Working on the Prana Musical Controller this quarter has been a very rewarding experience. While I think there are probably years worth of work, practice, and further development in this project, this quarter I have had the opportunity to begin the process of learning how to perform with my breath.
I remain very excited about this project for a few reasons. First, as a composer who used to very much enjoy performing, I am thrilled by the opportunity to make music in real-time. It's something that I've missed without even realizing how much I've missed it, and its been empowering to find my own instrument for expression.
Second, I really love that while the PMC is unique in many ways, it is based on something that is a fundamental shared experience between all humans, (and all animals as well). In reading about the practice of Pranayama, I was struck by one of B.K.S. Iyengar's comments about breath. He says, effectively, that breath is the one universal--he says that there are many people who can't see, who can't hear, who can't walk, and on and on. But without breath, there is no life. It is fascinating, to me, to explore this life-force in a musical context.
Third, I feel that the PMC has the potential to address the disconnect sometimes felt in digital instruments between the controller and sounds, because it is using the acoustic sound of the breath, and the physical motion of breathing in conjunction with one another to create the sound. The potential for disconnect in digital musical controllers is huge, and one of a few reasons why I haven't worked on one before. I am particularly excited, therefore, in the potential for this project going forward.
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