[PD] Pd performance at TED

[Mathieu Bouchard]

On Wed, 22 Jun 2011, Onyx Ashanti wrote:

> The thing is, nobody asks a violin player what he's playing (as somebody 
> mentioned a few messages ago, sorry for the lack of proper quoting 
> here), I believe, because these traditional instruments are already 
> within our culture,

It's not just that, it's that the number of parameters is limited. With 
computer music there is no way we can learn to understand what's going on 
in the manner that we did with traditional instruments, simply because it 
doesn't take many variables at a same time to become confused, and with 
computer music there are always more variables that can be added to 
confuse the audience, and those variables can be added and removed at any 
time.

Every show is a potential opportunity to confuse the experts about what's 
going on, more than it ever was.

> but with electronic music, we're all a bunch of jilted lovers because 
> were are all so used to hearing amazing music that was created in a very 
> unexciting manner.  what this project is, currently, is "ok" sounding 
> music, done in an exciting manner (to me).  thats why i looked so calm 
> on the TED video even though my effects wouldnt latch (assigned to the 
> extremes of the accelerometer range), because i had to concentrate of 
> multiple variables at once and no longer have the distraction of 
> "ease"...every performance is a strain and it is the best feeling EVER!

The audience has no idea what you wanted it to sound like, so they have no 
way to measure your satisfaction other than looking at how you seem to 
feel like.

> when doing a DJ set or an ableton set, it is hard to suck because its 
> all pre-recorded...you can even put on a song and go to the toilet.

In the early days of the Pd Montréal users group (or actually, before), 
there was that joke that the performer could very well be checking his 
email while his music plays on its own. We were talking about Pd, because 
one can also use Pd in this manner. We were talking about the lack of 
proof of the « liveness » of a performance.

> I love what girl talk does. he covers his laptop in saran wrap to keep 
> drinks from killing it, and he just has everyone around him for the 
> duration of his set.  THAT is the future.

Doesn't that sound like the TopLap manifesto ?

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| Mathieu Bouchard ---- tél: +1.514.383.3801 ---- Villeray, Montréal, QC