Video credit: Jimmy Day

Photo credit: Caroline Alden

Photo credit: Caroline Alden

Left to right: Jordan Rudess and Camilla Bäckman. Photo credit: Caroline Alden

Photo credit: Caroline Alden

Left to right: Lancelot Blanchard, Perry Naseck, Madhav Lavakare, and Brian Mayton. Photo credit: Caroline Alden

Left to right: Lancelot Blanchard, Camilla Bäckman, Perry Naseck, Jordan Rudess, and Joe Paradiso. Photo credit: Caroline Alden

Jordan and the jam_bot

MIT Media Lab, 2024

musical futures visualization system, custom pan-tilt fixtures, AI-augmented musical instrument

Performance

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I collaborated with keyboardist technologist Jordan Rudess and Lancelot Blanchard to constructively bring AI to the live stage. We developed a performance system for Jordan to play along with and manifest the AI onstage. Jordan, often accompanied by violinist and vocalist Camilla Bäckman, improvised with the AI to demonstrate this new creative tool.

I conceptualized, planned, and developed the system for visually bridging the gap between the audience and the AI. I built the kinetic sculpture to provide the AI with a physical form, allowing it to naturally express what it plans to play. I worked with Madhav Lavakare to implement an abstract model for point movement that gives the AI the ability to dance across moving pieces. The infinite-pan and tilt fixtures, capable of both subtle and rapid movement, were developed in collaboration with Brian Mayton.

Special thanks to Jordan Rudess, Lancelot Blanchard, Camilla Bäckman, Madhav Lavakare, Brian Mayton, Carlo Mandolini, Danielle Rudess, Lydia Brosnahan, Jimmy Day, and Joe Paradiso.

This project was made possible by the MIT Presidential Exploration of Generative AI Grant and the MIT Center for Art, Science & Technology visiting artist program.