V3.02 Northwest CyberArtist Newsletter March 1995

1 The Northwest CyberArtist March Meeting: Monday, March 6th 7:30pm THE ART INSTITUTE OF SEATTLE room 608 2323 elliot avenue Our March Guest: Greg Roach New Feature: The Monthly Events Calendar March, 1995 Volume Three, Number Two Steve Turnidge, editor Resource Group Monday, March 13, 6:00 PM c/o Jason Osgood Phone: 206-784-9416 at Jason Osgood’s house 9208 Dayton Avenue North, Seattle (See page 4 for more information) Vision Statement Group Sunday, March 19, 2:00 PM (and General Food Session) c/o Jason Osgood at Jason Osgood’s house 9208 Dayton Avenue North, Seattle (See page 4 for more information) Open Studio Monday, March 15, 7:30 PM c/o Bret Battey 805 Warren Ave N. #5 Seattle, WA 98109 Phone: 206-281-8639 email: bret@eskimo.com The Open Studio is a monthly forum for artists and technologists to present and discuss their work or the work of other artists. We will be meeting at Symbionics in The Western Building, 619 Western Avenue, Seattle. (1 block north of the intersection of Yesler and Western in Pioneer Square, west side of the street. Go up the stairs to second floor and through the rolling fire door left of the landing. Symbionics is the door to the right of the large, colorful painting of a woman.) Available equipment: • 2 VHS decks • 27” video monitor • Cassette player (with dolby C) • DAT player (44.1/48) • Roland JD-800 Keyboard • Korg Wavestation (rack) • 16x2 audio mix channels • Basic signal processors • 040 Macintosh, 14” monitor • Digidesign: SoundTools and ProTools • T1 internet line and web browser If you need to bring additional equipment to present your work, please call Bret Battey at least one week in advance of the meeting to verify that the studio can accommodate your equipment.You can bring work unannounced to the Open Studio; however, we don’t know how many people will be interested in this, so we cannot guarantee that there will be enough time to cover everyone who wants to present. People who have contacted Bret ahead of time will have priority. Bridge Group Thursday, March 9, at 7:30 PM c/o Auriana Marici 7683 SE 27th, #258 Mercer Island, WA 98040 phone: 820-9454 fax: 820-2410 The Bridge Group is focused on developpin performance opportunities and public relations. We will be meeting in Kirkland. Please call Auriana Marici for location and directions. Note that some commerical opportunities are available, so we are looking for people ready to help make these things happen. In particular, we have an opportunity to participate in some TV programming: we need people with interest and ability in TV filming and editing, children’s programmiing and/or in presenting technology to children and parents in a way that reveals its creative potential and makes it seem less intimidating. The Bridge Group is also exploring further development of a visual identity for Northwest CyberArtists. Please contact Auriana Marici if you would like to participate in this effort with ideas or graphic design. We are also developing a resource file of artists and skills available in the Northwees CyberArts membership. Please submit descriptions, flyers, and documentattio of your work or skill set to Auriana. If you have group activities or performannce you would like to have appear in this listing, please contact Steve Turnidge (contact information is on page 2).The Northwest CyberArtist 2 and the Texaco station. It used to be called “Seattle Espresso Company”. They charge $1.50 for 15 minutes, they have a post office for people to set up emaai accounts, and currently have 9600 baud access. I believe there will be more locations offering Internet service. This is a great trend — giving many of our members the ability to go somewhher to participate in the day to day workings of the group! The baud rate is fine for checking mail, and connections made through mail can lead to better Internet access options. When Edward Galore, our listserv facilitator, understood the challenges for some to get online, he had an idea: Maybe those of us CyberArtists with access should make an effort to help those who don’t have access obtain it. It occurs to me that through surplus sales stores such as the one at the UW, we could procure really inexpensive, outmoode hardware, clean the stuff up, load some public domain communications’ software onto it, and give it away to those members who need it. It is common for places like the UW or Boeing surplus to sell old Mac SEs or 286s by the pallet full (read 10-20 computers and monitoors for $100-$300. Hell, certain places would probably give the stuff away. We might even be able to make special arrangeement with a local net service proviide for starving CyberArtists. My point in all this being that it does not cost much to get