At 9:20 pm on Thursday, May 15 2008, a group of students gathered on the Carleton College Bald Spot to put on an improvisatory sound and light performance. Their instruments? Laptops. Using a Power Point program that contained seven slides, each with a different color and tone, they used their computers to create a soundscape that softly drifted away from the group. The music produced was atonal and calming, while the solid-colored slides of the power point presentation turned the performers’ faces different colors as they switched notes. The overall feel was one of community and reflection.
This piece started with an assignment to think critically about laptops, and to discover a new and compelling way to use them. Spectra: A Color Light Orchestra was an attempt to challenge the purposes and uses of laptops, as well as an attempt to bring a community together to create an instantaneous, improvised performance. The simplicity of the PowerPoint file, as well as the ubiquitous nature of Microsoft, meant that everyone, regardless of their operating system, computer age, or laptop choice, could participate in the project and enjoy themselves.
We chose to perform our piece on the Bald Spot because of its centrality. We created Spectra to encompass as many people as wanted to participate, and the large open space emphasized this and allowed us to be seen from many points on campus. While the specific location was not essential—we could have performed the piece at night in many other public spaces—the social presence and physical “space” of the laptops themselves were essential. Also, because of the ephemeral nature of an improvised performance, even with documentation the exact piece will never be performed again. New people may take the idea and implement it again and again, but the social community and the music and light patterns produced will always be slightly different.
With all that in mind, Spectra is easily implemented, thanks to a few easy steps. Download the PowerPoint file here, assemble a group with laptops at night, perform the piece, and enjoy! Visit spectra2008.blogspot.com for more details.
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