Making Improvised Music for iPad and Percussion with Ensemble Metatone

Abstract

Ensemble Metatone was founded by Charles Martin in 2013 to create a collaborative performance practice using custom iPad apps and percussion. This group combined aspects of established traditions of improvising contemporary percussion groups and laptop orchestras with the new affordances of mobile touch-screen devices. This paper outlines our strategies for assimilating iPads into the group, developing new musical works, and staging performances.