Richard-C README!

Rhapsody Search by record label workaround.

Saturday September 12th, 2009 11:35:18 AM I just figured out how to search by record label on Rhapsody.com.

First, go to an album on Rhapsody that is released by the record label you want to search. Copy the exact wording of the label's name (for example "Folkways Records"). Then go use Google with a query that is formatted like the following example:

"Record Label Folkways Records" site:rhapsody.com

This brings up 412 results. If you get a message like the following...

In order to show you the most relevant results, we have omitted some entries very similar to the 67 already displayed.
If you like, you can repeat the search with the omitted results included.

... repeat the search for more results.

Also, you can show album artwork by enabling "Show Options" > "Images from Page".

You can also use this to search for other keywords.
I am thinking about wrapping this up into a into a small website that would be an alternative rhapsody search engine. Any thoughts?

Enjoy!

Machine Project Field Recording Workshop

Saturday April 25th, 2009 03:43:21 PM

Machine Project Field Recording Workshop

Instructor Clay Chaplin

What is field recording?

Phonography (.org)
	For example, recording a stream.

Lomax Recordings
	Lead Belly

Colan Turnbol (1957)
	Recordings in Rainforest

Music Concrete
	Pier Shafer - Symfony for one man
	early 1950's

Hugh LaCain
	A drip of water varied
	"short but sweat"

Glen Gould--"Idea of North"
	Field recording interview
	Train ride north (like photokoto)
	his editing choices are most important

Field Recording as being related to photography

Jen Boyd--field recordings of trees with contact microphone
	She had a piece at the San Francisco Electronic Music festival

Hydrophone
	Field Recording and its connection to science

"Sound Quilts"

Collecting

Noise Water Meat

Quality
	Sample rate
		CD 44.1K
		Film 48k

	Bit Depth
		16bit, 24bit

Human Hearing ~ 20hz - 20khz

Harmonics make up timbre

Recording chain
	General rule: "anywhere crap in, crap out"

	1. Microphone
		- diaphragm
		- how sensitive is it?
	2. Preamp
		- amplifies the microphone
	3. A/D converter 

	Levels--12 peak value
	Don't turn the headphones up all the way

the WULF

NES MIDI Interface

Monday August 18th, 2008 03:53:45 PM As a kid growing up, my favorite video games were multiplayer games. Having spent so much time playing them, it is no surprise that I still desire multiplayer experiences. This NES controller to MIDI converter is another exploration of the connections between sound/music and play/games. It is an interface for sonic collaboration and entertainment.

When used by one performer, the interaction takes on a whole new direction. The performer finds ways to use all the controllers at once. This can be done with the feet, elbows, palms, head, etc.

The controllers as instruments can be used to trigger anything from sonic explosions to calm meditation.

Two arpeggiated mbiras with kettle noises and door squeaks:

Improvisational duet with melodious second half:

Noisy upright bass and kitchen noises:

See Video (youtube)

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)

Wednesday July 30th, 2008 12:46:12 PM

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface, IPA: /ˈmɪdi/) is an industry-standard protocol that enables electronic musical instruments, computers, and other equipment to communicate, control, and synchronize with each other. MIDI allows computers, synthesizers, MIDI controllers, sound cards, samplers and drum machines to control one another, and to exchange system data.

MIDI does not transmit an audio signal or media — it transmits digital data "event messages" such as the pitch and intensity of musical notes to play, control signals for parameters such as volume, vibrato and panning, cues, and clock signals to set the tempo. As an electronic protocol, it is notable for its widespread adoption throughout the industry, and for continuing in use since its introduction in 1983 (Musical Instrument Digital Interface).

Most people know MIDI as the cheesy sounding music files that were popular in the early days of computers and the internet. Imagine a midi version of Christina Auguilera's "Genie In A Bottle" that suddenly loads and pollutes your sound space. Or maybe you have memories of downloading MIDI versions of your favorite video game tunes like the Super Mario World Overworld 2 song.

During the days of dial-up internet, MIDI files (.mid) were popular because of their small file size. The file simply contains a sort-of musical score that gets played by built in sounds on your computer, which are known as General MIDI sounds (GM). Now that most people use broadband internet, MIDI files are no longer popular, because people just download compressed audio formats such as MP3. The majority of people who download and listen to MIDI files do so for less pragmatic than nostalgic purposes.

Even though MIDI files are no longer popular for the consumption of music, they are still popular for the creation of music. Most music composition programs can import/export MIDI files. See Finale, Ableton Live, Pro Tools", and List of Scorewriters. MIDI files act as mediators between different software programs.

The MIDI file format is only one implementation of the MIDI communication protocol. If you take a look at just about any synthesizer, sequencer, drum machine, etc. created after 1983, you will find up to three MIDI ports (IN, OUT, THRU).

These ports allow communication with other electronic instruments. For example, a music studio could sync all their sequencers to a central computer. The play button on that computer could trigger all the other sequencers to start playing in unison. The stop button would stop them all.

The most popular use of the MIDI communication protocol is to use a MIDI controller to play an external sound module. This is like using a video game controller to control a video game system. The controller sends information that is interpreted by receiving device. Using a MIDI controller is almost essential for laptop musicians who need a way to control software synthesizers. The most common controllers are piano keyboards such as the M-AUDIO Oxygen 8. There are other kinds of midi controllers such as drum pad controllers for playing rhythms such as the Korg padKONTROL (released in 2006). On Korg's website, they describe this machine as

The all-new padKONTROL joins Korg’s expanding line-up of MIDI studio controllers. Adding another dimension beyond traditional keyboard control, the padKONTROL is the most expressive and versatile pad controller ever! (Korg padKONTROL)

Even though it is old, the MIDI protocol is still widely used and being developed for.

Most commercial MIDI controllers stay within the realm of keyboards, drum pads, and/or knob/slider boxes. With a few exceptions such as the Korg MS20, the most exciting MIDI interfaces are homemade or produced on a small scale. An advantage of building a homemade MIDI controller is that it can be designed to meet an exact requirement. Artist Laetitia Sonami, is a excellent example of an artist who has invented her own electronic instrument for performance. She calls it "Lady's Glove". It is made of "five microswitches, four Hall effect transducers, pressure pad, resistive strips and two ultrasonic receivers" and "a mercury switch on the top of the hand and an accelerometer which measures the speed of motion of the hand" (Lady's Glove). The video C74 Perspectives: Laetitia Sonami on Youtube shows her describing and performing the instrument.

