Cymbalism

Cymbalism (2024), is an Augmented Reality Percussion Performance that weaves interactive visualisations, live percussion and digital echoes of sampled instruments. Cymbalism was developed by Sam Trolland and Dr. Alon Ilsar at SensiLab, Monash University, and forms part of Sam Trolland's PhD investigating the design of personalised gestural instruments for creative expression.

The performance comprises three distinct scenes, each introducing a new mapping of movement to sound through an intermediate visual-mapping layer. The performer's movements are sensed in real-time through two 'AirStick' gestural instruments worn in gloves on the back of both hands. Projected visualisations and digital musical instruments respond to the performer's real-time movements, creating an immersive performance that resonates the aural and visual textures of cymbals.

More information regarding the AirSticks gestural instrument can be found in the below paper publication:
Sam Trolland, Alon Ilsar, Ciaran Frame, Jon McCormack, and Elliott Wilson. 2022. AirSticks 2.0: Instrument Design for Expressive Gestural Interaction. In International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression. https://doi.org/10.21428/92fbeb44.c400bdc2