Everyone a music maker

Today I was at a conference at the National Centre for Early Music in York, aimed at making music in early years settings. I helped Andrew Cleaton present a talk on the use of music technology, covering both the pros and cons.

The talk concluded with a look at the Apollo Ensemble equipment, featuring the Hub together with a number of wireless sensors and switches. Particularly popular with the audience was the EnsembleDice, which was used to trigger animal sounds and images.

You can see more about the conference and the other interesting talks at: www.ncem.co.uk/earlyyears

Me, Myself and MRI Project Launch - Preview

Today was the launch of the MRI Exhibition at the National Science Learning Centre in York. The morning was spent doing final tweaks to the audio and video tracks, setting levels and then tidying up.

In the afternoon the group we've been working with from Archbishop Holgate's School came in for a preview before the evenings official launch. General impressions were good and there was some interesting feedback about the layout of the pieces. We also had a discussion about how the interactivity worked (see photo), which involved me showing them the Apollo Ensemble map that is running each piece. They very quickly grasped how the Map was put together and how Apollo Designer works - in fact they were questioning why it took me so long to get the exhibition sorted out!

The exhibition map uses some new blocks that will be in version two of the software released later in the year. This includes video and still image triggering, automated faders and mapping blocks. I hope to be writing a detailed explanation of the technical side of the project for the Me, Myself and MRI website later in the year.

In the meantime the exhibition will be giving a really thorough test of the Apollo Runner and the new blocks as it runs the six pieces over the next few months. If you want to catch the exhibition then see the main project website for tour details.

MRI Project tests

Mark, Ben and Damian review a portrait

Today was a technical rehearsal of sorts for the MRI Project (http://geodesicarts-mri.blogspot.com/). It was the first time we had more than just the single prototype exhibition piece setup and running in one space. Each unit consists of a 32" screen, with a small PC together with a custom Apollo Ensemble unit and the development version of the new Apollo Ensemble software.

The exciting thing about this exhibition is that it is pushing forward the development of the Apollo Ensemble software. We've added quite a few new features which will be released as an upgrade later in the year. The main one is the ability to trigger and control video and still image. The requirements of this project mean that the software is getting a really good, real world testing - with a nice tight deadline to hit. The exhibition launches in late February!

Brodsworth Hall Lighting

Camel Event Production are using the Apollo Ensemble system over the next two weeks to help it light up Brodsworth Hall near Doncaster. As part of the Enchanted Gardens event, the Apollo system is allowing visitors to take control of lighting the main house.

Camel are testing the latest version of the Apollo Ensemble, which will be released in the new year. It incorporates some additional lighting control elements and tools to increase flexibility. For the house lighting they are making use of the auto-fader block that allows a switch to control a preset fade.

SKUG Performance

The Apollo Ensemble system is already getting international acclaim, with a unit currently under test at the SKUG Centre in Norway. It's being used today as part of their opening performance.

Updating the Activity Hall

The Activity Hall - Before the upgrade work

I've been working with the Dales School in Morton-on-Swale for a number of years, helping them incorporate new accessible technology into the school. The latest upgrade involves ripping out the existing ShowMagic system in the Activity Hall and replacing it with the Ensemble system. This makes the interactive lighting accessible to more of the pupils at the school and makes setting up the room more approachable for the staff.

Interactive Sound and Light area at Dame Hannah School

Over the past few weeks we've been building an interactive light and sound area at Dame Hannah School in Ivybridge. This is part of a larger music room in their post-16 unit.

The room is based around the Apollo Ensemble system, with all the lighting and music controllable from a range of switches and sensors.

Today I was down at the school providing some training to the staff.

MRI Project - Interactivity

The Me, Myself and MRI project continued today with a session at the school on interactive technology and interactive art works.

We started the session by letting the group have a play with the Apollo Ensemble and some of our prototype sensors. As we had a very short time to setup, this demo only involved playing sounds and music rather than a full sensory experience. The group seemed quite excited by the idea of being able to control sounds from different body movements.

The rest of the session involved linking this to how we might control the final portrait exhibition. More info on the project blog:

http://geodesicarts-mri.blogspot.com/

Muscial Monuments

Apollo will be supporting Accessible Arts Musical Monuments project from the 28th July - 1st August. They'll be using the Apollo Ensemble system to help young people of all abilities create and perform their own music.

Today I provided them with some quick training on the system to help with their planning for the project.

UPDATE

Accessible Arts have decided to use the Apollo Ensemble later in the year for a project with the SoundWeavers.

Gordon Parry Updates

Developments at the Gordon Parry Centre in Leeds continue as they begin to explore more aspects of the Apollo Ensemble. Having fitted a small moving head light during my last visit, today I was adding extra features to the control block in the Ensemble software and providing some general software updates.

The Centre have been working with us as we develop the Ensemble system, contributing their expertise and feedback. The flexibility built into the software means that we have been able to implement many changes onsite. This includes adding lighting fixtures, simplifying the display and changing help text.

The Centre opens officially in October 2008.

