2-BSide
6B —Thursday, March 22, 2018
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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Courtesy of the DIA
When people ask me what
Performing Arts Technology
is, I sometimes struggle to
find the precise definition. For
such a specific department,
the vastness of its contents is
pretty
overwhelming,
even
for someone in the major.
Everyone
in
the
program
has a different passion and
a different area of the field
that they’re pursuing, some of
which may not even exist yet.
The PAT Showcase this
past Saturday gave audiences
a glimpse into the expansive
cross-section of technology
and art.
The showcase took place
over two separate sections, one
in the Chip Davis Technology
Studio and one in Macintosh
Theatre. Each event had its
own unique performances and
presentations that felt original
and creative.
In the Davis Studio, live
performances
constituted
many of the performances,
however, many acts were pre-
recorded and produced pieces
that
students
composed.
The Davis Studio boasts a
unique listening environment,
complete with a plethora of
state-of-the-art speakers to
create an immersive listening
environment
for
audiences.
The
presentation
of
these
electronic compositions was
really interesting, and although
it
seemed
like
something
you wouldn’t typically see at
an SMTD concert, they still
seemed to be treated as such,
with light dimming before they
were performed and audiences
applauding after.
A
lot
of
times
in
a
conservatory
environment,
electronically
produced
music is seen as inferior to
traditionally composed music.
At the showcase, this notion
seemed
to
be
completely
abandoned:
Each
unique
piece was given attention and
respect. The differences in
each piece were celebrated by
the audience and the students
alike. These strictly electronic
pieces brought nuance to a
musical climate that often
feels void of emotion and
creativity. Many are against
the implementation of more
electronics
in
music,
but
how could you be against a
movement
that
encourages
creativity?
As a PAT student within
SMTD,
I
have
constantly
been encouraged to engage
in collaborative projects with
other members of the school
in
both
conventional
and
experimental ways. This desire
to collaborate, with other PAT
majors and with other artists,
was made abundantly apparent
at the showcase. Many works
involved students playing a
variety of instruments in a
variety of genres, and using
technology
to
alter
their
timbre or to accompany them.
One of my favorite pieces
from the night was “War
Machines
Dance
to
Piano
Music” by Matias Vilaplana
and
Joey
Panlertkitsakul.
The piece involved Matias,
a graduate student in the
program,
using
electronics
to alter Joey’s piano playing.
By
miking
the
piano,
Matias was able to alter the
sounds with delays, filters
and
reverberation
in
live
performance, as well as alter
videos
of
machines
being
projected
on
screen.
The
music felt very minimalistic,
however, in conjunction with
live signal processing. The
piece evolved into something
completely different and more
expansive over time.
Some other performances
included saxophonists from
the jazz department and a solo
double bass piece by Spencer
Haney from their upcoming
senior thesis. There was no
shortage of variety at the
showcase.
Things also took a turn
towards a more commercial
direction. Artists like Clem
Turneri and Aliyah Marie
Smith shared songs off of
their upcoming and recently
released albums. Borrowing
from R&B, pop and even
experimental influences, the
artists sang their own songs
in
addition
to
performing
live
looping,
mixing
and
projecting. The performances
showed a completely different
side
to
PAT
than
many
other performances in the
department. Although many
had modern influences, these
two
specifically
felt
more
independent and void of a need
to be groundbreaking. These
performances
showcased
the songwriting talents PAT
majors are capable of.
The one thing that cannot be
emphasized enough here is just
how diverse this showcase,
and the PAT department itself,
actually is. While students
generally take the same classes
during their first year of study,
they
eventually
break
out
and start to take classes that
interest them and the areas
they want to focus on, and this
was especially apparent by just
how many different types of
performances there were.
Another
detail
to
note
is
just
how
involved
the
department is. Not only are
PAT majors involved in all
sorts of different productions
across campus, but younger
members of the community are
just as involved as the seniors.
Seeing a large representation
of the newer members of
the department was really
inspiring to me. Technology in
art is moving at a rapid pace,
and it’s nice to know that the
new generation of PAT majors
is just as motivated to advance
this world as the past.
This year’s PAT showcase
was one of the best the
department
has
ever
had.
Not
only
were
members
of the community able to
showcase the bridge between
art
and
technology
in
a
variety
of
different
ways,
but students were able to
express themselves through
technology. Many may argue
that music and art, in general,
feel more artificial with the
increased implementation of
new technology. But with the
passion that the performers
displayed on Saturday night,
I’m not sure if I can give this
argument much credibility.
A PAT major’s
reflections on
the program
RYAN COX
Daily Arts Writer
The tranquil, introspective
air of the Detroit Institute of
Arts was suddenly violated by
the phone I was clutching in
my hand and its unsolicited
decision to blare a tribal drum
beat. At lightspeed, I pressed
down on the volume controls
all while fellow museum-goers
cast disapproving looks in my
direction. To all the people I
secretly giggled at when your
phone went off in class, I’m
sorry. I now understand your
pain.
The room couldn’t clear out
slower as I sat on a cushy bench
inspecting my shoelaces. When
the last person left carrying my
eternal embarrassment, I could
finally freely use the reason I
came all the way downtown.