(from MAKE: Blog: Alternate MIDI controllers)

In general, the interface that is used has a direct relationship to the creativity that is produced. This is a design issue. A generic all-purpose MIDI controller such as the M-AUDIO Oxygen 8 will not produce or incline the same creativity as for example Sonami's "Lady's Glove". Or take for example a piano compared to a trumpet. The main difference is that piano's sounds are created with only the hands, and the trumpet requires hands and blowing. Another difference is that the piano is polyphonic (multiple notes at a time), whereas the trumpet is monophonic (one note at time). Ironically, a MIDI controller that is designed for generic applications, will be less useful than a MIDI interface that is designed for a specific application. In other words, a MIDI instrument is better than a MIDI controller. Sonami successfully blends both interface and sound to create a unique musical instrument.

Before the popularization of the DIY craft scene, interfacing to MIDI required a great deal more engineering skills. Now, creating homemade MIDI instruments is more accessible than ever. Websites such as Instructables and Make Magazine provide introductory guides for beginners and inspiration for experienced inventors. One of the easiest ways to make a MIDI interface is to use a special device such as Lada Ada's MIDIsense. This circuit has MIDI ports and connections for hooking up sensors - simply connect some knobs, pressure sensors, switches, etc. to a MIDIsense and a new MIDI interface will be born. This however, is not an ideal solution, because a MIDIsense costs approximately $50. For creating multiple projects, this overhead is too steep. If one instead uses the Arduino platform, overhead can be cut down to a meager $13 by using the low-footprint Really Bare Bones Board Arduino clone by Modern Devices and a 5 PIN DIN Jack (All Electronics # DIN-5C). Sending MIDI messages out of an Arduino is simple and explained in an NYU ITP Article on MIDI Output.

The Arduino is the microcontroller of choice for the DIY and new media artist community. It is even being incorporated into the curriculum of many universities such as in the class Programming Media 2, which is taught by Casey Reas at UCLA's Design | Media Arts program. It is not the only microcontroller option, however.Youtube user "recotana" has demonstrated that it is possible to send MIDI with a tiny circuit the size of a thumbnail using a PIC microcontroller. The PIC platform remains too complex with the lack of an online community that is comparable to the Arduino community.

MIDI is a standard electronic musical protocol. The possibilities are endless. One could for example connect an old Palm V to a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) by using Mini Music's Spin Pad software, a Palm to MIDI cable and Wayfar's NES MIDI interface. Or one could make his/her own electronic instrument that controls sounds generated in custom software such as Max/Msp or Pure Data. Custom-made MIDI instruments are more expressive than generic MIDI controllers. MIDI instruments are more interesting for both the performer and the audience as seen through the work of Leatitia Sonami. The overhead for creating MIDI projects is cheap, the programming is not as complex as it used to be, and there is a supportive online community.

I hope I have shared my excitement and inspired you to create your own MIDI instruments.

Further Reading:

http://www.sonami.net/lady_glove2.htm (Sonami's "Lady's Glove")
http://tomscarff.tripod.com/index.htm ("old school" MIDI hardware designs)
http://www.arduino.cc/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1187962258/ (Arduino MIDI in schematic)
http://nagasm.suac.net/ASL/NIME03/index.html (Interesting research on sensors for instruments)
http://itp.nyu.edu/physcomp/Labs/MIDIOutput (Arduino MIDI output)
http://little-scale.blogspot.com/2007/06/arduino-midi-out-example.html (Another Arduino MIDI output)
http://www.ladyada.net/make/midisense/forcesensors.html (Force Sensors)
http://www.saxmusicplus.com/?p=126 (A article on MIDI Controllers)
http://www.ucapps.de/midibox_gallery.html (Gallery of devices made with the MIDIbox)
http://home.comcast.net/~ijfritz/sos_over.htm (Excellent homemade MIDI instruments)
http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&dfsp=32&catref=C6&from=R40&satitle=midi+controller&sacat=-1%26catref%3DC6&sargn=-1%26saslc%3D2&sadis=200&fpos=90024&sabfmts=1&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=&fsop=32%26fsoo%3D2&fgtp= (EBAY search for MIDI Controller)
http://createdigitalmusic.com/index.php?s=+midi+controller (Create Digital Music blog tag=midi controller)
http://www.dreamcastgallery.com/dc/gallery.asp?selected_otherkit_id=638 (MIDI to Sega Dreamcast)
http://wayfar.net/0xf00000_overview.php (MIDI to NES)
http://code.google.com/p/arduinoboy/ (MIDI to GAMEBOY)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIDI_Maze (Computer game that uses the MIDI protocol for multiplayer)
http://natrium42.com/w/images/thumb/d/dd/Midi-overview.jpg/400px-Midi-overview.jpg (Image of Nintendo DS to MIDI adaptor)
http://youtube.com/results?search_query=midi+controller&search_type=&aq=f (Youtube search for MIDI Controller)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZsF9DVKSnP0 (Although not MIDI, an interesting electronic controller)
http://reactable.iua.upf.edu/?related (Although not MIDI, an interesting instrument)
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/03/alternative_midi_controll.html (Make Magazine article on alternate MIDI controllers)
http://www.minimusic.com/spinpad.html (Palm MIDI software)
http://www.frankwillems.com/gig-rig/old_gig-rig9.html (Palm MIDI make)
http://petemoss.org/software/midihw.txt (Palm MIDI make two)
http://www.ittymidi.com/product_a0005.asp (Palm MIDI buy)

Comments = Creative Relationships

Thursday July 03rd, 2008 09:34:57 PM As you may or may not have noticed, I have been updating this site recently. There is more content on the Touch page, there is pagination on this ReadMe page, and now there are ReadMe Comments.