a 2400bps modem and hardware and a connection. It wouldn’t be pretty and WWW would be out of the question, but at least people could be connected. As Steve, said, it would be beneficial to have more CyberArtists connected. Maybe some of us could help make that happen. If anyone is interested in actually pursuing this, please contact me. I occasionnall have good ideas, but I am almoos totally lacking in drive and would appreciate someone with motivation to help me pursue this. Edward M. Galore, (206)543-5925 galore@cac.washington.edu. This is an important step, quite in keeping with our group’s “future shock absorber” function. (Remember, Edwaar doesn’t have computers to fur-Editor’s Steve Turnidge Corn er Vol. 3/No. 2 March 1995 10802 47th Avenue West Mukilteo, WA 98275-5098 Voice: (206)355-6000 Fax: (206)347-7757 The Northwest CyberArtist ISSN 1068-9850 Corporate Sponsorship Provided By: The Northwest CyberArtist is free for those who ask to be added to the mailing list. The Northwest CyberArtist is published monthly by Northwest CyberArtists. First class postage paid at Seattle, WA Behind the Scenes for This Issue: Bret Battey & Garrett Cobar, Layout and Design Internet: bret@eskimo.com Steve Turnidge Editor and Host CompuServe: 72250,3205 Internet: steve@rane.win.net Bob Moses Production Manager Internet: bobmoses@pan.com John Beezer, On-Line Czar Internet: bisquik@eskimo.com nish, but seeks collaboration in helpiin this idea become a reality.) See you all on the sixth! There is a lot of activity going on with Northwest CyberArtists these days. People are highly motivated with the accurate belief that the time is right for getting together and doing things. There is increased participation in meetings and international interest is being shown in our group. One of the main benefits our group provides is a resource for collaboration in varied artistic fields. Our main meetings happen once a month, and these are great opportunities to meet collaborators. One big catch is the physical one. You have to be there at that time and place. Sometimes this is just not possible. For most it’s not possibble considering we have over 500 on our mailing list and we rarely get over 100 at the meetings. But that’s okay. There are different ways for us to communiicate Some, through the newsletteer Others, through the online mailing list (also known as the listserv). (A listserv is an e-mail address that, when you send an e-mail message to it, rebroaddcast that message to all the subscriiber on the list.) I am beginning to strongly recommeen that anyone desiring a serious participatory role in our group sign up for the CyberArtists listserv. This is the most horizontal method of organizatiion allowing “everyone” to attend planning meetings and contribute to evolutionary trends. One of the benefits of the listserv is one doesn’t have to use it at a particular time and place. However, participation on the listserv also has a catch: you do have to have an e-mail account. Many of our members do not have e-mail accounts. There are ways around this. For instaance there is a new Internet Cafe in town. It is on Capitol hill at 15th and Mercer, next door to the Canterbury Inn and across the street from Capon’sThe Northwest CyberArtist 4Sharing Resources /Sharing a Vision Jason Osgood Last month, Jason described the Vision Statement and Resource groups. This month, he provides some additional thoughts on how these activities can provide you with a chance to help shape the future of Northwest CyberArts. The Vision Statement The Vision Statement Meeting is an opportunity for the CyberArtists to put in ink what we think we are. It’ll also help the group focus on future activities, such as sponsoring new performances, expanding the newsletter, etc. But the main purpose of the Vision Meeting, truth be told, is to give CyberArtists the opporttunit to get together, share ideas, eat food, collaborate and inspire each other. The “New Organization” I’ve solicited quite a bit of feedback about the proposal of organizing task groups. So perhaps it’s appropriate to present here what I originally proposed at the Resource Group. By no means is this task group stuff set in stone. My hope is to provide food for thought, have people think about it and then offer their feedback. The synergy of us all working together will yield a new form that will satisfy all of our needs. The short description of a task group, either focus group or special project, is one or more persons willing to take on the responsibility of performing some tasks (eg. publish the newsletter, host a studio group, manage the Web site). To help reduce the burden of performing the tasks, each group is encouraged to define their own Vision Statement, goals, action plan and make status reports back to the whole group. The Vision Statemeen is the guide, the goals are the desiire the action plan is how to get where you want to be and the status reports serves like an invitation for others to come and participate. The only difference between focus groups and special projects is the nature of the goals; focus groups have ongoing goals (eg. publish the newsletter on a monthly basis) and special projects have end goals (eg. organize the next group performance). I had two guiding thoughts when I proposed this structure at the Resource Group meeting. The first “principle” is to have little or no hierarchy or command chain. In the spirit of a learning organization that will continuously adapt, each group will have to determine if it’s goals are in alignment with the Vision and Ethics Statements of the NWCA. Each group is also solely responsible for it’s own activities. Though it is hoped that through regular status reports and healthy communications, the group will have the resources of the entiir NWCA to call upon. The second, a goal, and to me the most important, is to provide the means for artists to perform their art. At the Januaar meeting, about 1/3rd of those attenndin were looking for some way to perform or show their art. In the same room, there’s another 1/3rd of the people who are eager and willing to help in those tasks. Many expressed the desire to collaborate with others. If we can bring these two groups of people together, let the synergy happen and the sparks fly, we’ll all be the beneficiaries. The function a task group serves is to help people achieve their goals by focusiin on the objective and giving people the opportunity to do what they do best. Artists can do their art and not be distraccted “Worker bees” like me can help by taking care of all those pesky tasks like photocopying , finding a performaanc space, and promoting an event. Everyone involved gets the reward of seeing their work bare fruit. Like the motto of the old Fido BBS package, with task groups you get “more more and less less”. Hopefully, my proposal, and the subseqquen additions and modifications made by others, will prove useful to the NWCA. I believe it fits nicely with most everyone’s beliefs of being self-motivatinng working cooperatively and sharing the responsibility. Of course, time will tell. And at the very least, our attempts to create the organization of the future will be educational, giving us the chance to learn what is realistic and how to make future improvements. It’s noteworthy that a group, The Field, already exists, is very popular and is much like the vision I have for the CyberArtists. Though I still have to folllo through in getting the details, The Field has been explained to me as being an artists cooperative. Everyone pitches in to help make the art happen. Those who help, are in turned helped by those who’ve been helped. In my mind, this is the true form of wealth building in our present, information based knowledge society. It’s exciting for me to know that others have tried what we are setting out to do — and have been successful. Who Is “Jason Osgood”? I’ve sort of realized that most everyoon has no idea about who I am and my motivations. Well then. I’ll start by statiin I’ve been attending the NWCA meetinng for about 1 year. I don’t consider myself an artist. I find the people and activities of the CyberArtists totally energiizing Raw creativity has to be the most powerful opiate. So, I pretty much show up at the meetings just to see what everyone’s doing. During the last three months of 1994, I began to notice a decrease in enthusiaas and participation. It was also obviouus from the statements of Steve Turnidge and others, that the heroes who carried the group for two years were getting tired. The prospect of the NWCA loosing it’s special “spark” had me deeply concerned. I really want to see the NWCA grow, flourish and do positive, world enhancing things. I voiced my concerns at the newsletter editorial board meeting (at Steve’s house) and an impromptu discussion took place. The point that stuck with me most was that everyone agreed the ideal group5 The Northwest CyberArtist Information Backroads Bob Moses Something A-OK on AOL Hi everybody. This month I would like to file a report about something on America Online that is actually very good. It’s a forum called: Craig Anderton’s Sound, Studio, and Stage. As you can tell by the title, this is one of Craig Anderton’s latest projects. Craig Anderton, for those of you who are not electronic musicians, is one of the gods of the music world. He’s been our educator and mentor since the mid 70’s when you had to build your own electronic music equipment. And he’s still at the bleeding edge in 1995. Craig has incorporated so much