G u i t a r B o t a n a
for violin and GuitarBot

written and performed by Mari Kimura
GuitarBot created by Eric Singer
video production & editing by Liubo Borissov

Program notes (M. Kimura):
In GuitarBotana, in the tradition of "Paganiniana", I wanted to showcase the virtuosity of the GuitarBot along with its idiosyncratic musical ability. I find it exciting to be able to create music with new kinds of musical expressions evoked by a machine and to play and react differently than interacting with a human player. There is a mechanical presence on stage beside myself that moves, and I started to imagine GuitarBot as actually four individuals; I would come in for a rehearsal and ask, "So, how is Mr. TWO today?" (he is the most temperamental of the four). Although I know that GuitarBot is controlled by the interactive computer, this robot started to assume its own personality and definite presence in my musical psyche. The creative process of morphing the expressions of humans and the machines is artistically very inspiring to me.

GuitarBotana was commissioned by Harvestworks, funded by the generous grant from the New York State Council on the Arts.

LEMUR: GuitarBot LEMUR (League of Electronic Musical Urban Robots) is a Brooklyn-based group of artists and technologists developing robotic musical instruments. Founded in 2000 by musician and engineer Eric Singer, LEMUR's philosophy is to build robotic instruments that "play themselves." In LEMUR designs, the robots are the instruments. In designing GuitarBot, LEMUR's goal was to create an electrified slide guitar that was versatile, responsive, capable of fast and slow playing, easy to control, with high-quality sound, modular and portable. We also wanted to extend, not simply duplicate, the capabilities of a human guitarist. The final instrument consists of four independent single-stringed slide guitar units. The slide is controlled by a DC servo motor driving a pulley and belt that moves a sliding bridge. Positional feedback is accomplished by a potentiometer on the opposite (non-driving) pulley. The pick mechanism consists of four guitar picks mounted on a block that rotates on a shaft. The shaft is also belt and pulley driven by a DC servo motor. Pick position feedback is by means of a photosensor reading dark and light patterns on a wheel at the end of the shaft.

For further information, please visit LEMUR site at: www.lemurbots.org.

Special thanks to Nina Colosi of the Chelsea Art Museum where the GuitarBotana video was filmed.

© 2004 Mari Kimura

For additional information, booking or to request a DVD, please contact mkimura [at] juilliard.edu