Gordon Parry Centre Training

This afternoon I provided some training at the Gordon Parry Centre in Leeds on their ever expanding light and sound room. The room runs on the Apollo Ensemble system, with switches and sensors plugged into sockets spread around the room. The latest addition is a small LED moving head light that can be told to point anywhere in the room.

This project is providing us with vital feedback to refine the Apollo Ensemble software.

Official opening of Sensory Room at Whitley Park School

The portable sensory room installed at Whitley Park Infant School was officially opened today with a reception. Since the initial installation last week, all 320 children at the school have been through and experience the area.

Ann Tanner, Headteacher, commented:

"We are excited at Whitley Park to be given the chance to explore with the children the possibilities for learning this brings. We aim to create stimulating learning opportunities for the children, develop their language and create wonderful learning environments that give them a sense of the world around us. Themes including seaworld, space, gardens, and jungles come immediately to mind but others will emerge as the staff team explore the possibilities.

"We are privileged to be part of this project and we will do our best to help 'KidsOut' provide more of these portable sensory rooms for other children across the UK. Our plan is to extend the use within our local community to the two Children's Centres in Whitley, for children to visit the room and have fun exploring it. My thanks to Mark and Kevin for the design, ideas and for making this dream a reality."

Portable Sensory Room

Today we built the prototype of the Portable Sensory Room at Whitley Park School in Reading. Funded by KidsOut, the room will be undergoing tests at the school over the next few months. It is hoped that the feedback from these will help us develop the design of the space.

Coloured lighting and background sounds are controlled by the Apollo Controller, with users inserting a USB stick to activate the different themes. Other lighting effects are controlled by front panel switches.

Gordon Parry Update

I visited the Gordon Parry Centre today to provide a software update to the Apollo Controller installed in the room. It also gave me the opportunity to provide some basic training to the staff at the Centre.

The gradual development of this space has allowed the staff to get use to each element, before adding another to the space.

Fountaineers Workshop

Last Monday and Tuesday (15th & 16th October) I spent all day at Luckwell Primary School in Bristol as part of the Futurelab Fountaineers Project.

I was invited by Futurelab to follow up sessions I carried out earlier in the year, where I worked with the children on their design for an interactive fountain. As the projects 'fountain expert' I've been answering questions and help the children shape the ideas for what the fountain might look like, where it will be sighted and what it will do.

The fountain is now under construction by a local firm in Bristol and is due to go into the school during December. Since my last visit in the Summer term, the fountain has changed design and position. There has also been a long break for the Summer holidays and the beginning of the new school year.

This visit formed part of the schools 'Talk' week, with the emphasis being on reminding the children about the fountain and getting them engaged with the project. Other experts from Futurelab came into the school to cover maintenance and programming of the fountain witgh the older years. My work was with years 2,3,4 and 5, running a basic refresher course and getting some actual water jets running again.

I used a beta test version of the new Apollo Controller software, to link a number of pressure pads and sensors to a couple of water jets (via a DMX dimmer pack). By programming various scenarios into the Apollo, I was able to demonstrate the various behaviours the fountain might have. Specifically ACT, REACT and INTERACT.

The workshops went well and we all seemed to have a good time. My thanks go to Rose who helped me with all the sessions.

Gordon Parry Centre Update

The latest version of the Apollo Controller went into the Gordon Parry Centre in Leeds today as part of the development of their Studio space. It is linked to socket panels around the room allowing users to plug in switches and sensors to control the lights and sounds.

Getting wet

Today I was back at Luckwell Primary School to work with the children with some interactive water jets. I built a basic fountain using a paddling pool, some Oase Nautilus pumps, a DMX dimmer pack and a prototype of the Apollo Controller. This meant that we could have a number of different sensors controlling the height of the water jets.

The children played with the different sensors to help establish a final list of what sensors we might want on the fountain. Another major area of discussion was whether to have a mobile or fixed fountain. The amount of water falling on the floor convinced most that a fixed fountain outside might be better, although their were some imaginative solutions for keeping the water contained.

After working with each year group, they returned to their rooms to vote on the best sensors and whether to have the fixed or mobile fountain. At the end of the day we had an assembly so that each year group could see the voting. Lots of cheering and booing went on!

New role as Fountain Expert

Today I visited Bristol to join the Fountaineers Project as their 'Fountain' expert. Fountaineers is a Futurelab Project to design and build an interactive fountain - a collaboration with the children and staff at the school. Over the next nine months the school will be designing their own fountain to be built somewhere on site. My job is to help guide them!


Today was an introductory session where I went over some of the interactive fountains I have build before. We looked at the progression from initial ideas through technical drawings to the final fountain. I think this was the first time the children had seen that interactive foutains can actually be built.

To get over the idea of control I used some sensors and a prototype of the Apollo Controller. The sensors were linked to simple sounds, MIDI scales and lights. This enabled me to demonstrate simple cause and effect.

I've got to admit that the original plan was to work with small groups, but I ended up doing an assembly for the whole school. Great fun!

The idea is for me to act as a consultant for the project, visiting throughout the year and carrying out a number of workshops.