Tag: music

MediaScape Musings # 7 : Missing Piece

dsuart Leave a comment

Hello everyone!! As we approach the end of the semester, I wanted to take a moment to extend warm regards and share a unique collaborative endeavor that has been brewing in one of our classes, involving students from the PAT, Stamps, and Dance departments.

Titled “Missing Piece,” this project is more than just a performance; it combines live performance art, dance movements, and live piano interludes. What makes it truly special is the active involvement of our audience. We’ve extended an invitation for them to bring objects of personal significance, items that hold meaning and significance to them, and seamlessly incorporate these objects into the fabric of the performance itself.

As we eagerly await the culmination of this project, I can’t help but anticipate the final recorded performance. It promises to be a testament to the power of collective creativity and the magic that ensues when diverse talents intertwine to create something truly special.

Stay tuned for the final performance video, as it’s sure to encapsulate the essence of our collaborative efforts and the meaning behind “Missing Piece.”

S3 Scribble #6: Underneath

Sydney Braun Leave a comment

“There is no difference in what we’re doing in here,”

I’m in the home stretch of the semester. Lots of final papers, exams, and projects are coming up, but in the back of my mind, I know that there is a month of rest waiting for me once I complete them. I haven’t spent much time at home in the past year, and I’m looking forward to being able to have more than a few days at home for my upcoming winter break. 

“That doesn’t show up as bigger symptoms out there.”

Today, my mom bought Alanis Morissette tickets so we can go to her concert together this summer. Music has always been something that my mom and I have bonded over, and even though the concert is over six months away, I am very excited for it and grateful that my mom is as well. This inspired me to listen to Alanis Morissette on my walk to class today, and I was reminded of how her music makes me feel so understood. Right now, the song “Underneath” resonated with me because of its emphasis on the need to heal yourself before you are able to most effectively extend that healing outward.

“So why spend all our time dressing our bandages?”

This past year, I’ve learned something very important: in order to do my best externally, I have to feel good internally. This internal healing can happen through many activities: recharging alone, going on a run, spending time with friends, journaling, calling my loved ones, going to therapy, and more. For me, it’s been a combination of things, but as I gear up to finish the Fall 2023 semester, I feel great inside – I feel satisfied, hopeful, and capable. Of course, I occasionally feel doubt, anxiety, and unease. This is natural, and I now know that these feelings are not permanent and never are. As I keep working on myself and my inner mentality, I am confident that my strength, courage, and positivity will continue to see me through.

“When we’ve the ultimate key to the cause right here, our underneath.”

Listen to Underneath by Alanis Morissette here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVfz74FayzM

MediaScape Musings # 4 : PointAt

dsuart Leave a comment

Greetings, everyone! Today, I’m thrilled to share a sneak peek into an exciting work-in-progress team project from my PAT 515 class: PointAt.

In the evolving landscape of interactive experiences, PointAt is set to redefine the boundaries. This project seamlessly integrates cutting-edge technologies, including visual motion capture, movable hand installations, a dynamic visual eyeball projection, and immersive sound design.

Picture this: a visual eyeball projection that never wavers, meticulously tracking your every move with precision. Simultaneously, a movable hand installation dynamically points at you, forging an immediate and responsive connection. This unique amalgamation creates an immersive ambiance, inducing a subtle yet palpable sense of “pressure” for the user.

PointAt is not just an intersection of visual and auditory elements; it’s a journey into the unexplored realms of multisensory engagement. As a work-in-progress, we are pushing the conventional boundaries of interactive installations, redefining the very relationship between users and their interactive environments. Stay tuned as we delve deeper into this exploration and the final concept video!!

MediaScape Musings #3 : Rebirth

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In this week’s Collaborative Projects: Experiments in Interdisciplinary Installation and Performance course, our team embarked on a remarkable journey to create an impromptu installation performance at Duderstadt. Our creation, known as “Rebirth,” unfolded in a unique and unexpected setting.


Our creation, known as “Rebirth,” unfolded in a unique and unexpected setting. The elongated corridor of Duderstadt became our canvas, providing a space for contemplation and decision. As visitors approached our installation, they were met with a choice, symbolized by two distinct pathways. Our creation, known as “Rebirth,” unfolded in a unique and unexpected setting. The elongated corridor of Duderstadt became our canvas, providing a space for contemplation and decision. On one hand, participants could opt for a fresh start, a metaphorical rebirth. This path offered them a certificate of renewal, accompanied by the collective applause and praise of those around them. It was a moment of catharsis, a symbolic shedding of the old and embracing the new.

The essence of “Rebirth” lies in its whimsical and spontaneous nature. It’s about offering the Duderstadt community a lighthearted and bright interlude, a moment of joy and warmth. Just like the “Free Hug” campaigns that have traversed the globe, “Rebirth” was a reminder that happiness can be found in the most unexpected places and through the simplest choices.

As a team, we hope that “Rebirth” brought a smile to the faces of those who encountered it and encouraged them to consider the transformative power of the choices they make. In our world filled with deadlines, exams, and responsibilities, this installation performance was a brief but essential reminder that we hold the power to start anew at any moment, with just a simple decision.

S3 Scribble #1: Cloudbusting

Sydney Braun Leave a comment

“But every time it rains, you’re here in my head,”

I am thrilled to be back to blogging here after a semester abroad in Berlin and a work-filled summer, presenting Season Three of Song Scribbles! As I look back on my final post before leaving for Berlin, I notice how I don’t even remember feeling the anxiety I describe. This is a good lesson for me: nothing lasts forever, and, sometimes, that’s a good thing. My experience in Berlin was fantastic, and I miss being there a lot. That being said, it’s nice to be back in Ann Arbor with all of my friends as I finish out my final two semesters of college. I can’t believe it’s October already. My midterms are coming up quickly, and I am starting to feel burned out… Fall Break always comes at a good time! 

“Like the sun coming out,”

This week’s song is “Cloudbusting” by Kate Bush – a song I had on repeat this summer, and a song that always reminds me that everything is going to be okay. After a particularly stressful week, I appreciate this song even more than usual. Whether listening to it while driving or while walking across the Diag to class, It never fails to cheer me up and put me in a hopeful mood. It is the perfect song for me to use to kick off this new season of Song Scribbles!

“I just know that something good is gonna happen,”

I’m very excited for what the rest of my senior year will hold, and I am thrilled to be able to share it here through my Scribbles again. Regardless of the stress of midterms, I know I will make it through and thrive, just like I always do. With help from some great songs that keep me in touch with my emotions, I plan to embrace every feeling that comes my way. I never know what may be just around the corner.

“I don’t know when, but just saying it could even make it happen.”

Listen to Cloudbusting by Kate Bush here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WataeV4WsI4

Scribble #23: Little Earthquakes

Sydney Braun Leave a comment

“These little earthquakes,”

I’m out of isolation and yesterday marked the official end of classes for the Spring 2022 semester. I am fortunate that I am almost done with my finals, too, and I feel as if a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. With my COVID isolation came time for me to find joy in the quiet and to fall in love with some of the simple things in my life again – playing guitar, going on walks with no particular destination in mind, and finding peace in being alone.

“Here we go again…”

It also made me realize that the reality of moving home for the summer is coming up faster than I thought. Soon, my quiet, hobby-filled life will entirely take the place of my social one at college, and I don’t know what I’ll do for four months without my friends. Surely there will be video calls and brief visits, but it isn’t the same as being right down the hall from each other like we are in Ann Arbor. Coming back in the fall will be fun, but I know, as usual, it will take some getting used to. I just need to remember that I do get used to it – I love this city, and, more importantly, the people in it.

“Doesn’t take much to rip us into pieces…”

Things will change, and I will adapt, and things will change again, and I will adapt again. Leaving Ann Arbor is going to be hard. Thinking about leaving is hard enough. But for now, out of isolation, I am more than ready to make the most of the time I have left of the semester. 

“Give me life, give me pain, give me myself again.”

Listen to Little Earthquakes by Tori Amos here: https://youtu.be/DMGl52-QtBk