Registration must be made for this workshop in advance using the registration link on steim.org:
http://steim.org/event/composing-with-components-scoring-with-schematics-sonifying-square-waves-darsha-hewitt/
This rigorous hands-on workshop introduces the fundamentals of electronics through sound. Participants will learn to interpret electronic diagrams and build sound generating circuitry. Electronic components, hand-drawn schematics and audible oscillations will be used to compose, score and perform experimental electronic music.
In this workshop you will develop confident troubleshooting skills and get lots of practice to help you become a circuit-building champion. You will also learn to improvise with technical imperfections, because sometimes a malfunctioning circuit can offer way more interesting results than what was originally intended.
You will draw schematic based scores – so be sure to bring pens, pencils, and a notebook! The workshop concludes with an informal public presentation were participants will build and improvise with live circuits, perform their compositions and show off their drawings. A vote will take place and a prize will be given to the participant with the most fancy schematics.
This workshop favours an intuitive approach to DIY electronics through free-form experimentation and pattern recognition as opposed to intensive theory based instruction and memorization.
INCASE YOU DIDN’T KNOW…
A big part of DIY electronics involves accepting that FAILURE will occur! Circuits often don’t work the first (or second or third) time you build them, or they might behave in ways they are not supposed to. This is NORMAL and an IMPORTANT part of the process!
DETAILS
DATE: 5-6 October, 2013
TIME: 12:00 – 16:00 (each day)
LOCATION: STEIM Concert Space, Utrechtsedwarsstraat 134 Amsterdam
COST: €80 (includes €15 electronics kit + limited edition grid-paper music score sheets)
WORKSHOP IS LIMITED TO 10 PARTICIPANTS
Registration must be made in advance using the registration link above
What to bring / prepare
This workshop is open to people of all backgrounds, but is best suited to beginners and intermediates. The art of drawing schematics as scores will play a big part in the workshop, so please bring pens, pencils, and a notebook. All electronics equipment will be provided by STEIM and all necessary components will be included in your kit.
Teacher
Darsha Hewitt (b. 1982) is a Canadian artist from Montreal. Her artwork evolves out of experiments where she explores the physics of electricity and looks for ways to use it as a raw material. She often repurposes trailing-edge communication technology and transforms it into electro-mechanical sound installations and experimental instruments for sound performances.
Darsha was recently awarded an International Stipend for Young Artists in Sound Art from the Federal State of Lower Saxony and Braunschweig HBK (DE) (‘13). She has exhibited her artwork across Canada, in Mexico, Scandinavia and Europe – including presentations at: Edith-Russ-Haus für Medienkunst (DE), Make Art Festival (FR), Piksel Festival (NO), La Periferia (MX), MUTEK (CA), Elektra (CA) and Oxford University (UK). She is an MFA candidate in Open Media at Concordia University and a Research Assistant at Hexagram: Centre for Research-Creation in Media Arts and Technologies. She is also a member of Perte de Signal – one of Québec’s leading digital art collectives.
Alongside her artistic practice she is an independent technician, consultant and educator. She frequently works with digital arts organizations, research labs and universities. She is currently an organizer of the Open Source Residency Program at Perte De Signal. She was the coordinator of L’oeuvre ouverte – the 2nd international PureData Convention (‘07) and a delegate at The Banff New Media Institute’s Grounding Open Source Hardware Conference – the first Open Source Hardware summit (’09).
Darsha Hewitt
