Ambient 101: Music for USB Ports

In this workshop, we'll compose a collaborative work of ambient music with some simple code and a little math, taking inspiration from Brian Eno's seminal 1978 album "Ambient 1: Music for Airports".

I ran this session at last year's camp, and while it was a ton of fun, this year's will be even better!!

Using a simple Tone.js web app I made, we'll take a hands-on approach to learning music theory concepts, and then use those concepts to create a musical system that composes itself. You won't need any prior music OR coding knowledge!

We'll also discuss the history of ambient and procedurally-composed music, exploring different techniques and frameworks for developing simple generative systems. You'll learn some math that can make this possible, including why certain number combinations can create beautiful and complex patterns.

By the end of the workshop, we'll have composed a collaborative work of ambient music and we'll "perform" it together via our laptop speakers! And if it's a big success, we can share it with the rest of camp at the performance showcase!!

Perfect for artists, designers, and developers who want to add simple soundscapes to their creative projects but don't know where to start.

All you need is a laptop with a web browser and a pair of headphones or earphones. Join us!