I am updating my site, because I want to reach more people. Ideally, there could be a community around this site similar to the little-scale blog or the website of Gijs Gieskes. I like how there is a relationship between their creativity and a community. For example, I check these sites often and track their progress, because I enjoy and learn from their projects. For these sites, it seems that the relationship with their followers could inspire them to be creative, which in turn inspires their followers to be creative.

I added comments, because I want people to go to my site. I want people to critique and question my work and ideas. I want to share what I know with people, and I want to learn from people. I want to form creative relationships.

On Innovation and Electronic Music

Sunday June 29th, 2008 08:21:39 AM I just spent the last three hours browsing the internet and trying to interface a joystick with Pure Data. I want to create a two-joystick software-based version of the joystick synth. Pure Data has been a frustrating program so far. First of all, there is hardly any documentation available on the web. The closest thing I found to an introduction were two video tutorials on youtube that were helpful, but still not enough to get me really started with PD. I keep leaning towards using MAX MSP because of the clean user interface and less steep learning curve. I am using PD-extended, and the HID joystick examples that it comes with do not work because there are missing objects.

I am evaluating the benefits of trying to learn a complicated software (Pure Data) versus using software with a higher level of abstraction. I could for example, just route the joystick data to Ableton Live and use a pre-made software synthesizer or sampler. These however have a completely different sound quality than the barebones sine/square wave oscillators of Pure Data. But is the use minimalist synthesis just a trend, a sort of intellectual masturbation?

I spend some time each day browsing the web and searching for new interesting videos and projects. Youtube is a good place to do this. While exploring these projects, I can't help but wonder what my and other people's motivations are. Some times I feel like the situation is a constant one-up competition to see who can do the most technically challenging feat. Other times I feel like each person thinks they are the next experimental music auteur - the next John Cage.

The phrase "the next" has a dialectical relationship to history or the past. It refers to a previous who is or will no longer be because the next will take its place. The next would not exist without the past, and the past would not exist without the next. What happens to the present when we are preoccupied by the past and future? Is it ignored?

Just because the earlier pioneers of electronic music used sine waves and square waves because that was all the had, does not mean that we still have to use them with our advanced technology with which any sound is possible. Innovation can draw from history, but it must be about the present, because the goal is, after all, to communicate with people - to share experience and ideas.

Joy Stick Synthesizer

Friday June 27th, 2008 10:43:28 AM At one point I was in a experimental trio with musicians Cynthia Payne and Leaf Tine. We would get together and play experimental music over Internet 2 with Stanford CCRMA and Rensselaer. Leaf's primary instruments were a circuit bent keyboard, amplified rocks, and a joystick synthesizer, which I was always envious of.

Since I am now acquainted with electronics, I created my own joystick synthesizer. It is a modified pc joystick with a built-in square wave oscillator and lowpass filter. It is an excellent sound source to use on its own or feed into effects. I have posted the schematic and parts list so that you can build your own (I take no responsibility for damage you cause to your speaker or yourself ... etc)!

Joy Stick Part List

Summer

Wednesday June 18th, 2008 09:21:54 PM It's summer. I am taking Linear Algebra at community college. It's a way to get my day started early and learn some fun matrices at the same time. I am working on several projects at the moment. The first is a square wave joystick synth based off of the instrument used by musician Leaf Tine. The next is a two player pair of midi NES controllers. Next is turning organ pedals to be a midi controller. A midi drum pad is in the works. Practicing classical piano everyday. Working on a secret new website in php. :)

Learning a musical instrument.

Thursday May 22nd, 2008 10:34:18 PM Playing the piano (or any other musical instrument) is like planting a seed. Each time you practice you add water and nutrients to the plant. You cannot tell if the plant is growing on a day to day basis. If you trust that your care is effective, however, and keep on showing it love everyday, you will start to notice slow growth, and overtime, you will notice significant changes that would surprise you.

Red List

Wednesday April 09th, 2008 08:19:59 PM

// Richard Caceres + friends
// DESMA21: COLOR S08
// 03/09/08
//
// Red List

- red branding:
Adobe
San Francisco 49ers
Cincinnati Reds
Cambell's Soup Cover
Netflix Envelopes
Nortenos
Chicago Bulls
Fast Food Signs
Last.fm
Coke-a-Cola

- red nations:
USA
Russia
China
Mexico
Tunisia
Spain
Denmark
Canada
Indonesia
England
Vietnam

- red schools
Harvard
Stanford
USC
North Eastern
Taft High School
MIT
Virginia Tech
Boston College
Cornell
University of Maryland

- red food:
jello
red wine
Charles Shaw
Apples
Cherries
Strawberries
Tomato soup
Tomatoes
Ketchup
Bruschetta
Steak
Lamb
Pepperoni
Red Peppers
Watermelon
Pomegranate
Paprika

- Red Sex:
red light bulbs
virginity
lipstick
blush
red leather
red thong
Spanking Red
Tongue
Hearts
Valentine
red nail polish

- red stories:
Little Red Riding Hood
Elmo
Superman
Spider Man
Red Rum
Red Planet
Reds
The Red Scare
Red Faction
Red River
The Hunt For Red October
Mario
Pokemon Red

- red nature:
Birth
Red Sea
Black Widow
Red Parrot
Red Roses
Red Ant
Sun
Mars
Aids
Blood
Red Rocket
Redwood tree
Sun
Fire

- red structure:
red bricks
255 0 0
FF0000
Swiss Army Knife
Red Parking
Stop Sign
Red Street Light
Red Blood Cells
Golden Gate Bridge
Laser
Red Hat Linux

- red music:
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Kylie Minogue
Right Audio Channel
UB 40 (Red Red Wine)
Red House (played by Jimi Hendrix)
Red Garland
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Red House Painters
Bloodhound Gang
Red Nightmare (by King Crimson)

- red youtube channels:
Ladii Red
Big ol' Red Bear
Red777photo
red5retailchris
Red Stripe appreciation society
Red Eyeshadow Girl Productions
Red Hot Heaven - Nine Inch Nails
red8701
Red Pikachu Productions
Red-Monster Films
Red Pill or Blue Pill?

Camera Sequencer 1

Friday February 01st, 2008 11:10:11 PM
This camera sequencer was made by Gijs Gieskes (see :http://gieskes.nl/). He is one my favorite new media artists and one my inspirations. I also wouldn't mind owning one of his gameboy bricks.

Another one of my inspirations is Toshio Iwai. He is most famous for creating the Nintendo DS game Electroplankton and also for his interactive musical installations (see :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgifXO0z7Us).

Merry Christmas?

Tuesday December 25th, 2007 10:11:37 PM Happy Holidays? I love you? More than ever, I am overwhelmed and confused by the holiday season. First, I am astonished by the gift buying frenzy. Does anyone know an essay or study that can help me understand this phenomena? Second, I am a dissatisfied with the motives for family gathering during the holiday season. Specifically, I am tired of using Christmas as an excuse for gathering with family and friends. Saying "Merry Christmas" has become an empty slogan that my mouth and air produce. It is a scapegoat excuse for sharing experience. ... Now that I think about it, "Merry Christmas" is simply a disguised version of "I love you." Why not just stop protecting ourselves and go all the way and say "I love you." If the I love you seems redundant, then you are already doing things right. Love, Richard

Hello, Three-Dimensions!

Thursday November 01st, 2007 06:48:44 PM

I finally made my first three-dimensional images. I used an open source software called Art of Illusions, which can be found here. After doing the built in tutorial that walked me through making an hour-glass, I feel comfortable in 3-d software. It's actually easier to use than I thought it was.

Here are some more 3d images:

strip.gif
blah.gif
hourglass3.jpg
hourglass.jpg

DESMA101 - Media Arts; Lecture Reflection #1

Monday October 22nd, 2007 09:50:15 AM

// Author: Richard Caceres
// Reflection: Meeting 1 (Sept 28) Confronting Media with Media
// Keywords: Heartfield, Found Footage, Situationism, Scratch, Patch, ostranenie

The first lecture began with an introduction by the professor about what he has been and is interested in. According to the department’s website, professor Erkki Huhtamo is a media archeologist . Starting in the 1970’s, his original interest was in film. He watched more than one film a day for several years, but he eventually got bored of movies, and started investigating new other uses of the media. He discovered experimental film, which got him interested in media arts, which led him to become a curator for small and large exhibitions. From what I know so far, his interests also include writing, video games, and teaching.

“What is (are) the Media Arts?” is the question that introduced us to the course material. “Media Arts”, plural, is not a great label, but it is better than “Media Art”, singular. Other commonly used names are “digital art”, “information art”, and “new media”. The word “new” is also not a good descriptive word because it inherently gets outdated. Historians do not like the word new.

There are generally two classifications of media arts: exclusive media arts are art that use media technology as a tool to investigate the media itself – media about media, AND inclusive media arts are art that use media/technology for almost any creative purpose such as, personal, critical, poetic, abstract, formalistic, e.g. Of course, can have elements of each of these categories. In reality, very frew works are explicity focused on the media itself.

There are innovations that cannot be classified as media arts or media design. An example we saw in class is the game “Electroplankton” for the Nintendo DS, which blurs the boundaries of media art and video games.

Media innovation like “Electroplankton” reflect what Raymond Williams , “a Welsh academic, novelist and critic” envisioned for technology. He believed that technologies future is not predetermined, and he believed in the potential of technology.

The next thing discussed in lecture was the idea of televisual communication, which is distant communication through images. Before the television was invented, people dreamed about this possibility. Artists depicted a crystal ball that gave the viewers a view of a distant scene or even a tool to for “video chatting”. Some people believe that television never reached its full potential, because it is strictly a one-way medium. An interesting but somewhat unclear point that was brought up is that television is agricultural in that sense that broadcasting is an agricultural term. The example is to think of throwing seeds, and CULTURE is derived from the word agriCULTURE.

Part of the artistic process is working against these simple forms of communications, which could be described as discommendation. The mismatch or maluse of these organized technological and social systems is an interesting realm for exploration.

This method of making things strange is called ostranenie . This is described to us as art hat creates personal communication systems that often refuse to disclose their “codes” to outsiders posing as hermetic universes or riddles to be (un)solved. An artist notoriously famous for this philosophy is Marcel Duchamp .

The Dadaist cultural movement also shared this sentiment. Works such as Kurt Switters’ ursonate poems, which were composed entirely of rhythmic vocables, attacked the idea of what was rationally thought of to be a poem.

The ending portion of our first lecture was spent viewing media arts from the early 20th century to the 1980’s. These works included Pablo Picasso’s Bottle of Vieux news paper collage from 1913, Yves Klein’s use of the newspaper as an art medium in 1960, and Nam Jun Piek naked cello player Charlotte.

John Heartfield is an artist who used the political photomontage as a media art. He did not want his work to be shown in galleries because he wanted his work to be shown in the mass media – he wanted to talk back to the media. He also would send useless gifts to soldiers on the battlefront such as teabags.

The works of video labeled “Scratch Video” (named after turntable scratching), were shown to us. This technique developed, because video was recently invented, which allowed artists to finally appropriate what was on the television and remix the content. The videos we watched in class were for the most part political. For example, one video made a mockery of the Queen and royal family of England.

http://dma.ucla.edu/people/faculty.php?ID=9

http://electroplankton.nintendods.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Williams

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostranenie

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcel_Duchamp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dadaist

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Schwitters

Los Angeles First Impressions

Monday September 17th, 2007 07:40:50 PM Los Angeles, the name of an X album, (see wikipedia), is also the name of the city that I am spending my days and nights in. Specifically, I am in this place called Westwood, which according to my housemate Felix, who I have immediately been making quite a bit of music with, has a demographic of ninety percent students. As for the entire LA, right now, the main feeling I am getting is best represented by this video:

In words, Los Angeles is all about extremes - pushing things to their fullest limit and watching them break. Take for example, the wealth in the Beverly Hills. It seems like people believe that status is represented by their appearence, which is accomplished by struggling to buy clothe, cars, plasitic surgery, etc. These things are obtained by working, which is also believed to represent status. What I see is a struggle to fill gaps in their lives (see the ideas of Morris Berman).

