I was at a concert recently and caught myself in a familiar train of observation:
‘What’s with that guy in the back? He does nothing but occasionally press single keys on a keyboard. He looks like he’s part of the band, but how is he contributing?…’
Turns out he’s triggering all of the digital accompaniments to the song, from sound effects to full instrumental parts pressing keys to launch them at just the right time.
This is where I see a problem. Unlike the guitar, drummer, base player or any real keyboardist, this guy seems to be completely void of Cool. Part of the appeal of any performer is the way they’re able to draw you into the performance, simultaneously displaying their talent while reacting to the energy of the audience. Sorry, but that dude in the back has none of this. Where’s the emotion? Where’s his ability to really play out? As much as he may want to get into it, the fact that he has so little to contribute makes him a weak point in the performance. Pray he doesn’t try to dance or something. Generally he’s going to look ridiculous if he tries to do anything but hide and go unnoticed.
What if this guy could be a legitimate member of the band? Not replacing the guitarist or drummer, but given an equal presence on the stage.
Before we can understand how this guy can become more of a real band member, we need a better idea of why he’s in this situation. Perhaps the computer has become such a vital tool in music creation that the instruments have taken a back seat. Modern music creation software give near limitless potential for new sounds, absolute perfection in sound quality, and the ability handle any level of complexity. Precise handling of complex information is what computers do best, so it’s no wonder this guy is left doing the grunt work. Or, maybe it’s become too perfect. At some point, it begins to lose the human element – the attention to emotional detail that separates the amateurs from the Jimi Hendrixes.
This concept reinforces the human element by giving control back to the performer. While it may resemble a digital guitar it’s actually not an instrument at all, at least in the traditional sense. It’s a performance tool. Instead of playing notes, the performer uses natural interfaces like touch and gesture to alter existing music on the fly. They can respond to the energy of the band and audience by applying effects layers and changes to the dynamic qualities of the sound. Any standard accompaniment part can sound radically different based on how it’s performed, from hard and distorted, to soft and melodic.
Since the device is meant to be played while standing for maximum maneuverability, the performer is encouraged to stand out front alongside his fellow band mates. As a result, he becomes a recognized member and contributor of the band. He adds to the performance rather than being its largest weak point.
In addition, the device itself becomes part of the show. The touch panel and a series of LEDs along the stalk are not only choreographed to the performer’s actions, but to stage lights in the environment as well.
Check out the video and diagram below for highlights of real time music modifications and interactions that could be made around the device’s touch panel.
This project was completed over a couple of weeks and only skims the edge of potential that natural interfaces could have with modern music performance. Let’s hope instrument manufacturers will recognize it too… I’d love to see what they could come up with.