The main attraction of my latest
DIA visit is what the museum
calls Lumin, a mobile tour that
uses Google’s Tango augmented
reality (AR) platform to supply
visitors with a modern way
to innovatively engage with
the
museum’s
collection.
However, it is less a tour than
it is a personal learning tool.
The
entirety
of
Lumin
is
loaded onto a single Android
smartphone that the DIA rents
out to visitors; you become the
tour guide and decide what
you want to experience in this
strange new digital world.
The seven exhibits currently
integrated with Lumin each
implement the technology in
distinct ways. A variety of AR
experiences are available at
one’s fingertips, from a Persian
cylinder seal rolling out an
impression
on
virtual
wet
clay to a tree stump gradually
being carved out to match the
Yoruba
royal
presentation
bowl sitting behind a glass
case. Sight is not the only
sense Lumin manipulates —
my aforementioned brush with
societal ostracism turned out to
incorporate sound effectively
(just when I was the only
person listening). In front of
me hung multiple war drums
with depictions of thunderbirds
embellishing them. Tapping on
one of them via Lumin added a
musical layer that combined to
beautifully produce traditional
Native American piece.
Due to the inanimate nature
of most visual art, what one sees
is what one gets. There may be
written descriptions next to
a painting, or knowledgeable
museum staffers present to
enrich one’s understanding of
the art, but they are accessory.
The
central
relationship
between art and audience is
defined by the latter; only the
viewer can decide how they
personally interpret the art
and what emotions it evokes.
With
Lumin,
however,
the
smartphone becomes a living
lens, a third party that connects
the other two through a whole
new dimension.
The presentation of Lumin
lends itself to education. While
I was circling an Egyptian
sarcophagus
to
reveal
an
X-ray view of the skeleton
inside, the device also revealed
information.
Touching
key
points on the mummy brought
up slides and images that
described
the
process
of
mummification and how the
curators cared for the artifact.
The whole experience connects
visitors with art in global
contexts beyond the physical
walls of the museum. In a press
release about the technology,
current DIA director Salvador
Salort-Pons
praised
these
educative
values,
saying
“augmented reality allows the
user to see the unseen, imagine
art
in
its
original
setting
and understand how objects
were used and experienced in
people’s everyday lives.”
There is no denying that
today’s
youth
is
acutely
accustomed to technology all
across the board. While this
has created separate problems
in and of themselves, this
connection can be positively
exploited to trick kids into
learning without them even
realizing. Although I loved
going to museums when I
was young, I dreaded having
to sit through guided tours
and being overwhelmed with
waves of information. I wanted
to explore at my own pace
and learn in my own way, but
unfortunately,
to
a
child’s
mind, most art is surface-
level, and trying to explain it
to them usually leaves them
more confused than they were
before. Yet after my latest
adventure at the DIA, I am
convinced that technology like
Lumin is prime for education; it
sits perfectly at the crossroads
of explanation and exploration.
The problem, however, lies
in the fact that Lumin has a
bit of an identity crisis. It is
only in the prototype phase,
but there are minor issues
with the experience. I had
to go back and get a second
device after my first one froze,
and only select artifacts on
the first floor are given stops,
rather than centerpieces of the
collection like Diego Rivera’s
Detroit Industry Murals —
the DIA does assure though
that similarly requested stops
will be added in the coming
months. Silly enough, I also
couldn’t shake the feeling that
I was some vapid YouTube
personality vlogging due to
the mounted grip that was
used to hold up the phone.
Despite these, the real issue
is that Lumin is more geared
towards a sophisticated adult
mind rather than a child’s.
Kids would definitely be able
to use the technology with the
help of an adult, but the whole
experience is not very kid-
friendly; the UI is sleek and
modern, but caters to the tech-
savvy. It asks a lot of the user
and almost requires them to
have a previous understanding
of similar technology to truly
get the most out of it.
While I’m not trying to
say only children should be
getting educated in the arts,
the most important factor in
cultivating an appreciation for
the arts is starting at an early
age. Kids possess a genuine
sense of wonder and awe when
experiencing
art,
but
they
don’t know how to make the
most out of it. Giving them an
innovative avenue like Lumin,
which not only excites and
entices them but also teaches
them
in
a
method
suited
towards their sensibilities, can
help them understand art on a
fundamental level and tap into
their own creative potential.
During my excursion, I came
across a local troop of Brownie
Scouts about to embark on a
guided tour of the museum. I
overheard their troop leader
telling them that the point
of today’s journey was to see
the pretty pictures as more
than pretty pictures. And as
the bright sun shone upon
them through the windows
of the atrium, I realized they
were
about
to
encounter
that
amazing
moment
of
artistic
illumination,
the
same mysterious and magical
illumination that Lumin is
named after and attempts to
recreate. Although Lumin and
other AR technology like it still
require retooling before it can
become a truly intuitive and
educational tool, holding the
phone in my hand, I couldn’t
help but feel like a kid again.
‘Don’t touch the art,’ unless it’s on
your phone: Augmented reality
and the future of art education
ROBERT MANSUETTI
Daily Arts Writer
Courtesy of the DIA
COMMUNITY CULTURE NOTEBOOK
A lot of times in
a conservatory
environment,
electronically
produced music
is seen as inferior
to traditionally
composed music
This year’s PAT
showcase was one
of the best the
department has
ever had
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT