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Greg Pond Teaches 3D Printing and Arduino Workshops at Fort Houston in March

Brick Factory, Fort Houston 2 Responses »

Feb 202013

Greg Pond — installation artist, hacker, filmmaker, musician and Associate Professor of Art at University of the South in Sewanee — will be conducting four maker workshops at the newly-minted Fort Houston in March. Fort Houston is the brand new creative space and community workshop at 500 Houston Street in Nashville, a joint project by the entities formerly known as Brick Factory and Zombieshop.

The new facility is located directly behind Chestnut Studios and a stone’s throw from the new Zeitgeist Gallery location (opening sometime in the next few months). Noa Noa house/Theatre Intangible headquarters is a short walk away. The neighborhood, which also houses Infinity Cat Records, United Records Pressing, and the new Cotten Music Center, is shaping up to be Nashville’s own little SoHo (which, fittingly, is short for SOuth of HOuston Street). Since our action is mostly north of Houston, we may have to go with NoHo.

Greg Pond’s classes will be among the first taught at the new facility. His classes are of special interest to those in the experimental music and maker communities because they highlight two of the most important technologies to impact art in the 10s: open source electronics prototyping and 3D printing. If you’re a new media or experimental artist who has never tinkered with an Arduino or printed your own designs in a 3D printer, take these classes!

Here are the class details. Learn more and buy tickets at FortHouston.com.

3D Modeling & Printing

Price: $120.00
Date: March 17, 2013, 10am to 4pm

This class will provide the foundations for using SketchUp CAD software to generate 3D models that can be printed on a Makerbot 3D printer. We will begin by learning to design 3D models in SketchUp, providing an overview of the basic tools, best practices for design and how to install program extensions called plugins. The second half of the class will focus on techniques for drawing models in SketchUp that can be output as physical plastic model. We will work through a series of exercises that will yield 3D prints for you to keep.

Beginner level course, no experience necessary

3D Printing Open Lab

Price: $30.00
Date: March 17, 2013, 5pm to 8pm

This session is open to anyone who has some basic experience making 3D models in any CAD software who wants to learn how to or refine their models for export and 3D printing. We will share projects, ideas and questions as well as work on individual projects. Participants should bring their own laptop computer with the CAD software of choice. This session is designed for those who have at least a basic working knowledge of their CAD software such as SketchUp, Rhino, SolidWorks, or Meshlab and want assistance with designing and refining objects for 3D printing. We will print objects from participants or demonstration models during this session.

Introduction to Arduino

Price: $120.00
Date: March 23, 2013, 10am to 4pm

In Introduction to Arduino, students will explore using Arduino, an open-source micro-controller that allows the user to create interactive machines, otherwise known as physical computing. Students will leave this class with a better understanding of Arduino and a set of tools and parts that can be used for any future projects. No prior experience is necessary for this class. All participants are required to bring their own laptop with the free Arduino software installed and ready to use.

NOTE: Registration will close 1 week prior to this class to make sure all materials are ordered and arrive on time. This does not apply to Arduino Lab or 3D Modeling & Printing.

Arduino Lab

Price: $30.00,
Date: March 23, 2013, 5pm to 8pm

For those of you wishing to take the next step your projects, this Arduino Lab session is the perfect opportunity to share/develop your concepts within a group. This class is for those individuals looking to expand their knowledge of Arduino. Learn to connect Arduino to Processing or Pure Data. Those who enroll will get to experiment with some equipment during the session (extra sensors, motor shields, etc.) and all participants will be happy to know this class is BYOB. If there is a specific topic or project you would like to learn more about during this session, it is a good idea to contact Greg Pond (gregpond@gmail.com) in advance in order to get the most out the lab session.

Saturday at Brick Factory: TRABAJO, HOBBLEDEIONS, STEPHEN MOLYNEUX, SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE

Brick Factory, Concerts No Responses »

Jun 152012

If you like the Murfreesboro improv collective HORSEHAIR EVERYWHERE and the experimental drums/sequencers/sound effects of HOBBLEDEIONS (aka Nashville’s hardest working drummer SCOTT MARTIN), then you don’t want to miss tomorrow’s show at Brick Factory. The lineup features HOBBLEDEIONS and three of the members of Horsehair Everywhere doing their own sets, including TJ RICHARDS’ New York City band TRABAJO (also featuring YUCHEN LIN), FRANK BAUGH’s SPARLKING WIDE PRESSURE and STEPHEN MOLYNEUX. Frank, Stephen, and TJ all appeared on this episode of Theatre Intangible. Scott Martin appeared on this one.

More details on the Facebook event page.

Saturday, June 16, doors at 8pm, music at 9pm, $5 cover

Brick Factory Nashville

209 10th Ave S Suite 126, Nashville, TN 37203

May 7th @ Brick Factory: TIM KAISER, GERBER & GERBER, GOOD RESTER, AETHER JAG

Brick Factory, Concerts No Responses »

Apr 282012

Tim Kaiser live in Pittsburgh. Photo by Larry Rippel

An Evening of Experimental, Ambient, and Space music at Brick Factory Nashville

Folks, I’m incredibly excited to announce this TIM KAISER show at Brick Factory. When I sought out other artists for the bill, I decided to aim high and ask a dream list. To my ecstatic surprise, they all said yes!

TIM KAISER (Duluth, MN) – Instrument designer extraordinaire and ambient experimental wunderkind. Ask anyone who has seen Tim perform live, and they’ll tell you he is not to be missed! Tim was featured on Make TV. Check out the video below.