Being exposed to this dilemma is nice because it shows what not to do and the places to not look for meaning. I am reminded of a phrase that I overheard an aquantence say one day at Pizza My Heart in Santa Cruz. Talking with his friend after just grabbing a half eaten slice of pizza out of the garbage, I heard him ask her, "Rich in money, or rich in friends?". ... I would rather be rich in friends.

Back to the idea of extremes however, an interesting way to evaluate choices is to imagine them to their fullest extent. It's like an all or nothing attitude - if something were to be realized to its full potential, is it worth it? or is it just another need to fill some gap in your life. What is the most important thing to invest your energy in to? Do you want to work work work work work work work so you can afford a car that drives you to work and a bed that you rest on in between work, or would you rather work as little as possible and live as much as your life as possible. See the philophosy of Henry David Thereau and John Acquatro.

More extreme. :-)

computers

Thursday September 13th, 2007 01:42:09 AM Today was my third to last day here at my parents house before I venture off to live in a two bedroom apartment with four strangers in Los Angeles. I had planned to spend this last week in Santa Cruz, but I ended up not going because I kept waking up at about noon everyday and then had to work for several hours and by the end of the day it was too late to leave - the bottom line is I did not make it Santa Cruz one last time before I move to Los Angeles.

Like I mentioned above, I have been waking up at about noon everyday. I have spent my days simply since my friend Ronny has already left for school, and I can never bring myself to hang out with other farther away friends. For the past week all my days have been as follows: Wake up around noon, get on computer and work for several hours, play some piano (mainly the tune Deep Purple and Bach Two Part Inventions numbers one and two), and then eat meals with my parents, and play around with my apple laptop and also my salvaged linux laptop. Today I succeeded in getting a pci wifi card to work on the laptop which has Fedora Core 6. In the process I learned what Linux RPM's are (wikipedia) and how to go about installing these installation packages off the web. In order to make my D-Link G650 card work on the laptop, I had to install a package called MadWifi (http://madwifi.org/). The instructions I used can be found here. My aunts ex-husband found this laptop abandoned somewhere and he brought it home. Broken, it found its way to me. It is an older HP laptop with about Seven-hundred megahertz. The harddrive was busted and there was no power adapter. To fix it I used a hard drive that was in a broken firewire enclosure that I got for free from a garage sale, and for the power adapter, I bought a generic one off ebay for about twenty dollars including shipping. Oh and the wifi adapter I got off craigslist a few years ago for ten dollars for an older laptop that was also given to me.

Anyway, the reason I post all these details is to hopefully get some people excited or inspired about salvaging yesterday's technology. Usually the free stuff such as linux has a steeper learning curve, but it is really satisfying to get something working for free.

Just for the record, there are six computers in my room right now - two green imacs, one purple imac, one hp desktop, one hp (linux) laptop, and my trusty apple laptop.

Another attempt at making meaning out of the "goo of childhood"

Thursday July 26th, 2007 04:01:25 PM I actually filmed this video with my friend Ronny Kerr. We were playing one of our favorite SNES games called "Contra 3 - The Alien Wars". We wanted to film ourselves beating the game in hard mode, but we did really bad once we turned the camera on. Here is the description that we put on youtube:

Ronny is challenged to beat Level 5 in Contra 3 in hard mode without using a continue. Meanwhile, Richard's older brother's drunken friends talk in the background of the video.

How to circuit bend a NES

Sunday July 22nd, 2007 07:11:01 PM

I try to resist posting every cool video I find on the web, but this one is relevant to my previous posts.

Here's another video of a someone playing Dr. Mario on their circuit bent NES. I like how he still plays even when the machine is glitching out. I also really like the music, because its an awesome original chiptune.

I don't think this is the freshest stuff that's happening these days, but I do think its a good way for our generation to make meaning out of the "goo of childhood"(1).

(1). This is a phrase coined by my friend John Acquatro aka Goodbye the Band, see http://www.goodbyetheband.com/

I'm going to UCLA next year

Sunday July 22nd, 2007 04:01:00 PM For whomever it may concern, I am transferring from UC Santa Cruz to UCLA for next year. Why? I have concluded that the main reason is curiosity. I already know what is offered at UC Santa Cruz and in the city of Santa Cruz. I am curious what opportunities are waiting for me in LA. My housing situation is still not final, but I seems like I am going to be living off campus in an apartment with another Design | Media Arts student.

8-bit art continued

Monday June 25th, 2007 04:59:28 PM Here is a trailer for a documentary about 8-bit art and culture. I have not seen this film, but the trailer is interesting. Their website is, http://www.8bitmovie.com/.

8-bit music scene

Saturday June 23rd, 2007 02:06:57 PM I have been discovering 8-bit music and "Chiptunes" (music made for the sounds on specific microchips) on the web. There is a musical style, visual aesthetic, and consistent mentality to the whole thing. Also, artists' interests appear to be generational. What I mean is, it seems like the older you are, the older the systems you use to make music. People are making music with the video game systems they spent their childhood on. Right now the scene is dominated by Commodore 64, NES, and Gameboy music, but I wouldn't be surprised if newer systems are soon used by the younger generations. Here are some links:

http://www.littlesounddj.com/lsd/ - Turn a GameBoy into a musical instrument (Rom $40 + Blank Cartridge $89 = $130).
http://www.wayfar.net/index.php - Turn a NES into a midi controllable synth an responsive glitch video machine (Cartridge with midi cable $98).
http://qotile.net/synth.html - Turn an old Atari 2600 into a synthesizer (Cartridge $25).
http://music.headlessbarbie.com/ - An album released on a NES cartridge!
http://www.8bitpeoples.com/ - A hub for some fine and free 8-bit music
http://www.micromusic.net/ - Another hub for free chiptunes. Notice the aesthetic too.
http://personal.inet.fi/taide/junttila/desert/engani/linklinklink.htm - A ton of similar links for further research.
http://www.chiptune.com/ - Finally, this site takes the cake! There is a ton of free music to download, and design of the site is fucking awesome! They say it is "Based on the @Amiga Workbench 1.3" (needs Firefox). This site embodies the connection between the chiptune scence and the demo scene. Maybe I'll do a post on the demo scene later.

I'll post more links as I find them. Talk to you soon.

