Maybe you play an instrument, maybe you don’t, but it’s safe to say most of us at some point or other have had a tune in our head which we just can’t seem to realise on an instrument. Either way, you’d probably agree that an instrument is like an extension of a musicians body.
At this time in history and musical evolution, instruments are becoming more intuitive than ever thanks to technology, and, a team of researchers from the Input Devices and Music Interaction Lab from McGill University have created a new class of instruments which literally meld with the human body and its actions – to produce, beautiful music. What’s more, by the looks of things, these creations could very well render orchestras obsolete, as they translate the movements of performers into sound.
Damnit, why am I playing guitar again?
So far, the variety of instruments include ‘spines’, ‘rib cages’, and visors which respond differently to a variety of movements, and being touch sensitive, they allow performers to tweak their sounds on the fly and purely through motion. Crafted with utmost precision utilising laser cutting and 3D-printing techniques, these instruments of the future achieve their feat through wireless technology which sends signals to a system with software that transforms each and every movement into sound. However, while these look really intuitive and simple to use, it would be fair to assume that quite a fair bit of practice will be needed before mastery can be achieved, so don’t throw all those years of piano practice down the drain just yet.
Shh. You’re a harp. Stay in character. People are watching.
BY ANGELOMANUEL
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