GERBER & GERBER (Tony Gerber & Todd Gerber, Nashville) – Space music pioneers and Nashville music scene trailblazers. A rare treat to see the brothers Gerber performing together!

GOOD RESTER (Brian Siskind, Andy Alexander, Jason Goforth, Nashville) – New York producer and beat-maker Brian Siskind’s ambient project. Brian recently performed a solo commission at Houston’s famed Rothko Chapel.

AETHER JAG (Nashville) – Circuit bender and instrument designer Bridget Venuti’s textural noise soundscapes.

Monday, May 7th, 8pm sharp
$5 cover to touring band

Brick Factory Nashville (inside Cummins Station)
209 10th Ave S Suite 126, Nashville, TN 37203

Enter Cummins Station, walk towards center, take elevator B to level one, you’re there. If you arrive after 9pm, take the outside steps leading to the loading dock and enter through the dock doors. Follow hallway to Brick Factory.

More info on the Facebook event page.

Tim Kaiser:

Tim Kaiser is a Minnesota-based musician, inventor, and artist who has been making experimental art for the past 25 years. He designs and builds his own instruments, both acoustic and electronic, using toys, vintage electronic gear, and other found materials. Tim’s work was featured in Make Magazine and presented in Germany, Brazil, Sweden, Hong Kong, Cuba, Canada, and more. He tours across America performing ambient improvised music incorporating his inventions. http://tim-kaiser.org/

Gerber & Gerber:

Musician, visual artist, and record-label entrepreneur — Tony Gerber has proven to be the Renaissance man of Nashville’s music underground. As a member of the trailblazing electronic music band Spacecraft and as the owner of the Internet-based Space for Music record label, Gerber has helped popularize space music both across the United States and in Europe. His music has appeared in soundtracks (including Cameron Crowe’s “Vanilla Sky”), planetarium shows, and on the NPR program “Hearts of Space.” He also breaks boundaries in the virtual world as “Cypress Rosewood,” his avatar who performs concerts in the virtual reality world of Second Life. http://tonygerber.com/

Todd Gerber has been experimenting with the Casio SK-1 keyboard for over 20 years. In bands such as UMLAUT, Dinah Shore Jr and drrdrr, Todd & his bandmates create bizarre worlds of sound using SK -1’s, gongs, drums, synthesizers, and more, performing on bills with Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Trey Gunn, The Amazing Delores, and Trans Am. http://spaceformusic.com/toddgerber.html

Good Rester:

Fresh off a commissioned solo ambient performance at Houston’s famed Rothko Chapel, Brian Siskind is an acclaimed producer, musician, photographer, and ace beat-maker, recently transplanted from New York City to Nashville. He’s worked with artists such as Bela Fleck, Bill Frisell, Michael Shrieve, and Jeff Coffin. He creates ambient electronic music with his alter ego Fognode, of which Brian Eno said, “It has to me, a seductive quality. . . I want to listen to what’s going to happen” http://fognode.virb.com/

Aether Jag:

Nashville circuit bender and electrical engineer Bridget Venuti coaxes textural noise soundscapes out of instruments she designs and builds. She’s a staple on the Nashville experimental scene and has performed at the International Noise Conference, Bloodfest, and the Geek Media Expo. http://www.myspace.com/aetherjag

Josh Gumiela Teaches Max 6 at Brick Factory April 19th

Off Topic, Visual Arts No Responses »

Apr 182012

Josh Gumiela aka Foster Dad

You may be familiar with the program known as Max (or Pure Data, the open source equivalent). Artists and musicians have been using Max for 20 years, creating installations, compositions, interactive exhibits, multi-screen video works, light shows, computer games, and pretty much anything they could dream up. The major innovation is a patch-like interface that appeals to the musician’s love of pedals. Draw a line from this signal generator to this volume arpeggio to this distortion box . . . well, you get the idea. If that sounds like something you want to incorporate into your own work but you’re intimidated by the (seeming) complexity, you’re in luck. T.I. participant JOSH GUMIELA (Foster Dad) is teaching a Max 6 class on Thursday, April 19th at Brick Factory Nashville.

According to TheSkillery.com, where you can sign up, the course will . . .

will teach you how to build your own computer applications using Max 6. Max is programming software that allows you to easily build applications without having to learn text-based code. Max is designed specifically with the programming novice in mind, allowing you to program custom software for sound, video, 3D animation, data interpretation, and much more in an intuitive, user-friendly environment. Max 6 provides a huge advantage over text-based programming languages in that it is easy to learn and artists can rapidly create their own customized applications to drive art installations, create and record music, manipulate video, and interpret data–all without ever having to write single line of code. Students will learn the fundamental concepts behind MIDI, digital audio, video, and OpenGL 3D image generation. They will also learn how to incorporate external controllers such as MIDI devices, game controllers, smart phones, sensors, and microcontrollers such as Arduino into their designs. At the end of the course, students will have an application to take home with them or share with their friends, such as a video mixer, synthesizer, audio processor, or game.

Any electronic composer or media artist who isn’t already utilizing Max or Pure Data should take this class. Josh is an insanely talented instrument builder and composer, and his face lights up when talking about Max. Load a free 30 day trial of Max 6 on your laptop, head over to Brick Factory Nashville, and get schooled. If you can’t make the first class, they’re offering another class on the 26th.

Intro to Max 6 Programming
Thursday, April 19th, 6:30pm
Brick Factory Nashville (inside Cummins Station)
Suite 126
209 10th Ave South
Nashville, TN 37203

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