Composing the digital rainstick
David A. Birchfield · 2004
This paper describes work on a composed instrument, the digital rainstick. The instrument is an acoustic rainstick that is augmented by five sensors that send real time performance data to the computer. A generative mechanism creates sound outputs that extend the sonic and expressive means of the rainstick, while collaborating with the performer to generate a compelling musical form that unfolds over the duration of the piece. The design and implementation of the hardware and software tools are first described, followed by a discussion of the results of this work.