Jam Station, an interactive project听created in ATLAS Professor Ellen Yi-Luen Do's , is one of several installations being displayed at Maker Made 2020.听The gallery show, which runs through March 30 at Boulder Library鈥檚 Canyon Gallery, displays "diverse and inspiring work produced by local makers," according to the library's website.听
Jam Station promotes musical improvisation, also known as "jamming,"听among those听who have difficulties听learning听to play听instruments, said听Pete Pascente, CTD master's student, who along with听 researchers听Torin Hopkins, ATLAS PhD student,听Wayne Seltzer, ATLAS technologist-in-residence听and听Kellie Masterson, developed the project.听Jamming is considered difficult even for experienced musicians, he said.听
"We wanted to allow people who know nothing about music to experience the joy of a jam - to collaborate and feel like they're part of a something a little bigger than themselves,"听 Pascente said. 听
The station听is a 7-by-4 feet听rectangular听PVC cuboid, whereby听four instruments crafted听from听everyday materials are situated so听that each听jam member faces a vertically oriented neopixel display.听 Embedded sensors in Jam Station's听instruments trigger听complex and colorful light displays as听collaboration between musicians improves, and these visual cues help听novice musicians improvise music together.
"The instruments are designed to not resemble what we normally think of as instruments, so they're more approachable," Pascente听said.
Initial survey results showed overall positive reactions to the experience, Seltzer said, with all six听self-described "nonmusicians" rating听their experience as "good."
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