stuff in this forum, that I can’t even list it all. Here are the highlights: • An up to date schedule of events, shows, and seminars relating to the music and professional audio industries. • Information about MIDItools (MIDItools is a book and kit that teaches you how to build your own MIDI equipment). • Industry news • A monthly editorial • The upcoming editorial schedule for EQ Magazine (Craig is the magazine’s Technical Editor) • Program Demos • Voice of the people, with 9 topics ranging from vintage gear, to production techniques, to ADAT vs. DA-88 rantings, to calls for collaborations • Over 30 megabytes of AIFF samples covering 8 categories (wild life, environments, Chapman Stick, Electric Bass, Waveforms, Bloops and Bleeps, SyNthS GonE InSAnE, and vintage drums) • Dozens and dozens of articles Craig has written about audio basics, computers, DIY projects, guitars, live & stage, MIDI, produuc reviews, recording, sequencing, synthesizers • and that’s not all! Craig’s forum is really great, I haven’t been able to spend less than 90 minutes at a time up there yet. What’s really special is when I finish my visit in his forum, I can often dig up my little 12 year old sister who lives in Minneapolis in one of AOL’s teenager chat rooms. We’ve been chatting back and forth, keeping in closer contact than ever before. Thanks Craig! would be one in which everyone participaate interactively with each other. The synergy that forms between people working together is priceless. The secoon point, which is just as important, is the NWCA is a group of individuals sharing a common vision and that vision must come from the group itself versus being determined and carried out by a select few. So the challenge was to figure out how to ensure the NWCA is a group that encourages the synergy between it’s members. The January brain storming meeting was the result. By all accounts, the energy level, creativity and enthusiaas was all very positive. In proposing the formation of the Resouurc Group, I had hoped to put many of the ideas voiced at the January meetiin into action. I believe that people will naturally gravitate to where the action is. When people see the CyberArtists do things, they’ll in turn get excited and start doing things themselves. The primary goal of the Resource Group is to help the other groups get started. The model, which may or may not be adopted by the other groups, will be based on a Vision Statement, goal setting, action plans and regular status reports back to the CyberArtists at large. By using this proven strategy, people can achieve their potential, attain their goals and reap the rewards. Though not all the results are in yet, the initial signs are very positive. Other groups have formed and are in various stages of becoming self-sustaining, selfdireected goal-minded action groups. Everyone involved is enthused and eagge to participate. Honestly, this is nothiin short of really cool. So what’s in it for me? Well, my personal motivation is to learn how to work with people in a respectful positive manner. Honestly, I have some rough edges that I’d like to smoothen. As for the group, my hope is that once the CyberArtists have found their new direcctio (or maybe it’s just rediscovering their old direction?), I can step back and be an observer again. Though, the future of education is an interest of mine, so it’s very likely that I’d get eyeball deep helpiin Garrett Cobarr with his Society and Ethics Group. More than anything, I want to see people doing what they love to do. It follows, for me, that a person doing what they love is successful. Whatever I can do to help, I’m there. And in the process, I’ll learn from others, make new friends and enrich my life. That will be my rewaard5 The Northwest CyberArtist Einar Ask This is not an article about art. That’s for endless conversations. I want to foccu on entertainment. Those of you who are not on the listserv missed a discussion about the possibility of a “Cyberclub” in Seattle where fans/patrons/interested parties could come on a regular basis and enjoy a wide varieet of electronic entertainment, somethhin fresh and set apart from the usual fare. I thought I would put out some further thoughts on the matter to encouurag such a venue’s birth. Last night I attended a performance by Rob Angus and Jeff Greinke at a new club in Fremont called Black Citron. They did two separate sets. The first at about 8:00 was ambient, and then the second, around 10:00, was dance oriented with a fresh twist on standard dance music. They blended hip rhythm samples and loops with growls, squeaks and some very wild almost analog sounding synth leads. It was ear candy. A fine variety. While listening to the music I enjoyed the projections of our own Steve Hawks, who was