“We are not passive organism’s we are constantly in creation.” – Music and Altered States, Aldridge p.11.

The Jam-Cam Experiment

Live Performance

The Live performance for the Jam-Cam Experiment took place on Friday 20th January 2012, at the University of Wales, Newport. It involved live remixing of The Jam-Cam Experiment samples, taken from the many different Jam-Cams which took place over the previous months.

The live remixing was performed by myself, Nat Higgins and the talented Marcus Williams.

The live performance included a interactive section in which the audience were invited on stage to play with the midi keyboards which were being used to trigger samples and effect samples.

Although the live remix was perform primarily by 2 people in fact the piece involved 20+ people, who had taken part in live Skype, Jam-Cam’s and also audience members who came on the stage and took part.

There was also an audio-visual element to the performance which involved a video compiled of clips from many different Jam-Cam’s & interviews carried out with Jam-Camers in which signs were held up to their webcam describing their Jam-Cam Experience. This video helped to explain to audience members who may have been unaware, of exactly where these sounds they were hearing had originated from. It also helped to show the globalisation of this project.

Below is the audio-visual video used during the live performance with the audio from the live performance & a HD video taken during the live performance.

Audio-Visual Performance Video

Live Performance Video HD

The Jam-Cam Experiment Remixed

The Jam-Cam Experiment is progressing wonderfully. We have now held nearly 50 Jams over Skype including a jam between the UK and America.

We have now created a Jam-Cam Sample pack which can be download for free here.

And we have had many amazing Jam-Cam remixes sent back to us which you can check out using the Sound Cloud player below:

Jam-Cam Remix’s by thejamcam

If you would like to take part in Remixing the Jam-Cam then all you have to do is download the desired samples from the pack, remix to your hearts content and send us a copy so we can share with the rest of the Jam-Cammers: thejamcam@live.co.uk

The Jam-Cam final performance, including a video of previous jam-cams and all that have taken part and a remix of all the samples, will be taking place of Friday 20th January at The University of Wales, Newport (City Campus).

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The Jam-Cam Experiment

I am currently working on a new project called The Jam-Cam, its aim is to bring people together using the internet and music.

All of those who take part will be creating a performance that was made by many people all over the world through the internet!
The Jam-Cam Experiment so far:

How it works:

1. We meet people on Skype for a Jam. No musical experience or instruments are required!

2. We will then record the outcome of our jam session.

3. Using the recording we made from our jam and recordings we have collect from other jams to create a performance.

4. All people who take part in The Jam-Cam Experiment will be invited along to watch the performance or if you can’t make it in person you will be able to stream the performance live on-line.

Additional: We will send you the recording out your jam and if you would like to create something from the Jam be it an image, drawing, recording etc we will then use this in the performance.

 

To take part add us on Skype: thejamcam

“Anyone can make music” – Anonymous

The Jam-Cam Experiment

Since starting CSM i have become increasingly interested in how music can bring people from all walks of life together, particularly in this day and age. And how much people love to play music weather they class themselves as ‘musicians’ or not.

I found it interesting whilst experimenting with the ‘Pinball instrument’ i designed last year how if you hand a person a conventional instrument E.g a Guitar they are likely to not want to play it particularly if they do not class themselves as a ‘musician’. However put a ‘game’ in front of them E.g a pinball machine with some bells which make different tones etc and hey presto their having fun making music and they didn’t even know it!

Due to our western society we are led to believe that there are those that can play music and those that listen. However i believe that anyone can be a musician and this is something that i want to work with!

So my new idea is ‘The Jamcam’ a place where people can meet and ‘Jam’, they dont have to be musicians, they dont have to have a conventional instrument all they need is a object to make some noise with and your away!

My experiments using Skype went better then i expected. The sound quality was higher then i had thought it would be. However i did experience some technical difficulties such as:

• When more then 1 instrument is playing in 1 room the sound does seem to cut out sometimes particularly if loud.
•  When more then 4 people join a convo and video is enabled Skype crashes. However when video is disabled more then 4 people can hold a audio convo.

It was particularly interesting how i and others noticed how the lack of video automatically changed your relationship with the experience. Made you focus upon the audio more rather then what you are seeing. Perhaps this is better? However the video does give the feeling of being ‘closer’ together and does enhance that feeling of all being in 1 room.

This is something that definitely needs some more development and research. I need to look into different platforms that this could possibly be held in which are more suitable. I am interested in perhaps creating a musical game which could be played over The Jamcam.