Sculpture as music interface

This paper describes the conception, design and implementation of a number of hardware/software musical interfaces and their use in performance with a group of dancers and as units for public interaction. It investigates the design and development of such interfaces in the light of these experiences. The work examines the nature of digital interfaces for musical expression through the use of sculptural forms and ideas, using multiple and diverse sensors, the data from which is used to generate and control multifarious musical parameters in software. It notes any relationships between the sculptural forms and the musical material produced. The combination of control of musically expressive algorithms through hardware design, combined with the expressive potential of dance and embodied movement is of particular interest. Reflecting links between embodied movement and expression in live performance, the feedback between form and function is also considered, as are collaborations with sculptors to develop and enhance the physical behaviour and visual appearance of these devices.