Summer Summer

Thursday June 21st, 2007 08:01:31 PM Summer. I'm in summer now. I am taking summer school at the community college here in my home town. I was expecting to have a light school day in the morning and then go on with the rest of my summer day, but I quickly found out that my classes are really demanding. After a two year hiatus from math, I am finally taking Calculus. In high school I never really liked math, but now after becoming interested in computer programming, mathematics seem practical and empowering. I have been slammed with 3-4 hours of Calculus homework everyday. It feels good!

My second class is Drawing 001. It is a three hour studio immediately after Calculus. The teacher is a young Japanese woman who got her BFA and MFA here in the US. She has a hard time speaking english fluently, so she teaches us by example. Each day when we get to class, she'll take attendance and then set up an drawing pad for herself and demonstrate a technique that we will focus on for the day. She doesn't explain many details, and she sort of just lets us free to work on the exercise for while until she demonstrates a new technique. Today, we worked on three different exercises:

Gesture Drawing: in this exercise, we used a large newsprint pad (a cheap sketchpad) and our HB pencil (the only pencil we have used our first week). The idea behind this exercise is to make very fast rough sketches that capture the overall shapes of the objects on the pedestal. The instructor set a timer which limited us to two minutes per sketch. After the time was up we had to move to someone else's drawing horse and start a new sketch. We did this twenty times. I don't think there is any noticeable improvements in my drawing technique after this exercise, but I do think my perception of shapes has improved.
Blind Drawing: In this exercise, we used the same materials and object models (a root beer bottle, a jug, a couple styrofoam rectangles, and some misc. metal parts). This time, we were required to spend 5 minutes drawing the objects while never looking at our paper or lifting our pencils. Keeping the pencil on the paper makes it easier to maintain a mental picture of our mechanical movements that make a drawing. The whole exercise turned out messy, but I like how these sketches turned out. Sometimes objects emerged with clones of themselves to their sides or right on top of them. Other times, an object's shape was outlined so many times that the object became an ambiguous blob with charachature-like qualities. Most of all, the sketches are accidently abstract representations of the objects in reality.
Other Hand Drawing: The name explains itself. Draw the objects with your other hand. You can look at the paper, and take as much time as you want... This enjoyed this exercise. It's not that much different from brushing your teeth with the hand your don't normally use. After about five minutes of drawing I even forgot I was using an unfamiliar hand, and in the end my drawing turned out just as good or maybe even better than a drawing with my regular drawing hand (left).

These exercises are fun and they return some interesting (dare I say) art as a result. I recommend giving them a try next time you a hungry for some new creativity.

And to end things on an unrelated note, Ronny have been playing Quasi songs. ... Also, thanks for reading!

In the Library

Monday June 04th, 2007 11:19:18 AM I'm in the UC Santa Cruz Science and engineering library procrastinating to do a revision of a paper that was due five days ago and have to turn in 1.25 hours. I find it really hard to do work these days. This could be because it is the end of the year and I am burnt out, but I suspect it has to do with the fact that most of my energy is being used by me constantly thinking about whether or not I should go to UCLA next year. I got accepted to their Design | Media Arts program, and now I am having to decide whether I want to leave Santa Cruz. A lot of people speak poorly of the UCSC. They say "it's not a real school", and "it's not engaged with the world". Many other people are suggesting that I go to UCLA, because it's more ambitious, prestigious, and will let me get a better job. People also say that it is more engaged with the world. I don't agree with the negative view of UCSC, but I do agree with some of the positive UCLA comments. Right now, however, I really want nothing to do with design. I have this very negative outlook on it right now. And even though they do teach creative programing at the UCLA D | MA program, they do not teach as in depth as an official Computer Science degree does. I am usually more impressed by the things that computer scientists do. I by no means want to become a dry systems programmer, but I also don't want to misplace my attention in only aesthetics. ... this is on my mind these days.

Brad Mehldau

Wednesday May 02nd, 2007 11:25:35 AM Waiting for Brad Mehldau, a god, to perform at the Kuumbwa jazz center. Solo piano, raw artistic performance - an expression of the past and preset, and a discovery of the future. Jazz. How many people respect this art form? The ultimate musical act; a step above composition, this is spontaneous composition. Extemporaneous stimulation of or connection to the listener's senses. A direct manipulation of many people's feelings, although the artists intentions will not be equally interpretted.

This place is filled with other musicians. There are people talking about Brad's playing and even their own playing. Is my my pianistic mission generic? Am I working towards something worked towards all the time, but never accomplished. Only a dream like a kid who dreams to play basketball for the NBA. Is this possible or do we have predefined fates, places or trajectories we are born into, things we have to do in order to survive. Or maybe it's possible to derail, set yourself off course.

bad practicing

Wednesday May 02nd, 2007 11:17:55 AM I stepped out of the music center after about three hours of practice, which were productive, but tapered of into un-concentrated, non-musical ranting on the then lifeless piano. I am trying to make every day of practice more productive than the last day. That is one of my goals. When someone has bad day of practice, their instrument even begins to sound terrible in itself. The wood's resonance stumbles to your ears and pushes your ear drums in a way that is uncomfortable and annoying. It becomes difficult to concentrate and slow things down, and the most productive thing to do is to either force yourself to play something slowly and mechanically, or to just stop playing until your brain cools down.

snooze intervals

Friday April 06th, 2007 09:32:25 AM I got to bed at around 10:30 PM last night, which is considerably earlier than my usual 12:30 AM. When my alarm went off at 7:00 AM, I already felt I had enough sleep, but I did not find a reason to pull myself out of my comfortable sleep. My clock then continued to make noise in 10 minute snooze intervals until at about 9:06 AM when I decided that I needed to get out of bed because it was dangerously close to class time. Last night I had signed up for a class which would fulfill my final G.E. requirement, the "Q", which stands for quantitative. I was originally going to take a calculus class that I was actually excited for, and it would have also worked towards the computer science major. However, the jazz combo I am in conflicts with the times of all the appropriate math classes, so instead, I am taking, "Overview of the Universe" and staying in the jazz combo.

the computer is depriving me of real life

Monday March 05th, 2007 12:35:10 AM The following is a journal type entry so please excuse the poor writing.

there is so much complexness in every detail about everyday it is funny to try to recall and focus on every aspect. there is enough to keep the outer layer of the mind and thought processes occupied. I have been realizing lately that it is possible to employ inner layers of thought to perform active thinking - create programs for my mind. For example, I can image that I am playing piano or bass, and actually practice the instrument in my head. For example, I can recite chord progressions in my head, or transpositions, or voicings, all in my head while waiting for the bus. It is a very literal image for me to image myself putting a cap on the meaningless chit-chat in my brain, and invoke this more productive use of this computer in my body.

