Type: 9- Networked Ensembles ~ Connected Scores co-located performers are linked together in a network that is operational in binding these musicians to a central music concept. It focuses on the technological solutions for organising, sharing and distributing compositional materials for the enhancement of collective musicking.

About

Netronomia uses the Netronome, a networked metronome developed at UCSB by Ethan Cayko, to create a multi-city rhythmic work. It addresses the challenge of synchronising performers across different locations with varying latencies, making rhythmic accuracy difficult without adjustment. The Netronome facilitates calibration of timing relationships, enabling musicians to play together despite being physically apart. The Netronome introduces rhythmic offsets due to latency, resulting in performers experiencing different rhythmic versions of the same music. The Netronome challenges traditional notions of musical scores by materially structuring the temporal space between performers. Unlike traditional scores, it not only provides instructions for sound production but also regulates temporal relationships among performers. This feature could empower composers to craft desired rhythmic units and give musicians control over their performances, mitigating the impact of network latency on intentionality.

[Performance videos and composer’s documentation:] (https://ethancayko.com/netronomia)

Further details

Analysis (using the 7 modalities - LINK)

Interface Object

The music idea embedded in Netronomia is communicated through the visual and hearing sense crucially as a portal to the spatial sense of the network. The virtualized space of the network is the true host of the musical idea.

Material Affect

It is the virtual space generated by the network that is primarily responsible for the affectual connections. This space reaches out to the performers through the visual score and perceived heard interactions. The rhythmic patterns break down that physical distance into a set of close, musically-articulate relationships.

Goal

The goal of this digital score is to play the rhythmical score presented to each performer as accurately as possible while maintaining a sense of musical togetherness and trust. This is enhanced by the close relationships of the material affect and maintained by the clever calculations of latency and sub-division. This is truly a unique property of this digital score’s approach to networked music.

Content

The primary signals that convey meaning in Netronomia are the representations of virtualised rhythmic space as rotating visual graphics. This both offers concrete measurements and articulations of when to play ‘together’, and also freedom to make some harmonic decisions. A critical element is the dynamic movement of the large cog design which acts as a metaphor for the rhythmical connectivity of the network.

Language

The language of this digital score is both iconic and sensory. In the top corner is a list of standard notation notes, that define the harmonic territory for each musician, this changes over time and is distributed amongst the networked ensemble. The main language is the coloured cog at the centre which offers iconic measurements of time and when-to-play with a colour system that allows the other performers in the ensemble to have presence.

Feedback

Having ones trust in their own rhythmical accuracy confirmed by the synchronicity of others playing at the same time, or in syncopated patterns. The coherence of these patterns across the network and within shifting latency, is the core feedback for a performance.

Flow

Flow in Netronomia should be understood by the binding nature of this digital score of all performers into this virtualised network space. If they feel a sense of togetherness then they can start to flow with their music. The influence of the visual and aural elements is a critical factor here, but “following the score” accurately is not enough to deliver a solid performance. The musicians must tread on the tight-rope of blind faith and trust the algorythm is going to synchronise each performer into a pleasurable musical experience and sense of togetherness. Once this has been felt the true relationships in this musical idea can start to be formed.