MECCA - The Music Education, Composition, Creation Application

ABSTRACT: A multitude of tools exist for creating and learning music: Theory trainers, DAWs (digital audio workstations), notation editors, and virtual instruments. Rarely though does one support all of these, and even more rarely was it designed with their coordination in mind. We are establishing a dichotomy between our tools that perpetuates an illusion that the expression of the craft and the processes of acquiring its related knowledge and skills are somehow disconnected, and removing the sense of exploration that is so essential for authentic performance. What if we were to design a set of unified tools emerging from this spark of awareness, that these combined features could be transformatively synergistic when implemented together, as a music editor optimized for both education and performance?

After establishing its roots as a humble Bash script for generating NES Chiptunes, the simple sequencer evolved into a multimedia learning platform, encouraging creative exploration through 8 and 16-bit pixel art, music and animation. Therefore it has been appropriately rebranded as GANGES, the Graphical Audio aNimation Game Engine Software. The application emphatically showcases the retro aesthetic while bringing it to the present through the use of SVG, a declarative art-as-data philosophy, the Web Audio API and the power of Clojurescript and re-frame.

BIO: Following a 2015 accident that disabled one of his hands, Bobby needed to reinvent both his career and mode of self-expression. As a music student, teacher and performer suddenly without the ability to use conventional instruments, he saw the tremendous potential of technology to make up for this by providing, as it always did, the tools for blazing and navigating the avenues of creative expression as well as productivity. Clojure has in many ways provided an ideal language for this, and its community is a huge source of encouragement. The amazing body of work these recent giants have built has made it not only possible but incredibly fun to carry out our artistic visions, and this goes for the actual technology itself as well as the surrounding ecosystem of docs, articles and forums. He is greatly honored to share this experience with the Clojure community.

7:00pm - Presentation