ARTISTTALK — Robert Wechsler (US)

Robert Wechsler (US) - MotionComposer

Prague - April 6, 2013

Robert Wechsler, a choreographer, dancer and developer of interactive methods of performing with technology presents MotionComposer - a device for persons with (and without) disabilities within Catch Forum 2013 at 6th International art - sci - tech biennale Enter 6: Biopolis in Prague, Czech Republic.

MotionComposer: a device for persons with (and without) disabilities. Strategies for coherent mapping in movement-to-music interactive systems. A live demonstration with audience participation.

There are many ways to turn movement into music; indeed most musical instruments do just that. There is, however, another way to approach to the same basic idea, one which is not so much concerned with the deliberate control of defined sound parameters (i.e. musical instruments), but which is instead concerned with stimulating the basic instincts that belong to both music and dance. By offering the user parameters that are obviously under their complete control, combined with others that are heavily subsidized (using “assistance” techniques such as algorithmic composition and rhythmic quantization), it is possible to design interactive environments that seem intuitive, i.e. not based on the user’s understanding, but on their instincts. This stimulates movement, social interaction and healthy proprioception which is of particular importance in the treatment of pathologies, including cerebral palsy, aphasia, autism, quadriplegia, blindness, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.