ANALOG member Heather Frasch at IRCAM
She gave a quick taste of what it's like studying at the world-famous center for experimental and electronic/computer sound and music.
"I find it stressful." says Heather... To be sure, in our very short conversation, she told me a little about what she was doing. In addition to catching up with friends in Finland and all through France, she's going to a festival in Moscow that's associated with UC Berkeley.
Heather told me that she's been focusing on an artistic and aesthetic level of electronics, since she's been there, but that she really misses writing acoustic music. She will have a good opportunity to combine the two very soon as she begins a major project. Heather is planning a piece for saxophone and electronics, specifically she plans to incorporate sensors for the performer to trigger. "I was thinking of putting an accelerometer on the sax, and then maybe a few triggers on the floor. The saxophonist would move around to play with spacalization and movement of the acoustic source as well as the electronics."
I told her about someone who used Xbee radios with accelerometers on Roller Derby contestants. As they would smash into each other, a sound or light show would be triggered.
http://www.faludi.com/projects/
Heather said that they have a trial for their projects at the end of January to see what works and what doesn't. From there they work on the large project for April.
Other than that, she talked briefly about presentations from researchers, and some of the other people studying there. She is one of three Americans, and she has had a lot of fun working with them. She also had good things to say about Ann Cleare, from Ireland, whose music Heather likes a lot.
Dolf Kamper
Labels: Electronic Sound, heather frasch, IRCAM, sensors, xbee









