Robot Attack!!! or How Music Robots and Custom Circuits Will Change Music in the 21st Century By Sam Pluta along with your composition or improvisa- (WS summer staff ’01–02; faculty ’03–08) tion. The traditional approach would be to use a drum machine or some kind of sampler. Anyone who grew up after 1950 will most When a real drummer hits a snare, no matter likely approach the following article with an how hard he tries to be consistent, the sound understandable level of doubt. From the maid of each snare strike will be minutely different. on The Jetsons to C3PO in Star Wars; from With the sampled drum, the same sample is Vicki in Small Wonder to Data in Star Trek, used each time and the listener will become Hollywood has continually barraged us with bored with it. convincing humanoid robot characters, who take on human roles, have human thoughts, The last issue is an issue of visuals. Much live and perform human tasks. Yet, in our daily electronic laptop performance leaves the viewer Recitative lives, not only have these idealis- wondering if the guy on stage is tic visions of a robot future creating music or simply check- failed to become reality, but also, ing his email. even the simplest of robots has Fall 2008 The three problems that are out- been left out of our increasingly lined above can be solved, at digital culture. However, as elec- least partly, by recent innova- tronic musicians are becoming tions in computer music. more and more interested in Composers and engineers are robotic instruments and hand- finding new ways to interact with computers built electronic control devices, all signs point so that more information can pass between the to a more promising future of robot music. hands of the performer and the electronic cir- This future is not without its particular idio- cuitry, and finding new ways of using robots syncratic hurdles, however. Simply put, one to make sounds so that more information is problem of live electronic music is an issue of included in the sonic signal. information flow. Traditional methods of get- A perfect example of such an advancement in ting data from a performer to a computer do interaction is the Wii controller, designed for not include enough information exchange use in Nintendo’s most recent gaming system. between the carbon-based life form and the At some point, Nintendo decided that they silicon-based microchip. The easiest method could not compete graphically with the other of getting data from a performer to a computer gaming systems on the market, so instead, is with a MIDI keyboard. The problem with they decided to make the controller the focus this method is very clear when we think about of their new gaming system. The Wii con- a cellist, say Jane O’Hara, playing the cello. troller uses an accelerometer to measure the Through her simple interaction with the cello movements of a gamer, thus passing more — left hand holding the note, right hand information from the player to the game than moving the bow across the string — Jane is a traditional controller, making a player’s able to send a ton of data into the instrument. interaction with the game more rewarding. The MIDI keyboard, on the other hand, does Because of this, many people have begun to not achieve this. By pressing a key, the per- use the Wii as a musical controller. former basically has a switch; he can turn the instrument on and off by striking and releas- Another example is Jeff Snyder’s MEAPBook, ing the key, and by hitting the key at which presents the performer with forty-two different velocities, tell the machine how loud buttons. Each button is a continuous con- Stories from New York: to play. The information is binary and instan- troller, meaning if more of your finger is Things You Don’t Admit .......... page 2 taneous, not changing over time like the cello pressing the button, a higher number is Walden… in Iowa? .................. page 3 bow on the string. So, unlike a real cellist’s passed to the computer; if less of your finger JCC Corner................................ page 3 playing, the results are a dull sound and a is touching the button, a lower number is Walden Partners boring performance. passed to the computer. The beauty of the continued on page 11 with PRISM and ICE ................page 4 The second problem in live electronic Learning Community ................ page 5 performance is sound. Say you want to Contributors to make an interesting drum track to play The Walden School............ pages 6 – 7 News and Goods.............. pages 8 – 10 The Play Is the Thing ............ page 11 Alumni Spotlight: James Athey............................ page 12 Stories from New York: Things You Don’t Admit By Caroline Mallonée (WS ’87-92; TTI ’07; basement of Hunter College High School We all met at Walden, and we are indebted summer staff ’96; faculty ’98–00; ’02–08) on the Upper East Side, where Walden to the place for what it fosters: a high level alumnus and faculty member Shawn of musicianship, a comfort with improvisa- Walden is a fun place. It is a place where Crouch teaches. Once we met at Walden tion, a sense of whimsy. We’re called people have fun, where people are funny, alumna and guest artist Meighan Stoops’s Glissando bin Laden and His Musichideen. where the fun is palpable. Are announce- apartment in midtown and had chili. It’s ments fun? They are at Walden! Is the informal and flexible — if someone has a Sunday reminder that crews change fun? It cold or there’s a concert is at Walden! Is meet- to go to, we forgo ing a deadline fun? “Can the choir sightread rehearsal that week. Always, at Walden! Monteverdi for fun? When the group I’ve recently moved to Yes, indeed. formed, each member New York City. As Do we? Of course!” selected a piece: a with all transitions, favorite from Walden there is much uncer- (To My Old Brown Earth) or elsewhere tainty (navigating a new city, settling into (Walden alumna and faculty member a new apartment), but I have good friends Renée Favand picked Poulenc’s O Magnum Sam Pluta here, including a host of Walden friends, Mysterium); a gem we had always wanted to and for that I am thankful. I’m in two That’s right. We were a little worried for a sing (I picked Josquin’s Ave Maria); an ensembles with Walden faculty members, while that the FBI would read our emails original composition (Walden alumnus and visiting artists, TTI alumni and former about band practice, but they’ve left us faculty member Jim Altieri brought his Walden students. alone so far. Glissando bin Laden is piece, Of All Things Most Yielding). We also Alexander Ness. We all have band names: A choir of Waldenites has met occasionally sang through a student Festival piece at the since 2006 on Monday evenings in the Jim Altieri is P. Rust, I’m Leffe Blonde and Sam is Mr. Glitch. Meighan Stoops just joined the band, and Walden faculty mem- ber Aurora Nealand played a show with Recitative Glissando last fall, but neither of them has Fall 2008 a band name yet (as far as I know). FOR THE STUDENTS, ALUMNI, PARENTS Glissando bin Laden and His Musichideen AND FRIENDS OF THE WALDEN SCHOOL is not on my résumé either. AND THE JUNIOR CONSERVATORY CAMP Carrie Mallonee Having relocated to this great city, I feel Esther Landau Board of Directors Editor Ellen Bernard, Chair and Jim Altieri incredibly lucky to be a part of such Anne Deane Berman John O’Meara, Vice Chair groups. Can the choir sightread Monteverdi Founding Editor Andrew Jacobs, Secretary Leslie Stephens, Treasurer end of rehearsal once, someone having for fun? Yes, indeed. Do we? Of course! Can Stillwell Design David Callan Design and Layout found it in a choir folder. After rehearsals, the band play Scandinavian fiddle tunes in Todd Cleary Marshall Bessières Michael Cornog we make merry. We’d walk to the subway just intonation, our sound echoed and Brad Evans Robin Kenney together, a lucky member hails a cab, and reverberated, captured and manipulated in Esther Landau Laura Mehiel Sam Pluta Rita Mitra we bid adieu until the next rehearsal. real time on Macintosh computers? Yes, we Jeff Snyder Molly Pindell can, and of course we do. Meighan Stoops Susan Rosen Our group is called Choir in the Hole. That’s Photography Leo Wanenchak right — you’d yell it: CHOIR IN THE There are details I don’t want to admit Administration Emeriti Directors HOLE! It’s a warning. It’s not on my résumé. about my life in New York, like the fact Seth Brenzel Lynn Taylor Hebden that the nearest landmark to my first apart- Executive Director Charlton MacVeagh, Jr. I am also in an experimental microtonal Brad Evans Pamela Layman Quist ment in Brooklyn was a White Castle. Office Manager improvising band. We’re making some of Advisory Council Marguerite Ladd Samuel Adler the most exciting and interesting music There are things about my New York & Molly Pindell Martin Bresnick I’ve heard. Two violins lifestyle I don’t admit Directors of Operations Nansi Carroll (Jim Altieri and I), two to everyone. Esther Landau Joel Chadabe computers (Walden fac- Director of Development Chen Yi But… Tom Lopez Jeffrey Cohen ulty members Sam Pluta George Crumb Am I proud to be a Director, and Alexander Ness) and Computer Music Program Leon Fleisher part of a group of Mona Golabek bass clarinet (Meighan Caroline Mallonée, Lynn Taylor Hebden Waldenites living in Assistant Academic Dean Stoops) make for an Jennifer Higdon New York City? Yes, I and Director, Paul Lansky exciting and original Composers Forums am! I am in a band Eugene O’Brien sound.