Musicians try new methods at Sonic Generator concert

Tuesday, Jan. 30, a group of musicians performed at the Tech Alumni House, putting on a show that was much different from many of the things going on at Tech. The setting was far removed from laboratories, but experiments of another kind were underway.

The Sonic Generator concert attempted to demonstrate how music could be tied in new ways to video, improvisation and audience participation.

Sponsored by the Graphics, Visualization and Usability Center (located in the College of Computing), professional performers collaborated with students and faculty of the Music Department to explore new areas of musical expression.

Jason Freeman, an assistant professor at the Music Department and executive director of Sonic Generator, was enthusiastic to share the performance.

"There's a real shortage of new music in Atlanta, so for me this was a way to contribute to the community and to raise the profile of Georgia Tech as a cultural leader in Atlanta," Freeman said.

The group has only been in existence for six months, but Freeman claimed that it was easy to find performers to work with their new graduate program students.

Lisa Leong, the piano player for the ensemble, heard of this opportunity through another performer and friend of hers. She said that she likes to play new music and she enjoys the diversity in this kind of setting.

"[The Alumni House is] small and intimate and it draws people from all walks of life," Leong said.

The performance opened with a percussionist "collaborating" with a pre-arranged track of samples from the "North Star Boogaloo." After this, a trio consisting of flute, piano and bass using unconventional playing methods performed "Vox Balaenae," imitating the song of whales.

During the performance, a video of the three performers, three different moiré patterns and footage of whales controlled by another performer were displayed. The sounds from each instrument were transformed into data and used to control the display.

The next piece used small mallets to strike partially-filled wine glasses while the performers made some noises that are initially quite strange. However, the performers were recording the entire time, and as the recording played back, the strange noises began to form familiar idioms.

A project programmed by Professor Freeman called "Graph Theory" was performed next. Using the internet, anyone can participate in composing by navigating through a web of preset phrases. The computer then uses all of the collected data and produces a piece for violin or cello based on the data.

An amusing improvisational part with one performer drawing symbols on comic panels instructing how the other performers should play ended the evening.

Sonic Generator will have another performance March 26 at 8 p.m., so anyone looking to experience innovative music methods should mark the date. More information can be found at www.sonicgenerator.gatech.edu.