The system intended as well to retain the focus on the performance keeping gestures centralized into the habitual practice of the acoustic instrument, reducing the potential use of external devices as foot pedals, faders or knobs. Taking a reduced approach, the technology chosen to prototype HASGS was developed in order to serve the aesthetic intention of some of the pieces being written for it, avoiding the overload of solutions that could bring artefacts and superficial use of the augmentation processes which sometimes occur on augmented instruments prototyped for improvisational intentionality. Traditional music instruments and digital technology, including new interfaces for music expression, are able to influence and interact mutually creating Augmented Performance environments. The new repertoire written by erudite composers and sound artists is contributing then for a system intended to survive in the proliferation of so much new instruments and interfaces for musical expression. The outcomes of the experience suggest as well that certain forms of continuous multi parametric mappings are beneficial to create new pieces of music, sound materials and performative environments.
This research is supported by National Funds through FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology. Fulbright has been associated with this project supporting the research residency at University of California Santa Barbara.