Integrating mobile music with percussion performance practice

This paper describes a series of musical works designed to integrate mobile computer instruments into a percussion ensemble performance practice. The works were motivated by the author's desire to introduce computer music elements to non-programmer members of the percussion group Ensemble Evolution. Each of the works used simple setups with Apple iOS devices in order to facilitate rehearsals and increase the performers' engagement with the computer elements of the works. This artistic research considers the performance practices that are enabled and demanded when complementing acoustic percussion instruments with mobile music devices. The first two works, 3p3p and Nordlig Vinter used computer music elements composed in Pure Data running on iPhones using RjDj in the context of semi-composed works for percussion. The third work, Snow Music was a collaboratively developed improvised work using percussion and a native iOS app developed with libpd. An ethnographic analysis of the preparation and performance of the three works shows a development in the role of mobile devices in the performances and the emergence of performance practices using both natural interactions and control of generative processes.