From the Body with the Body: Performing with a Genome-Based Musical Instrument

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: In this paper we present Silico, a new Digital Musical Instrument which ideally represents theperformer itself. This instrument is composed by two parts: an interface (a sensor glove), which relies on the movementsof the performer’s hand, and a computational engine (a set of patches developed in Max 7), which generates sound eventsbased on the genomic data of the performer.OBJECTIVES: We want to propose a new reflection on the relation between the body and musical instruments. Moreover,we aim to investigate the voluntary and involuntary aspects of our body, intended as a starting point for a musicalperformance. As a metaphor of these two layers, we used here the hand and the genome of the performer.METHODS: We have investigated our objectives through the whole design process of a Digital Musical Instrument, usinga practice-based approach.RESULTS: Our system is a multilayered composed instrument which maps its computational part and its interface on theperformer’s body. Silico can be used as a standalone musical instrument to generate music in real time.CONCLUSION: Our works shows a new path about the use of genomic data in a musical way, as a new perspective ofhuman-computer interaction in a performative contexts.

Keywords

• human genome
• interaction design
• digital musical instrument