I have also been thinking about the body a lot. I have been fascinated by simple sensations such as touch and sight, and then I have also been fascinated by superficial emotions such as lust, and I have decided that lust is animalistic, and civilized human beings do more productive things with their times. If this sounds scary to you, then I am scared too, because what am I becoming?

I am addicted to the computer, and it is depriving me of my life. It is separating me from reality and experiences that are passing me by, such as, friends, family, nature, ... youth.

Writing 2

Wednesday January 31st, 2007 11:43:36 PM So I'm taking my second writing course at UCSC now. It is exciting because the professor, Don Rothman, encourages us to think of writing like any other creative art form. We have this great book called "Writing with Style - Conversations on the art of writing" (link). I think its a really useful book, because it demystifies the techniques and subtleties involved in writing effectively. There is an emphasis on the relationship/conversation between the writer and reader. In the first chapter, Trimble declares:

The big breakthrough for the novice writer, then, will occur at the moment he begins to comprehend the social implications of what he's doing. Far from writing in a vacuum, he is conversing, in a very real sense, with another human being, just as I am conversing right now with you, even though that person - like you - may be hours, days, or even years away in time. This breakthrough parallels an infant's dawning realization that a world exists beyond himself.

It is important to think of the reader every time you write, every time you have a conversation, and even anytime you do any creative act.

Is every creative act a social process?

another post about the internet

Wednesday January 17th, 2007 01:54:20 PM today i wake up with a slightly different view on the internet. it is like the initial infatuation has worn off and i can now view it for what it is worth - or rather discern how useful this network of information and interconnectedness is to the individual, to relationships, to communities, and even to political civilizations.

my rhythm

Saturday January 13th, 2007 03:00:51 AM it's 2:56 am now on saturday morning but really friday night and i have been working on my rhythm for a while now - playing bongos, bass, mbira, piano, guitar, walking, but what is still required is a conscious effort - to become awake, conscientious, rational, and empathetic as often as possible - to pull oneself out of their routine thinking patterns a realize what is immediately available for expansion and growth - to remember to relax and listen to the people you are having a conversation with and work together to create a beautiful process and result.

I'm awake reallly late...

Thursday January 11th, 2007 03:31:16 AM Let's see if I can wake up for school!

2007, The Year of the Robot

Monday January 01st, 2007 12:23:36 PM 2007, The Year of the Robot - I have this crazy idea that next this will be true. This year was the "web 2.0" explosion. Technology should progress as quick or quicker than it did in 2007. Maybe this year will be the year of the PDA - I have seen some amazing little internet computers in the stores. ... one thing that's better than 2006 is that it seems like I'm recording music again these days. ... even if 2007 doesn't turn out to be The Year of the Robot for the world, it will be The Year of the Robot for me - my struggle against not becoming a robot, and finding ways to have technology compliment the natural world, but not supersede it.

sometimes I can't control my laughter

Thursday December 14th, 2006 10:59:07 PM there was a point today when i discovered that vanilla had a good amount of the functionality that space collective needs and that the work that Josh had accomplished, though a good amount for one person, could not compete with the opensource community that comprised of vanilla. i looked over to my side and saw Josh working steady on his program, and the comparison of the two in my head made me burst into uncontrollable laughter - almost insane laughter. laughter like a crazy person whose thoughts got stuck in a crack, and slipped through a one-way tunnel between the planks of wood that serve as the foundation for my conscious thoughts. astounded and entertained by this archetypal individual toil; enlightened.

programming languages

Thursday December 14th, 2006 01:57:17 AM Here are some programming languages I either know really well, kind of know, am learning right now, or would like to know.

Flash Actionscript 2.0, 3.0, PHP, MYSQL, HTML, CSS, JAVASCRIPT, Java, C, C++, Applescript, Processing, Palm Pilot Programming, Cell Phone Programming.

Although this list is vague, I think it gives a rough idea of what I'm up to.

I'm at home.

Saturday December 09th, 2006 10:35:16 PM I'm home in San Bruno now for one day, and I'm leaving for Los Angeles tomorrow morning. I'll be there for a week.
I spent some time with my brother listening to music. First he showed me some of his sound design projects he's been doing at San Francisco state. As an assignment he recorded foley and did sound design for two short films.
I then played him the new James Rabbit album, "COLOSSUSES" - I also played it for my dad on the ride home from Santa Cruz. I really have been listening to it non-stop.

Today I became temporarily obsessed with Palm Pilots and spent several hours trying to get my old one to work, because I discovered that it's possible to use one as a musical instrument and midi sequencer/controller. I think it's kind of an ideal software sequencer device, because the interface is a touchscreen - very easy to program quickly. Check out some of the software. This company sells a converter that converts the hotsync cable to be a midi output cable.

just a little story

Sunday December 03rd, 2006 08:50:11 PM The man in front of me just took a hit of his inhaler. His hair looks like he showered today but his beard isn't long enough to be intentionally unshaved. His hooded sweatshirt is black and his shirt is brown. he bobs around like he's trying go stay awake and he rubs his entire hand on his face in one downward stroke of relief. now he holds the pole, pulls himself up, waits for people to leave, and walks right out the bus.

ichat av

Saturday November 25th, 2006 09:53:36 PM ichat av!

