Exploring new kinds of relationships using generative music making software

Abstract

This project focuses upon the use of jam2jam a generative computer system to increase access to improvisation experiences for children and facilitate new kinds of relationships with artists. The network jamming system uses visual and audio cultural materials to enable communities to be expressive with artistic materials that they value as a community. As the system is part of a network performances can be shared between communities at great distances and recordings of performances can be uploaded to a digital social network (http://www.jam2jam.com/) and shared both locally and with the wider community. This paper examines a preliminary project where artwork made by Indigenous mental health clients in Far North Queensland was digitized and given to a group of 8-12 year old urban Indigenous children to ‘improvise’ with and make music/video clips using the jam2jam instrument. It seeks to generate a discussion and identify applications for the systems potential within creative arts led community health settings to facilitate new kinds of relationships with self, peers, local community, culture and artists through collaborative improvisation.