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Margaret Guthman New Instrument Competition
The 2019 Margaret Guthman New Instrument Competition Finals will take place on Saturday, March 9th at 7:00 pm at Georgia Tech's Ferst Center for the Arts.
Admission is free, and open to the public.
A Legacy of Guthman - A Look at Previous Finalists
Rainboard – This isomorphic 61 button keyboard is configurable to the user’s specific sound wants.
Cracked Ray Tube – A realtime audio/video installation, performance, and hardware hacking/digital programming project.
GramFX - This augmented gramophone uses an open-air gesture to control the processing of acoustic and electronic sound.
XT Synth - This instrument is a mix of synthesizer, guitar, violin and midi controller.
Hyper Drumhead - This tabletop interface with a retro-projected multi-touch glass display computes sound waves in real-time.
MindBox Media Slot Machine - A vintage slot machine with an unexpected modern twist on the age-old tradition of canon composition.
Nomis – This instrument produces melodies and loops via light and gestures.
Lyharp – This instrument originates from a Guzheng with two pitched sections on each string that are tuned a half step apart.
Optron – This instrument combines LEDs and powerful electronics and can be played by simply moving it around, or strummed like a guitar.
Resistor Geltone – This instrument uses the capacitive quality of gelatin: a user can mix a set of colored instruments that jiggle when touched.
STIMULiERTE EMISSIONEN KLINGEN - This instrument's 2x2 meter frame holds 16 lasers targeted to 16 photo resistors, creating a two-dimensional grid of laser beams.
Tablix – This instrument explores technology’s impact on the untapped melodic potential of the tabla: a pair of drums central to Hindustani classical music.
Yaybahar - This acoustic instrument consists of a resonant membrane, changeable fretboards, capo neck system, and controllable spring vibration pedal system.
Georgia Tech's Margaret Guthman New Musical Instrument Competition is an annual event aimed at identifying the world's next generation of musical instruments. The competition invites musicians, inventors, and artists to exhibit original instruments. Competitors demonstrate their instruments in front of a panel of judges -- who are experts in the Music Technology field -- and then perform captivating music for a live crowd.
The competition showcases ground-breaking technological function and musical transformation. Previous Guthman entrants such as the OP-1, Roli Seaboard, and Mimu Gloves became mainstream music products after the competition. Other instruments are experimental and completely unique, like the Infinitone or the Adjustable Microtonal Guitar.
The Venue
The competition is hosted at the Ferst Center for the Arts, in the heart of Georgia Tech’s campus. Free Parking will be available in the W02 Student Center Parking Deck in Visitor Area 3, a short walk from the Ferst Center at Georgia Tech. The parking deck entrance is located on the driveway closest to the traffic light at the corner of Ferst Drive and Regents Drive/Means Street. After you park in the deck, exit the deck opposite from the street side, and then go right at the sidewalk, heading towards the Ferst Center at Georgia Tech, which will be on your left.
It's A Convention For Musical Inventors
While the competition is just that – a competition – for the participants, it’s also a convention. Contestants mingle with peers who have similar interests, and share ideas with other talented creators. Our semifinalists are often just as interested in learning more about the other instruments at the competition as we are! The finals begin at 7pm on March 9th, and are a classic concert format. Each finalist gets the opportunity to perform on stage, demoing their instrument to a live crowd and an online audience. It’s an experience not to be missed by music enthusiasts, technical hobbyists, or anyone else who is interested to see where technology is taking the music of tomorrow!
You're Invited to Watch the Preliminary Judging
The Margaret Guthman New Instrument Competition preliminary judging sessions are in-depth, TED Talk-style presentations, where the inventors get to both play their instrument and speak in detail about how it works. This year, we’re opening these sessions to the public. You can watch our contestants perform, and even ask them questions after the end of their presentation. Preliminary judging runs from 9:45am - 3:00pm on March 8th, and 9:45am - 12:00pm on March 9th.
