{"425381":{"#nid":"425381","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Shimon and the Shimis play the Kennedy Center","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMark your calendars for July the 22\u003Csup\u003End\u003C\/sup\u003E: That\u2019s when Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.coa.gatech.edu\/news\/cute-musician-robots-georgia-techs-latest-triple-threat\u0022\u003Erobot\/cyborg band\u003C\/a\u003E is playing the Kennedy Center.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs part of the Smithsonian Institute and The Kennedy Center\u2019s 25\/40 celebration (which commemorates the 25\u003Csup\u003Eth\u003C\/sup\u003E anniversary of the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ada.gov\/ada_25th_anniversary\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAmericans with Disabilities Act\u003C\/a\u003E and the 40\u003Csup\u003Eth\u003C\/sup\u003E year of \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.kennedy-center.org\/education\/vsa\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EVSA\u003C\/a\u003E,) \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gtcmt.gatech.edu\/projects\/shimon\u0022\u003EShimon \u003C\/a\u003Eand the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gtcmt.gatech.edu\/projects\/shimi\u0022\u003EShimi robots\u003C\/a\u003E will be performing on the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey\u2019ll be joined onstage by their creator, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gtcmt.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Center for Music Technology\u003C\/a\u003E director Gil Weinberg and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.news.gatech.edu\/2014\/03\/05\/robotic-prosthesis-turns-drummer-three-armed-cyborg\u0022\u003Epercussionist Jason Barnes\u003C\/a\u003E, who wears a prosthetic drumming arm invented by Weinberg. Rounding out this robotics super group will be Director of Georgia Tech Athletic Bands, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gtband.net\/\u0022\u003EChris Moore\u003C\/a\u003E and PhD candidate \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.masonbretan.com\/\u0022\u003EMason Bretan\u003C\/a\u003E, accompanied by bassist Michael Bowie and trumpet player Dovonte McCoy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWeinberg said their hour-long performance will begin with Shimon and Shimi \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.news.gatech.edu\/features\/robots-road\u0022\u003Edoing what they do best\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 improvising and playing music based on artificial intelligence and algorithms. But this thirty-minute jam session represents a gigantic step forward in the robot\u2019s musical abilities, Weinberg said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s the first time, ever, that we will play a full evening program,\u201d he said. \u201cMy research has always been about, \u2018Let\u2019s try this algorithm, let\u2019s see if the robot can understand this way or improvise that way,\u2019\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor seven years, Weinberg has experimented with Shimon\u2019s artificial intelligence, teaching the robot to play a marimba as well as improvise and react to live musicians. Now, Shimon, the Shimis and crew will perform original music that showcases their signature blend of human and machine. Weinberg, Bretan and Moore wrote six original pieces for the performance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the half-way point of the show, Barnes will join the group on stage. That\u2019s when Weinberg will explain to the audience that all the technology they\u2019ve witnessed so far is actually inspiring similar technology for people with disabilities \u2013 as evidenced by Barnes\u2019 cyborg drumming arm.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBarnes has become a more expressive drummer through the help of the drumming arm, Weinberg said, and the second half of the performance aims to show off this newfound musicianship.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHe can play things that humans can\u2019t play, anything from speed to complexity. So the pieces Jason plays will start as soft and detailed and sophisticated but then grow to something that is much crazier, upbeat, showing the speeds and polyrhythms and all the unique things that only this arm can play.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, Weinberg said the focus for the 25\/40 performance is about making music that is emotional, music that will touch people. This time the fact that artificial intelligence and robotic arms are making music isn\u2019t the only justification of the art.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt actually got to the point where we can think about the music, how to create beautiful, expressive, emotional music that will touch people. Of course, AI is always there, but now it\u2019s not the only thing that\u2019s there.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs part of the Smithsonian Institute and The Kennedy Center\u2019s 25\/40 celebration (which commemorates the 25\u003Csup\u003Eth\u003C\/sup\u003E anniversary of the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ada.gov\/ada_25th_anniversary\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAmericans with Disabilities Act\u003C\/a\u003E and the 40\u003Csup\u003Eth\u003C\/sup\u003E year of \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.kennedy-center.org\/education\/vsa\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EVSA\u003C\/a\u003E,) \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gtcmt.gatech.edu\/projects\/shimon\u0022\u003EShimon \u003C\/a\u003Eand the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gtcmt.gatech.edu\/projects\/shimi\u0022\u003EShimi robots\u003C\/a\u003E will be performing on the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u0027s robot\/cyborg band gets a high profile gig while celebrating the 25th anniversara of ADA."}],"uid":"27803","created_gmt":"2015-07-15 18:14:52","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:19:08","author":"Ann Hoevel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-07-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2015-07-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"425401":{"id":"425401","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech\u0027s robot\/cyborg band","body":null,"created":"1449254319","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 18:38:39","changed":"1475895165","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:45","alt":"Georgia Tech\u0027s robot\/cyborg band","file":{"fid":"202758","name":"robotcyborgband_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/robotcyborgband_0_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/robotcyborgband_0_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":90570,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/robotcyborgband_0_0.jpg?itok=QFrtENNv"}}},"media_ids":["425401"],"groups":[{"id":"1221","name":"College of Design"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"2835","name":"ai"},{"id":"135171","name":"cyborg drummer"},{"id":"135161","name":"robot musicians"},{"id":"168949","name":"Shimi"},{"id":"169304","name":"Shimon"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}