Softness, as defined by Annika Hansteen-Izora, is the practice of holding deep, slow, and intentional presence with the bodymind, and our collective bodyminds. This hybrid artist talk and hands-on demo explores how softness can be embodied in interaction and performance design, with a focus on gestural and physical sensors in instrument creation. Based on their MA thesis work, which is a paintbrush-instrument that translates the fluid gestures of Chinese calligraphy into a richly-textured spatial sonic landscape, the artist shares insights into intentional and innovative approaches to instrument design. Participants will be introduced to the creative use of physical computing, microcontrollers, and sensor technologies, and guided through a step-by-step process for imagining and building their own first musical instrument.

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​Learning Outcomes

• Understand how concepts like softness can be embodied in interaction and performance design.
• ​Gain familiarity with different types of gestural and physical sensors used in musical instrument creation.
• ​Learn how microcontrollers and physical computing can be applied to creative, performance-based contexts.
• ​Develop a step-by-step framework for prototyping their own experimental musical instrument.
• Practical skills to continue experimenting with sensor-based performance tools.

​Program

• Welcome & Introduction
• ​Artist Talk:
  • What is Radical Softness?
  • Chinese Calligraphy as Embodied Practice
  • Philosophies of Gesture, Flow, and Intentionality Deep Listening & Artistic Practice Gesture
• Based Instrument Design & Demo
• Physical Computing & First Steps in Instrument Design Brainstorm Activity
• Closing + Q&A

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​Instructor Bio

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SENAIDA is the visionary founder and resident DJ of WE ARE THE FUTURE!, a queer BIPOC collective, label and curated art party in NYC, where they seamlessly blend interdisciplinary collaboration with forward-thinking artistry. They are a graduate of NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music (BFA) and Interactive Media Arts Low Residency (MA) where they honed their ability to merge the worlds of sound, visual art and technology. SENAIDA’s genre-defying installations have garnered critical acclaim, supported by numerous grants and awards, reflecting their commitment to pushing the envelope of artistic expression.

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