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MESSAGE FOLLOWS:
Dear all,
A reminder that tomorrow at 2pm, Dr John Eacott will present the
seminar Environmental sonifications 'Hour Angle' and 'Flood Tide'.
The seminar will take place in room 105 in the Electronic Engineering
Department, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1
4NS. Directions of how to get to Queen Mary are available at
http://www.elec.qmul.ac.uk/newsevents/c4dm-seminars.php as are details
of future seminars. The room is under access control, so people from
outside QM will need to contact C4DM to get in - the lab phone number
is +44 (0)20 7882 7480 and if I'm not available, anyone else in the lab
should be able to help. If you are coming from outside Queen Mary,
please let me know, so I can make sure no-one's stuck outside the doors.
All are welcome to attend. For those unable to do so, a video recording
of the seminar will be streamed live and also made available online
after a few days. Please see the above website for details.
If you wish to be added to / removed from our mailing list, please send
me an email and I'll be happy to do so.
Tomorrow's seminar (13 May, 2pm):
Title:
Environmental sonifications 'Hour Angle' and 'Flood Tide'
Speaker:
Dr John Eacott
School of Media Arts and Design
University of Westminster
www.informal.org
Abstract:
Hour Angle and Flood Tide are musical works generated from gradually
changing environmental data. Hour Angle uses calculations of the
position of Earth and Sun while Flood Tide uses live readings of tidal
flow. Common to both works are a set of algorithmic processes that
translate the data into musical values. A software process that I now
call LiveNotation is used to display the values as musical notation
that appears on computer screens and is read and performed by
musicians. In this presentation I will discuss the ideas behind the
work and the processes and considerations used to generate music
illustrated with extracts of previous performances.
Bio:
John Eacott is a trumpeter and composer whose career started in the
1980s with anarchic jazzers Loose Tubes and post-industrial metal
bashers Test Dept. In the 1990s he focused on composing many works for
Theatre including the worldwide touring production of Gormenghast for
the David Glass Ensemble and arrangements for the 2002 Royal
Shakespeare Company production of Timon of Athens. Film scores include
the Miramax feature Three Steps to Heaven (1995), Escape to Life with
Vanessa Redgrave (2000) and jazz arrangements for Alfie starring Jude
Law (2003). His many television soundtracks include the BBC documentary
series In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great BBC2 (1997). His
orchestral compositions have been performed and recorded by the
Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Docklands Sinfonietta. Previous
algorithmic / generative works include The Street, an interactive sound
environment (2000), Morpheus, a CD Rom of generative electronica
(2001), and Intelligent Street, a sound space in which users alter
their sound environment by sending text messages (2003). Since the
completion of his PhD in 2007, John has focused on making accessible
live performances using algorithmic composition methods to sonify
environmental data. His tide sonification Flood Tide has been performed
9 times including performances at the Royal Shakespeare Company,
Stratford Upon Avon, Greenwich Royal Observatory and Thames Festival
London 2009. He is Principal Lecturer in music at the University of
Westminster, London.
Emmanouil Benetos
--
Centre for Digital Music (C4DM)
Electronic Engineering Department
Queen Mary, University of London
[log in to unmask]
Tel: +44 (0)20 7882 7480
Fax: +44 (0)20 7882 7997
C4DM Web-site : http://www.elec.qmul.ac.uk/digitalmusic/index.html
