ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Brian Smith is a musician and writer interested in exploring cultural practices, social forces, and technology through the medium of sound and musical performance. Praised for his feline-like grace as a percussionist, Brian delivers “committed and energetic” performances with a versatile repertoire that includes historical, contemporary, and experimental musical practices. His primary work as a contemporary percussionist incorporates many electro-acoustic and multimedia pieces. As a co-founder and member of the ensemble ScreenPlay, he pursues a deep interest in experimental musical practices and improvisation through audio-visual works that utilize animated notational schemes. Brian’s current “solo” project, Human+, combines his interest in technologically-mediated sonic arts with a fiendish advocacy for new works by living composers to develop a repertoire of duets for musical robotics and percussionist.
ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE PIECE: Human+
Human+ is a DIY artistic project inspired by my vision for producing musical works that coordinate the abilities of human and robotic performers. As computerized technology becomes an increasingly integral part of daily life in the 21st century — through “smart” gadgets, data collection, various forms of automation, the growing usage of drones, etc. — I’m interested in the prospect of creative works that reflect the technologically augmented experience of contemporary life. I like to think of this condition as “Human+”.