insecurity

Saturday October 21st, 2006 08:23:09 PM It is perhaps insecurity that is involved when an individual or an institution formulates its perspective solely upon factors over which it feels it has gained (and can maintain) control. In the arts, new vistas continually inspire the creative mind to continually remain in expansive mode and motion, while those who have limited their creative arena to only those concepts sanctioned by a single individual, institution or academy must work to remain within their pseudo-protective social bubble and avoid certain aspects of the unknown to maintain temporary hegemony and delusional security. Dwelling within the domain of blind insolence indefinitely sometimes result in gross retardation or suffocation of the imagination and potential progress. - Karlton Hester (jazz professor at UCSC)

applications on my dock

Monday October 16th, 2006 10:09:31 AM

Mail
iCal
Address Book
iPhoto
Adobe Photoshop CS2
Linotype Font Explorer
Netscape
Safari
FireFox
NetNewsWire Lite
Last.fm
iTunes
Quicktime
iMovie HD
iDvd
Dvd Player
Cubase LE
Ableton Live
SubEthaEdit
Flash 8
Cyberduck
Text Edit
Processing 0118
Microsoft Word
Audio MIDI Setup
Terminal
iChat
Toast Titanium
Chicken of the VCN

on preserving the physical

Sunday October 15th, 2006 10:59:05 PM One of the main reasons I'm concerned with converting material and experiential things to their digital form is because I feel that there is an urgent need to do so, other wise the things that can't be digitized are going become outgrown or even extinct. For example, physical photographs/negatives have been superseded by their digital counterparts. In the extreme case, I want to document nature, because pretty soon, nature will be digital or intangible, abstract, intellectual (all antonyms of physical).

when you're feeling blue

Sunday October 15th, 2006 01:29:57 AM When I feel down, sometimes I want to buy something, like a record for example. But, there's a more satisfying solution to my blues - I get rid of some of my stuff by selling it on craigslist.

Very often, usually after social gatherings, I feel very blue, and wonder why I suck. Then on the way home, I come to the conclusion that it's because I own too much stuff which keeps me too occupied and allots me no time to be social. Ultimately, I end up getting rid of one thing, but still end up having a million other things. It seems like my solution was also only a temporary fix. fuck.

Cycles in Music.

Wednesday October 11th, 2006 08:44:46 PM

In Jazz Theory class we are learning about something called John Coltrane's Matrix. Drawn by John Colrane himself, the chart shows a way that he viewed the interconnections between all the keys/chords. Check out an image of it.

I found this entry on wikipedia that contains some similar, but not as in depth information. I also found a link to this pdf that presents some of the cycles that can be found in harmony. It's worth a look if you are into music theory at all.

Nutritional Yeast!

Wednesday October 11th, 2006 01:11:20 PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutritional_yeast

Check this out. It turned my brain back on! and they have it at my favorite dining hall - Porter College.

Sitting here thinking.

Sunday October 08th, 2006 11:00:50 PM

It's been a quiet night, but I think I can hear my housemate Dylan in his room singing and playing guitar.

Sometimes I want nothing to do with digital media. Sometimes I really don't want anything to do with anything.

I'm going to start applying to other schools soon, even though I still haven't really decided if I want to stay in Santa Cruz or not. I do know that I would like to be in a more rigorous school. I'm going to apply to UCLA for sure. Some other options: Parsons, mit?

Who knows... if I stay at UCSC I'll probably do an independent Digital Media Major, and then maybe a music minor too. ... I need to find a place or department thats not so passive.

My Classes (updated)

Wednesday October 04th, 2006 09:20:27 AM

1.) Worlds of Music (refreshing)
2.) Intro to Programming (reinforcing)
3.) Precalculus (trite)
4.) Jazz Theory (intense but meaningful)

So I've thrown away my social life now... well I didn't have much of one before, so I guess I'm just filling up empty space.

I cut my hair

Monday October 02nd, 2006 11:18:06 PM I cut my hair again tonight. I have been cutting own hair for about two years now. I don't even have to use a mirror anymore - I just feel it out. These past few days though, I have been feeling more awkward than ever, and I realized it was my hair. It had grown wierdly poofy since the last time I cut it, and it had been making me feel uncomfortable all the time. I cut it now to a short managable length and once again feel balanced and content.

My Classes

Saturday September 30th, 2006 11:09:23 AM 1.) Worlds of Music (refreshing)
2.) Intro to Programming (reinforcing)
3.) Precalculus (trite)

working.

Wednesday September 27th, 2006 08:49:18 PM i_am_working_on_an_online_video_editing_program_thats_made_with_flash_for_a_professors_project_and_i_cant_figure_out_how_ to_make_the_video_player_read_the_totalTime_of_some_video_files_that_arent_properly_ encoded_why_dont_they_teach_this_in_school_i_want_to_leave_i_am_using_school_like_ a_search_engine_finding_what_i_need_-_you_are_what_you_find_-_but_ what_i_am_doing_sometimes_feels_hollow_and_there_are_several_parts_of_me_that_want_to_ stop_doing_what_im_doing_because_life_is_short_and_i_should_really_just_ do_what_i_want_and_screw_things_that_im_forced_to_do_and_ go_study_piano_and_computers_because_its_possible_to_do_both_ because_anything_is_possible.

anotherfuckenpost

Wednesday September 27th, 2006 02:54:34 PM my_head_feels_empty_like_when_I_stopped_occupying_myself_with_things_ I_no_longer_think_are_important_or_necessary_my_brain_is_idle_not_thinking_resorting_back_ to_its_instinctual_ways_waiting_to_be_fed_and_turned_back_on_put_into_use.

Show_was_tonight

Tuesday September 26th, 2006 11:36:36 PM The_show/party_was_excellent!

Show_Tonight

Tuesday September 26th, 2006 02:20:28 PM There_is_a_show_at_the_house_I_live_in_tonight._Jamie_and_I_are_the_houseband_and_will_provide_aural_entertainment_inbetween_sets.

New Blog Entry.

Sunday September 24th, 2006 This is the first entry into my new blog. I am no longer using Wordpress. Intead, I created a simple blog from scratch with php and mysql... I still have to figure out how to do comments ... and I also have to transfer my old posts.

Jamie and I are making servers, widgets, screen savers, music, noise, and more!

I'm ready to make some more music!

September 5th, 2006 After a large hiatus after the completion my album the Stars, I have come to a state where I am now ready to make my next album which will include, piano, upright bass, samples, lo-fi goodies, possible singing, guitars, keyboards, drum programming, composition, and whatever else seems right. !