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The Cave of Sounds: an Interactive Installation Exploring How We Create Music Together

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The Cave of Sounds: an Interactive Installation Exploring How We Create Music Together Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression The Cave Of Sounds: An Interactive Installation Exploring How We Create Music Together Tim Murray-Browne ∗ Dom Aversano, Susanna Duncan Chapman Sound and Music / Music Garcia, Wallace Hobbes, Sound and Music Hackspace Daniel Lopez, Tadeo Somerset House, hi{@}timmb.com Sendon, Panagiotis London WC2R 1LA Tigas, Kacper Ziemianin Music Hackspace 447 Hackney Rd, London E2 9DY ABSTRACT creates, the actions its player will perform and how action The Cave of Sounds is an interactive sound installation and sound relate. Therefore, as well as a challenge of engi- formed of eight new musical instruments exploring what it neering [8], the instrument can itself be an artistic medium means to create instruments together. Each instrument was expressing its creator's musical ideas [11]. Instruments de- created by an individual but with the aim of forming a part signed through personal artistic practice may be created not of this new ensemble, with the final installation debuting for their take up by others, but as part of the composition at the Barbican in London in August 2013. In this paper, process [9]. However, such instruments can also be created we describe how ideas of prehistoric collective music making as an interactive work specifically for others (including non- inspired and guided this participatory musical work, both musicians) to play [1, 2]. Here, the experience of the partic- in creation process and in the audience experience of mu- ipant is of primary interest. More so, we argue, than how sical collaboration. Following a detailed description of the an audience might rate the performance. A bespoke instru- installation itself, we reflect on the successes, lessons and ment provides a window into its creator's musical mind. It future challenges of encouraging creative musical collabora- is a first-hand journey of discovering the sounds available to tion among members of an audience. you, the actions you must perform to create those sounds, and how much control you have over the process. In this way, creating instruments, whether for one's own 1. DESIGNING FOR ENSEMBLE performance practice, or with the aim of asking an audi- The Cave of Sounds is an interactive installation inviting its ence to play them, can be a form of open musical compo- audience to connect with each other through playing with sition [10]. But if we take this view, what does it mean eight original instruments. The work is the outcome of a to improvise or compose music together? Can we compose ten month process in which eight individuals each created instruments together much like we jam together? Dudas an instrument, all focused on forming a single ensemble. [4] describes `comprovisation' as improvisation with DMIs It is not uncommon for digital musical instruments (DMIs) where aspects such as mappings are prepared ahead of time to be created as collaborations between individuals, or to be and then modified or cycled through during improvisation. played together within an ensemble. However, new DMIs With The Cave of Sounds, we wanted to go a step further, are often created as solo instruments. Particularly with the creating instruments that are not only individually expres- seemingly limitless options available, there can be a temp- sive artefacts of their respective creators, but conceived and tation to create a one-man-band instrument, in need of no created from the outset to belong to this new ensemble. accompaniment to create a complete sound. By contrast, Related work includes SensorBand, a trio formed of van many traditional instruments have evolved together to work der Heide, Karkorwski and Tanaka who played DMIs cre- as an ensemble. Within an orchestra, the instruments typ- ated for, and evolved through, ensemble performance. Tanaka ically fit within a specific spectral space and fulfill different [14] describes how the group play with potential confu- roles. This is not to suggest that the creative possibilities sion as to which instrument different sounds originate from. of DMIs should be limited by boundaries we infer from tra- Identifying instrumental roles forms a part of the aesthetic ditional instrumental practice. DMIs need not occupy the experience. Although instruments in The Cave of Sounds same role in musical performance as traditional instruments are played by audience members rather than performers, the [6]. However, a consideration of history can highlight new emergence of roles through musical collaboration remains types of musical practice made possible by DMIs. similarly integral to the work, as discussed below. When we design an instrument, we decide the sounds it ∗Tim Murray-Browne is also a researcher at the Centre for 2. ORIGINS Digital Music, Queen Mary University of London. The Cave of Sounds is the outcome of a residency completed by the first author at the Music Hackspace, a self-organised Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for community devoted to exploring the new forms of music, personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are sound art and musical practice made possible by technology. not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies The concept was inspired by Werner Herzog's film The bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. To copy otherwise, to Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010), showing discoveries of republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific 30 000 year old prehistoric instruments and the transcen- permission and/or a fee. NIME’14, June 30 – July 03, 2014, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK. dent atmosphere created through paintings of animals and Copyright remains with the author(s). spirits on the walls of inhabited caves. While we can only 307 Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression Figure 1: The Cave of Sounds exhibited at the Barbican, London, August 2013. imagine the musical rituals of our ancestors, Small [13] ex- how our own contribution might fit within the ensemble as a plores the idea of making music as a collective activity al- whole. On two occasions, a member of the group decided to lowing relationships to be explored and a group to form a drop completely their current concept of an instrument and common identity. Music can provide a space for people to begin something new. Through this process, familiar roles demonstrably act towards a common end, while simultane- emerged organically without explicit direction with different ously allowing individual expression to be voiced and form instruments focusing on rhythm, melody and harmony. a part of this common purpose. Indeed, Small argues that musical practices mirror and potentially reinforce its partic- ipants' political norms, from the reverent silence of an audi- 3. REALISATION ence during a Western classical concert to the communal an- From the first meeting in November 2012, the final installa- archy of an illegal rave. In a similar vein, Jo and Tanaka [7] tion debuted for a weeklong exhibition in the appropriately categorise musical practices based on their level of audience cavernous ticketing hall of the Barbican Centre, London in participation. They highlight the scope of contemporary in- August 2013 (Figure 1). It was also exhibited for one day teractive work to increase the level of involvement granted at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London and three days to audiences in determining how a performance unfolds. in at Watermans Gallery, London. These themes are visible in the outcome: an interactive The installation is both the outcome and a reflection of installation where individuals transition between the roles of its creation process. Each instrument encapsulates not only audience and performer [see 12]. They also shaped the cre- its creator's personal practice, but the advances and com- ation process. Involvement was inclusive and non-selective. promises made in order to find a place within the ensemble. And while support and feedback were continuous among This balance is experienced by an audience member first those involved, everyone remained free to create their in- hand as they navigate the range of sounds, actions and mu- strument as they pleased. Ideas of prehistoric music guided sical possibilities afforded by each instrument. We strived many aspects of the work but primarily we wanted our au- to create a space where visitors would be provoked to create dience to feel the activity of collective music making and music and connect with each other. But we were also com- the connection it creates between those involved. mitted that the final outcome be an honest reflection of the The project began with an open call to members of the socially negotiated creation process. If relationships soured Music Hackspace interested in creating an instrument for then this should be felt when interacting with the work. a new ensemble, culminating in a group of eight diverse individuals including musicians, programmers and artists. 3.1 Instruments Meeting, initially every few weeks and later more frequently, The Cave of Sounds has eight instruments, as follows. we negotiated the outcome we wanted (performance or in- stallation) and what themes and constraints would shape Sonicsphere by Panagiotis Tigas its development. These meetings provided a space to dis- A palm-sized sphere containing an Arduino Uno, accelerom- cuss ideas, present work in progress and, crucially, experi- eter and Bluetooth transmitter. Custom software maps ori- ment with each other's work to gain an understanding of the entation to a pitch space by assigning pitches to a face of common discourse that was emerging. From here, we could an equivalently oriented polyhedron. Notes are triggered see which ideas resonated with the group and understand when different faces move through a fixed axis, with further 308 Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression processing effects being controlled through acceleration of external inputs to an instrument requires delicacy.
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