Research at Rome's Centro Ricerche Musicali on Interactive and Adaptive Installations and on Augmented Instruments

Abstract

Abstract Established in 1988 by composers Laura Bianchini and Michelangelo Lupone, the Centro Ricerche Musicali (CRM) in Rome was officially recognized in 1990 as a Music Research Center by the Ministry for University Education and Scientific and Technological Research. The Center focuses on musical production in relation to new technologies, in order to create a continual interaction among musical language, scientific thought, and technological resources. The staff at CRM, comprising musicians, technicians, visual artists, architects, information technology specialists, engineers, and researchers, aim to promote study of the aesthetic, analytical, and scientific aspects of music. In the beginning, research at CRM concerned the design and development of specific hardware devices for live electronics and composition, such as the Fly10 (1983–1985) and Fly30 (1990) systems. Subsequent studies on a physical model for the bow-and-string system in 1997 gave rise to the development of virtual musical instruments. From 1999 onwards, other areas of research have included interactivity and adaptivity applied to musical forms, the development of specific technologies for sound art installations and sculptural–musical works, and augmented instruments such as the Feed-Drum, SkinAct, WindBack, and ResoFlute. This article presents a brief history of CRM and some artistic productions by composers working at the Center.