M2D3: I touched a Holy Grail

Yes indeed :) Today I tried and discussed a program at IRCAM, the program I mentioned yesterday. This is a sophisticated program that would clone my improvisation. At the moment there has to be a computer operator, which I cannot have on stage. I do understand that the computer operator could be "performing" on stage, but as a classically trained violinist, I guess I am just too old fashioned. He or she has to be physically generating analog sound on stage, or at least moving a little more than computer key click to belong to the stage, I think! OK, ok, not necessarily, but the fact is that it is terribly boring to watch someone on stage clicking the computer, no matter how he/she is being creative or expressive clicking the computer. But again, that's just me.

Even if the computer operator is off stage, the fact that another human needs to make a musical decision, tells me naturally "then why don't I just use another violinist to do the same?" I guess what I am going for is not another human (am I so anti-social!?) but another of my musical brain that behaves different from my own. Do I make sense?

I have done this kind of recording, except a 'fake' or simulated one; I recorded an improvisation of myself then improvised over it. So my second track is interacting to the first one, but first one is cast in stone. It still produced interesting results, as I enjoy noodling around myself to the point when I can no longer distinguish my sound from the other 'me'. This program, does the same thing in real time. That is to say, the computer is taking my notes in real time and plays back in a way it chooses, with many parameters one could set if you wish. It is a very interesting musical cognitive experience. I really treasured today.

So, we discussed how to make it 'stand alone', which lead to many subjects, some easily solved, or to go around the problem, and some highly sophisticated, worth a few PhD thesis. I feel I am a greedy visitor trying to eat anything that is on the dining table, occasionally ordering on a whim, "Oh by the way I would like some soufflé too!". I have only 1 1/2 month left here in Paris and I do need to get things done :)

No food pics today :(