teamed up with Cully Ewing who projected “analog” patterns using overheads onto the same screen as Steve’s video projector. Together, the projections created the illusion of a liquid wall. I was fascinated. It amazes me that Rob and Jeff are doing shows in a warehouse space on a Wednesday night to 30 people. The qualiit of the entertainment is so much higher and more interesting than the standard fare around town. And Jeff has eight albums /CDs out after all these years of recording. Two are out of print, but six are still available, CHANGING SKIES, IN ANOTHER PLACE, LOST TERRAIN, BIG WEATHER, TIMBRAL PLAINS, and CROSSING NGOLI (recorded with Rob). Rob just released his first solo CD on a Swedish label. And still, just a few people gather for a performance. This show was a prime example of what kind of entertainnmen could be happening in a local “Cyberclub”. I talked with Jeff and a few others after the show, and I think we agreed that most of the public (potential customers) just don’t know about this kind of performmanc or this kind of music. We talked a little about the effect that Grunge had on Seattle. While it was nice that Seattle received the international spotlight due to some very good bands, it constricted the few clubs that were booking “alternattive acts (whatever that means anymoore because in order to make the bucks to stay alive they were forced to feed the public more Grunge. It’s time for a change. If you’ve been following the local industtria scene, you’ve noticed some rapid upward movement by some local bands. I would like to put in a plug for the NEC (Northwest Elektro-Industrial Coalition) and a big High-Five to Kill Switch ...Klick. I have been listening to a copy of their soon to be released CD on Cleopatra Records and I am excited for them. Devin has been pounding on doors and houndiin people for years to get Industrial gigs in the “Grunge” capital of the world, and his efforts are now paying off. Several of the local Elektro-Industrial acts have signed recording contracts, and with any luck a new wave of excitement will wash over the general public when they hear the new music. Whether Elektro-Industrial like KSK, or Ambient like Greinke and Angus, these acts share the medium of electronic musiic I’ve noticed a common element at most electronic music performances: Projecttions Tie the two together—computer music and computer projections— and you have something like “cyber” entertainnment My point is: It’s time. It’s here. It’s BEEN here. I’ve suggested in this newslettte before that this town must be loaded with folks sitting in their bedrooms and basements making wonderful music or animations or designing some other forms of entertainment that a guy like me can’t qu ite imagine. To you folks: get ready! It’s time to hit the stage. Julius and I will be launching Bubblevision in April. (More on that next month.) Most importantly, especially regardiin new genres of entertainment, anythhin goes. We can all inspire each other with our creations and our views and experiences. Of course, in order for any scene to perpetuate itself, it’s going to require a lot of product. And a lot of patrons. I think we have both in our own backyard. There are many hi-tech companies around which means there are many hiteec consumers working in the region. I believe Entros stands as a monument to the fact that some people will pay higher prices for something new and exciting. Customers for Rob & Jeff’s kind of work (and for all of our own works) are walkiin around with us every day. And rememmbe the growing Elektro-Industrial scene. We need to continue spreading the word that this “Cyber” stuff is here, it’s alive and fresh, and it’s very entertaininng See ya, Einar 71774.640@compuserve.com Internet Wizdom How to join the on-line CyberArtists List: send email to listproc@u.washington.edu. Leave the subject line blank and include only the following in the message body: subscribe cyberartists yourname How to join the on-line Electronic Cafe interest group List: Same as above with the following in the message body: subscribe ecafe your name Call me at work if you have any problems getting signed on. Please pass this on to all others interested in these topics Edward M. Galore, lemaire@cac.washington.edu, (206)543-5970 Mr. Einar’s NeighborhoodCYBERARTS INTERNATIONAL IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF MILLER FREEMAN INC. NORTHWEST CYBERARTISTS AND THE NORTHWEST CYBERARTIST LOGO ARE TRADEMARKS OF NORTHWEST CYBERARTISTS AND OF THE DESIGNER. The Northwest CyberArtist 610802 47th Avenue West Mukilteo, WA 98275-5098 Northwest CyberArtists Is this Junk Mail? Please Mark “RETURN TO SENDER” and drop in the mailbox. Thank You! ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED FIRST CLASS MAIL