Musikkteknologidagene
October 31st, 2012Last week, I attended Musikkteknologidagene, an annual gathering of music technologists from various institutions around Norway. This year’s symposium was hosted by NOTAM in Oslo and showcased their new facilities, as well as a few other institutions around town. There were sessions at the Norges Musikkhøgskole and the motion capture lab of the fourMs Research Group.
For me, this was an excellent opportunity to network with the broader community throughout Norway. As I met people and learned about their work, two things struck me. First, there is so much diversity among these artists and researchers. Topics ranged from micro-movement motion capture to sub-sea data sonification to unique multichannel controllers to evolving download markets. Considering the relative size of this country, the breadth was really impressive.
Second, there is a clear sense of mutual respect for each other’s work. When I expressed this to people during a meeting on the final day, I was told this is generally a key part of Norwegian culture, not just in music technology. Whatever the source, it is a healthy thing for the community that will surely foster more innovation. Working together to promote the cause of music technology is better than competing for limited resources in my view.
In addition to attending, I also delivered two presentations that can now be viewed online. The first was a research presentation about my transition from the Granular Toolkit to becoming a Jamoma developer. This is was in many ways a progress report on how my Fulbright research project is going so far.
The second presentation was an artist talk where I presented 3 recent works and the concepts behind them. These pieces included an audiovisual collaboration, a sound composition and a multi-channel installation.
Overall, this was an exciting and stimulating three day gathering! “Tusen takk” for letting me join in the conference and a special thanks to BEK for supporting my travel.
Leave a Reply