As the final class project for MAS.825J, we decided to create an installation that was related to the Media Lab's recent move from Building E15 into Building E14. In the lower atrium of E15, we had a Bosendorfer grand piano that could be heard in open spaces throughout the lab, and which was a major part of the sonic landscape of the lab. The Bosendorfer was left in E15 after the move, so we wanted to find a way that its spirit could still be conveyed in a new form in the new building. In Nocturne, the sound of someone playing the piano is analyzed and used to control an elegant visual display of glowing orbs. Timbral and musical features of the piano sound shape the patterns of light, reflecting the spirit of the Bosendorfer in another medium.
This project was a collaboration between all members of MAS.825J.
