Entrepreneur

Kate Ryder, Kate Ryder

Academic Partner

Dr Tim Ewers, Kingston University London

Project Title

Creating a super-piano: exploring interfaces between old and new technologies for performer, composer and audience

Project Description

Building upon Kate Ryder’s previous ‘prepared piano’ experiments the entrepreneur in residence scheme with Kingston University London saw Ryder paired with Dr Tim Ewers in an attempt to create a ‘Super-Piano’. Adopting commercially available systems designed to generate MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) signals the project successfully created a technological system that can be easily attached to any grand piano.

The PNOscan device unifies acoustic and electronic sound sources creating a hybrid instrument that can enact real time manipulation. Attached to the base of the piano the system seamlessly connects to digital programmes affording unparalleled opportunities of creating new music and sounds.

In the course of the project the collaboration has played at the Inside Out Festival, October 2014, the City Summer Sounds Festival, at Kingston University London, December 2014, and were featured in CMRU presents Goldsmiths – Kingston Exchange Concert, March 2015. Additionally three research seminars have taken place and a lecture was given at Kingston University London in January 2015.

Funding awarded by Creativeworks London proved sufficient to develop an initial version of the PNOscan, however, more time is needed to created a refined and portable version. The collaboration has made applications to various funders including the AHRC the Arts Council of England, the Vaughan-Williams Trust, the PRS Foundation. They are also exploring the opportunity to partner with higher education institutions in the UK and mainland Europe.