2005: The Overtone Violin

The pursuit of novel interfaces for new music performance is a very interesting
angle from which to approach the design of a musical instrument, but without the
proper perspective the result can be hard to differentiate between a musically useful
device and a simple gadget. There is of course the typical industry approach of
building electronic instruments in the likeness of an existing (acoustic) instrument,
and while this can be useful, such imitation lacks the creative effort that can lead to
new innovations. However, ignoring the background and not building on an existing
tradition can be hazardous as well, as it can either be too far ahead of its time or end
up being merely a gimmick. Although the evolution of most acoustic instruments has
stagnated, there are recent examples of hybrid instruments (Bongers 1994; Burtner
1994; Machover 1992) that augment traditional instruments with additional gestural
capabilities. The Overtone Violin fits into this category.