New York, NY (Top40 Charts) "It was a pretty risky experiment of collective decision sampling, but it worked out quite well," says Cogswell College adjunct instructor Andrew Vargas.
Cogswell Polytechnical College is proud to have Distinguished Professor of Audio &
Music Technology Julius Dobos, who not only composed the musical theme for Siggraph 2019, but also created a new kind of interactive performance for guests.
Professor Julius Dobos explains the inspiration behind his performance and sheds a bit of light on his process.
"In the middle of the current trends in artificial intelligence, I wanted to give the control back to humans, and share a collective musical experience with 2,600 people in a new way. The idea behind what I call the Human Intelligence Control is that different sections of the audience control different aspects of the music real-time, people using their smartphones' flashlights. Four sections of the audience had to listen to the music and realize what sort of changes they were making to their respective musical parts, and act as a collective. The changes they were making could be simple, like a filter effect, or more significant, like bringing in a new musical part. You can watch the video here: https://youtu.be/AHHah41SbyE
Technically, sensors in the ceiling were capturing the light-dark ratios of the four audience sections as people were rhythmically filling them up with their dimmed or strong lights. A computer was analyzing this stream of data, and converting them to MIDI information. These musical instructions were then sent to instruments and another two computers on stage, which were modifying the audio effects, the music mix, the notes, and the projected visuals, real-time.
About Cogswell Polytechnical College
Founded in 1887, Cogswell Polytechnical College (Cogswell) has taken a hands-on, interdisciplinary approach that has been producing industrial-strength results for over 130 years. Cogswell prepares students for success in the creative-technology industries by providing an extraordinary, real-world education inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit of our Silicon Valley location. Cogswell's project-based programs are designed to engage the students' imagination and develop their skills in real-world settings alongside industry professionals. Cogswell is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and has an average 79% first-year retention rate. Visit cogswell.edu, Cogswell's Instagram, or call 1-855-COGSWELL to learn more about our award-winning programs. For important regulatory information, please see visit our website at https://www.cogswell.edu/disclosures.
