Mari Kimura: MUGIC

Mari Kimura is a violinist/composer and a leading figure in the field of interactive computer music. As a violinist, Mari is renowned for her mastery of subharmonics—the production of pitches that sound up to an octave below the violin’s lowest string—as well as for her dynamic performances as an improviser and her premieres of many notable compositions by today’s composers. She has received numerous awards and grants including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Fromm Commission Award, a residency at IRCAM, and a Composers Now creative residency at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.  In recognition of her ground-breaking work, Mari was named one of “Immigrants: Pride of America” by the Carnegie Corporation, published in the New York Times.   Mari’s works have been supported by numerous commissions and awards including: New York Foundation for the Arts, Arts International, New Music USA/Meet The Composer, International Computer Music Association, Music from Japan, Harvestworks, Japan Foundation, Argosy Foundation, Vilcek Foundation, and New York State Council on the Arts.  As an educator, Mari is the founding chair of Future Music Lab at the Atlantic Music Festival since 2013.  A graduate faculty at Juilliard since 1998, and she was appointed as a Full Professor of Music at “Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology” program (ICIT) at University of California, Irvine.  In September 2020, Mari released MUGIC™ commercially. MUGIC™ is now available at https://mugicmotion.com/

Kimura
MUGIC® (Music/User Gesture Interface Control) is a small, versatile and affordable prototype motion sensor that enables you to use your movements to control virtually anything via software (e.g., MAX MSP, Max for Live). This small electronic gadget has been used by musicians, dancers, artists, actors on stages around the world.
mari
MUGIC sensor
The MUGIC sensor can be used via USB cable or wirelessly through its own WiFi network. The controller sends data to a computer which will inform users of their movement on three axes (x, y, z), as well as the energy and steadiness of one’s gestures. The versatile nature of the MUGIC’s capabilities can allow its users to customize their creative work to a very personal and highly expressive level.

2022 Workshop

March 23, 10am: workshop for lab members


March 24: individual meetings with lab members


6pm: TaPIR lab 2021/22 project presentations

During the workshop Mari presented the main aspects of her research, which included the production of subharmonics on the violin, the role of the performer when working with new technologies and new compositions, and the development of the MUGIC motion sensor.

CONCERT

The concert consisted of works for violin and percussion utilizing MUGIC and other electronics. Lab members participated in the last piece, which consisted of an improvised work with a MUGIC inserted inside a dog toy.
2021 Workshop
Beginning in January of 2021, the TaPIR Lab held an online introductory workshop lead by violinist and technologist, Mari Kimura. During this session, Mari demonstrated the various ways the MUGIC has been used in the past, and aided lab members in their own experimentations and creations using the device. This culminated in a performance broadcast online on May 27, 2021.
MUGIC
Mari Kimura

Concert Broadcast

Individual Mugic Projects