Urban Musical Instrument
While waiting for the train at Herald Square I noticed a new sign posted. Not being the usual track maitenance sign, I took a closer look and found it to be a plaque prompting you to look up at...
....a musical installation. What looks like a heating system is actually a collection of twelve motion sensors, about 1 foot apart. When it detects a hand waving, it activates a sound. Depending on how many people are activating the sensors at once, will determine how much musicality the installation produces. The sounds vary from instruments to nature noises. As I was playing with this and testing the different sounds, some other passengers waved their hands. The result was a burst of music. According to the placard, if riders across the passenger are activating their subway instrument, it will interact with yours.
I love this! Bridging the divide between a common city scape, i.e. a subway station, and music. Not only music, but allowing the user to interact with the music being made not only with themselves, but with other New Yorkers around them.
Before long, two other riders came to play the instrument with me. For a moment, we were brought together as an ensemble. Then we became strangers again.
I love this city!
....a musical installation. What looks like a heating system is actually a collection of twelve motion sensors, about 1 foot apart. When it detects a hand waving, it activates a sound. Depending on how many people are activating the sensors at once, will determine how much musicality the installation produces. The sounds vary from instruments to nature noises. As I was playing with this and testing the different sounds, some other passengers waved their hands. The result was a burst of music. According to the placard, if riders across the passenger are activating their subway instrument, it will interact with yours.
I love this! Bridging the divide between a common city scape, i.e. a subway station, and music. Not only music, but allowing the user to interact with the music being made not only with themselves, but with other New Yorkers around them.
Before long, two other riders came to play the instrument with me. For a moment, we were brought together as an ensemble. Then we became strangers again.
I love this city!
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