On Wed 30 Nov 2011, the McMaster Cybernetic Orchestra will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Canadian Electroacoustic Community (CEC) with a number of events both on and off campus. This full day of electronic music and performance is part of the CEC’s national tour: 25+ concerts in 9 cities from Victoria to St. Johns. All events are free and open to the public – and have been made possible by the Department of Communication Studies and Multimedia, the Lyons New Media Centre and the School of the Arts (McMaster University), as well as the SOCAN Foundation and the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage (Canada Music Fund). The schedule is below – we’d love to meet you there!
12:00-13:00 Concert 1: Jeu de Temps / Times Play 2011 winning compositions (Convocation Hall)
14:30-15:45 Seminar: Kevin Austin – Recent Practices and Trends in EA (Lyons New Media Centre)
15:45-16:45 Seminar: Victoria Fenner, Richard Oddie, David Ogborn and Christina Sealey (Lyons New Media Centre)
16:45-17:15 Welcome and CEC Meet & Greet (Lyons New Media Centre)
17:30-18:30 Concert 2: Cybernetic Orchestra (Convocation Hall)
21:00-23:30 Concert 3: Late night at the Brain with the Cybernetic Orchestra and co. (The Brain, James St N, Hamilton)
All those interested in joining McMaster University’s laptop orchestra – the Cybernetic Orchestra – are invited to come to our first open rehearsal of the 2011-12 academic year: Thurs 15 Sept, 4 PM (until 6 PM) in the Connections Centre of Mills Library (1st floor just before the elevators). The orchestra is open to all members of the McMaster community (students, alumni, and employees) – the only requirement is an interest in performing and listening to new, electronic forms of music – plus your own laptop (Mac, PC or Linux). During Fall 2011 regularly rehearsals will be every Thursday from 4-6 PM. If you have any questions about the Cybernetic Orchestra, email orchestra director (and McMaster prof in Communication Studies & Multimedia) Dr. David Ogborn at ogbornd@mcmaster.ca.
In the spirit of open-source software (release early, release often) we hereby release the espBeat software, part of the espTools software created for and around the Cybernetic Orchestra at McMaster University. espBeat allows the performers in a laptop orchestra or other electronic ensemble to share a common, synchronized beat across multiple devices, while compensating for the problems potentially introduced by typical network hardware (missing or delayed beats). Click the following link to download – and use at your own risk!: espBeat-0.05
A big thanks to Toronto’s Esprit Orchestra for the donation of two Yorkville powered “sound reinforcement” style loudspeakers (model CX80P) to the acousmonium (loudspeaker orchestra) of the Cybernetic Orchestra! Esprit donated the loudspeakers to thank McMaster’s laptop orchestra for our performance at Toronto’s Drake Underground during the most recent New Wave Festival. We continue to build our acousmonium with as diverse a collection of loudspeakers as possible – and welcome further loudspeaker donations at any time! Cybernetic Orchestra members will choose names for the new loudspeakers when we resume regular rehearsals in September. More info about the Esprit Orchestra can be found here: http://espritorchestra.com. More info about the Yorkville CX80P can be found here.
On March 12 2011 McMaster University’s laptop orchestra – the Cybernetic Orchestra – performed at the TEDx McMaster conference, part of a packed day of talks by excellent performers and speakers. The orchestra performed Clix (by Ge Wang) and a live coding free improvisation (orchestra members improvised by programming their computers in front of the audience). Now video from that performance is available through YouTube (and below) – enjoy!
The Cybernetic Orchestra will join the Concordia Laptop Orchestra and digital musical instrumentalist D. Andrew Stewart in a performance at Concordia University’s D.B. Clarke Theatre (Montréal). Alongside a Concerto for T-Stick and Two Laptop Orchestras, the Cybernetic Orchestra will showcase two performances of live coding compositions and materials developed at McMaster.
We would like to thank the Faculty of Humanities and its Dean, Dr. Suzanne Crosta, the McMaster Humanities Society (MHS), and the Student Services Program Support Fund (McMaster University Student Life and the McMaster Students Union) for their generous financial support of the Cybernetic Orchestra’s travel to Montréal.
You can see our friends and collaborators from the Concordia Laptop Orchestra (CLOrk) in this video from a recent telematic performance with Calgary University and University of Alberta in Edmonton. (Click here for video.)
When: Friday, March 25, 2011 at 8 p.m. (the night before the Concordia Live and Interactive Electroacoustic Colloquium)
As part of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra’s Festival of New Music, What Next?, the McMaster Cybernetic Orchestra is performing at the Art Gallery of Hamilton!
Join us this Friday, February 4th at the AGH @ 6:30 PM.
Walk through galleries of the AGH and experience fascinating new sounds from the cutting edge of electronic creation, the laptop orchestra. Featuring the young creative minds from the McMaster University Cybernetic Orchestra.
The Cybernetic Orchestra will perform a mix of composed and improvised music for laptop orchestra, using Nintendo Wiimotes, wireless networking, and on-the-fly programming. The performance will also feature special guest appearances by Festival Director James Sommerville and McMaster University professor of music cognition Michael Schutz.
The Cybernetic Orchestra is McMaster University’s laptop orchestra, an innovative electronic music ensemble now entering its second year of activity. A few positions for new orchestra members are available – all those interested in participating are hereby warmly invited to join us at our next rehearsal, Monday 10 January, 5-6:30 PM, in the Connections Centre of Mills Library.
The orchestra is open to all members of the McMaster community (students, alumni, and employees) – the only requirement is an interest in performing and listening to new, electronic forms of music. Prior musical or computer experience is not necessary! Owning and bringing your own laptop (PC, Mac or Linux) is recommended but not required.
During the Winter 2011 semester, Cybernetic Orchestra rehearsals take place on Mondays from 5-6:30 PM in the Connections Centre on the 1st floor of Mills Library (go right just before the elevators, then it is the first door on your left). See you there! If you have any questions about the Cybernetic Orchestra, email orchestra director (and McMaster prof in Communication Studies & Multimedia) Dr. David Ogborn at ogbornd@mcmaster.ca.
The first rehearsal of the Cybernetic Orchestra (McMaster University’s laptop orchestra) for 2011 will take place Monday 3 Jan 2011, 5 PM – 6:30 PM, in the connections centre of Mills Library. This rehearsal is for existing members of the orchestra only – watch for another announcement about a rehearsal with new (or prospective) orchestra members soon! Orchestra rehearsals will be Mondays 5-6:30 PM for the duration of the Winter 2011 semester.
A big thank you to the members of the Cybernetic Orchestra during the first semester of the 2010-11 academic year (Fall 2010) – and another big thank you to the McMaster libraries (Jeff Trzeciak, Eden McLean and Rhonda Moore) for hosting our rehearsals and our special appearance in the Lyons New Media Centre during Culture Days. Oh – and thank you again to Montréal digital instrumentalist D. Andrew Stewart for making a cameo appearance on the soprano t-stick during our Culture Days event! See you all after a safe and happy holiday season…