—on a compositional level or from the perspective of game playing.
The device that each member of the improvisation group is provided with, will play the role as gatherer of data, provide a screen for data representation and allow user interaction. Each device will connect wirelessly to a hub where information is gathered and analyzed, and from where feedback or instructions are shared. In each physical space involved such a hub will be installed and be connected over the internet with the others.
In the course of the research various performance situations will be set up, recorded and examined. Examination will happen through analyzing the recordings and interviewing the performers. Initial performances will be in adjacent rooms for the sake of testing the technical setup, but later will be tried out in more complex—or remote—settings.
In order to keep it simple and feasible, the software will be developed in PureData that can run on a mobile phone or tablet using PdParty. Communication will be realized using the software Max and its NodeJS extensions.