Skill/Ability: Documentation/Technical Writing

This project has been a collaboration with Linda Dusman and Michael Richards (of the Department of Music) and the Imaging Research Center. The goal of the Symphony Interactive project is to leverage the ubiquity of portable wifi enabled smart devices to contextualize and further enrich the experience of live orchestral concerts.

Traditional arts institutions such as symphony orchestras are at a crossroads. With attendance down, such organizations are developing new models of sustainable growth that will resonate with contemporary audiences, who increasingly expect multi-faceted, interactive, and user-defined experiences. This is reflected in the myriad of mobile “smart” devices, saturating everyday experience. Such devices provide an opportunity to enhance the experience of attending orchestra concerts by creating multiple streams of information and media through which a performance may be experienced and contextualized. By utilizing these technologies, such institutions can reengage the wider public through contemporary forms.

The research will develop software for mobile platforms that will allow users to view scrolling musical scores in realtime, synchronized with a live orchestra by a human time keeper sending pulses via wifi. Utilizing and iPad, users will be able to view portions of the score yet to be played or revisit prior moments of particular interest, as well as access detailed annotations with compositional, historical, and aesthetic information. The Symphony Interactive prototype will provide a unique permutation of the traditional concert experience, leveraging mobile technologies in a way that heightens engagement through active participation.