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Rajmil Fischman’s video recording
Following the completion of Rajmil Fischman’s AHRC Research Fellowship, a video recording of his composition Ruraq Maki, for digital glove and the Manual Actions Expressive System, is available online at https://vimeo.com/55093629.
Ruraq Maki, which means ‘handmade’ in the Quechua language spoken in the central Andes of South America, is a composition performed by means of natural hand actions (e.g. hitting virtual objects, shaking them, etc.). This is enabled by means of a self-contained ‘Manual Actions Expressive System’ (MAES) consisting of a digital glove controlled by specialised software for the creation of musical gestures. While these gestures result from tracking and analysing hand motion and finger bend, the technology allows performers to concentrate on natural actions from our daily use of the hands (e.g. the physical movement associated with hitting, shaking, dragging, etc.). Therefore, the performer generates and ‘manipulates’ sounds, shaping the latter, engaging with virtual sound sources and interacting with MAES in a manner similar to that of videogame play, in which the technology is driven by the user according to rules that vary depending on the current state of the ‘game’; i.e. the musical work. Future plans for MAES include the realisation of a ‘videogame score’ which will enable individuals who do not have formal musical training to perform works such as Ruraq Maki, engaging actively in music making. At the same time, it will still allow performers to achieve virtuosity by providing gestures that can be adapted to individual requirements.
Ruraq Maki received it premiere at the International Acousmatic and Multimedia Festival Sonoimágenes, Buenos Aires, in November 2012.
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