i.
movement into sound
EDWARD WILLIAMS - composer - is responsible
for development of Soundbeam® the ultra-sonic distance-to-MIDI
converter which enables dancers' movements, at a distance and without
physical contact to 'play' electronic musical instruments. One of its
more remarkable features is that many, young and old, with various forms
of disability, can now make music in this way too - often leading to
noticeable increases in their physical or intellectual skills. Soundbeam's®
potential is currently being extended (by Brian Johnson) to include
the use of light-related sensor technology.
ii.
sound into image
BRIAN
JOHNSON - electronic artist and engineer
- has devised ways of using sound to control - in real-time - transformations
of the coluors and movements of electronic images. These include synchronous
video images of the performers, oscillographics, computer graphics programs,
film and video clips and other stored images. Circular interactions
can develop - the visual images suggesting musical ideas to the musicians,
and the performers finding themselves 'playing' the images.
iii.
analogue into digital into music and image
The
possibilities offered by digital transformations of sounds, and for
articulating these transformations in complex patterns of spatial diffusion
- either in real-time or as prepared samples articulated by the performers
- are the result of the increasing reliability of computers, and the
development of sophisticated music software programmes, giving composers
a great new range of timbral,rythmic and spatial possibilities to explore.
