I was a MA/MST student at Stanford's Center for Computer Research in Music and Accoustics.
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This week every project course has something due on the same day (today). I was feeling a bit of despair over this until I sat down and looked at what we were actually doing: - Sonify some datasets - Build a prototype music controller - Write some networked music software These are things that I've wanted to try doing anyway! I do wish I had a bit more time though. Yesterday Max Matthews, the "Father of Computer Music", let me play his radio baton. It was a lot of fun. Basically it consists of two batons tuned to different frequencies and large capacitive antennas layed out in a specific configuration that act as sensors, giving accurate X and Y positions and a somewhat less fine-grained Z-direction reading for each baton. Max built an entire system around this which allows you to use it to control various aspects of a musical piece - tempo, dynamics, timbres, etc. It was a lot of fun, and it was also fun talking with Max and seeing how he interacted with the system he had created. A score file has to be written out for each piece that is to be performed. When I asked Max if it was difficult or burdensome to do this he said "If you love the music, it's a pleasure." I think that's applicable to what the other students and I are doing here in general. Work that could be odious in other contexts becomes a pleasure through the love of music. Max also sent me the manual for the radio baton's conductor program and suggested I write a piece for it. I will try to do that when I get some time.