Paul D. Lehrman

Using musical instruments as an engineering educational medium

At Tufts University, the authors have developed and implemented a curriculum in musical instrument engineering (MIE). This program includes both a concentration certificate for the mechanical engineer and a minor for those majoring in other degrees. By using musical instruments as an educational medium, they are teaching the fundamentals of engineering through a familiar and nonthreatening subject. Further, the use of musical instruments as a pedagogical tool allows central engineering principles to be more intuitive and accessible to students of all disciplines. This creates a unique situation, where engineers and their liberal arts counterparts work side-by-side solving problems and developing creative solutions. Thus, both groups benefit from a diverse classroom population. The program implements three major facets of engineering education: lecturing; project design and development; and scientific research. Because of the familiar subject matter, this multi-faceted learning experience is not only more enjoyable, but the concepts become instantly applicable and are internalized more quickly.

Doing good by the “bad boy”: Performing George Antheil’s Ballet mécanique with robots

The Ballet mecanique by George Antheil (1900-1959) was a musical composition far ahead of its time. Written in 1924, it called for an unusual set of instruments and sound effects, as well as technology that did not exist: multiple synchronized player pianos. Not until 1999, with the aid of computers and MIDI, could the piece be performed the way the composer envisioned it. Since then, it has been played over 20 times by ensembles in North America and Europe. But its most unusual performance was the result of a collaboration between the authors: the music technologist most responsible for the piecepsilas revival and an expert in musical robotics. At the request of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, they built a completely automated 27-piece orchestra, which played the piece nearly 100 times, without a failure. The automated orchestra has since been installed in a museum in Miami, Florida, and was part of a theatrical presentation in New York City.

Peformances of Ballet Mécanique

George Antheil’s 1924 Ballet Mecanique, written for two pianos, three xylophones, four bass drums, tam‐tam, electric bells, three airplane propellors, and between 4 and 16 synchronized player pianos, is one of the great ‘‘lost’’ pieces of the 20th‐century instrumental repertoire. This paper describes the efforts that were made between 1996 and 2000 to revive this remarkable piece, using modern computers, MIDI, digital samplers, and MIDI‐compatible player pianos. It talks about how the project same about; the musical and technical decisions that needed to be made; the problems of transcription, synchronization, and rehearsal; and the practical, artistic, and logistical issues of presenting the piece in three different concert spaces: Durgin Hall at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, Carnegie Hall in New York, and Louise Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco.