VIP

Interactive Music Group

Team Advisors: Alexandria Smith and Jocelyn Kavanagh

What is a Vertically Integrated Project (VIP)?

The Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) Program is a transformative approach to enhancing higher education by engaging undergraduate and graduate students in ambitious, long-term, large-scale, multidisciplinary project teams that are led by faculty. The program has been rigorously evaluated and refined over more than two decades. 

In VIP, teams of undergraduate students – from various years, disciplines and backgrounds – work with faculty and graduate students in their areas of scholarship and exploration. Undergraduate students earn academic credit for their work and have direct experience with the innovation process, while faculty and graduate students benefit from the extended efforts of their teams.

Creates long-term experiences with the innovation processVIP extends project-based learning beyond a single semester, with students participating for up to three years.  It provides the time and context for students to gain deeper insights into their field of study, to learn and practice professional skills, to make substantial contributions to real-world projects, and to experience different roles on large, multidisciplinary teams.
Cultivates leadership & mentoringThe long-term nature of VIP creates an environment of mentorship, with faculty and graduate students mentoring teams, experienced students mentoring new members, and students moving into leadership roles as others graduate.
Supports faculty scholarship and explorationVIP attracts students from many disciplines and enables the completion of ambitious projects, which strengthens and expands faculty scholarship and exploration. Faculty members create projects around their own interests, so they bring both expertise and enthusiasm to each team.

Interactive Music Group:

Design musical instruments, installations, and interactive systems that will be showcased and/or used in performance. The Interactive Music Group brings the ambitions of the Guthman Competition to a student-driven setting. The group aims to provide an inspiring environment for students to stretch and grow their creativity through making. With a focus on socially conscious making, we will design musical instruments, installations, and interactive systems that will be showcased and/or used in performance. We are particularly interested in projects where students express themselves and engage with current issues in Atlanta.

Issues Involved or Addressed:

The School of Music has hosted the Guthman Musical Instrument Competition since 1996. The annual event is aimed at identifying the world’s next generation of musical instruments and the best new ideas in musicality, design, and engineering. Each year, we invite musical inventors to share their innovative musical instruments and engage with the campus community. Their instruments enhance the musical experience by augmenting existing acoustic instruments, focusing on accessibility with the development of new interfaces and techniques, or by building novel ways for the user to interact with sound. Student work will be featured at the Music, Art, and Technology Fair, with potential performance opportunities at Guthman Music Instrument Competition concerts and other exhibition/performance venues on campus. In the future, the Interactive Music Group will work towards showcasing our findings throughout Atlanta and presenting work on a national and international scale. The group aims to connect students to the Atlanta arts and music community and help students develop more portfolio pieces by providing an opportunity to get student creative work seen, heard, and recognized.

Methods and Technologies:

  • Embedded Systems
  • Fabrication
  • Microcontrollers
  • Amplifier/Speaker Design
  • DSP
  • HCI
  • XR
  • Interaction Design
  • C/C++,Python, Max/MSP, Pd

Academic Majors of Interest:

  • Computing›Computational Science and Engineering
  • Computing›Human-Computer Interaction
  • Design›Industrial Design
  • Design›Music Technology
  • Engineering›Electrical Engineering
  • Engineering›Mechanical Engineering
  • Ivan Allen›Literature, Media, and Communication
  • Sciences›Neuroscience

    Preferred Interests and Preparation:

    Multifaceted students that are interested in engaging with arts and technology and developing creative works. For example: An electrical engineering student who DJs on the side. An LMC student who specializes in film and composes film scores. A mechanical engineering student who plays classical violin. A computer science student who performs with a dance group. A physics students who wants to apply what they are learning to instrument design. All majors: Broad interest in using, designing, analyzing, and building musical instruments, installations, performance systems, and performance experiences. Broad interest combining disciplinary expertise from students from a variety of backgrounds and experience with sound/music. You do not need to be a musician or have musical/art training to join this project. Music and Arts: interests in music composition, music performance, graphic design, painting, drawing, installation design, recording/mixing/production, and dance. Electrical and Computer Engineering: Interests in working with microcontrollers (e.g. Arduino, ESP32, etc) and microprocessors (Daisy Seed, Raspberry Pi, Bela), amplifier design, speaker design, DSP, and/or embedded systems. Computer Science, Computational Media: Interests in audio programming, computer vision, graphics, UI design, live coding, creative AI, generative systems. Languages include C++, Python, Rust, PD/Max MSP. Rapid prototyping and scripting in Python, Pure Data (Pd), and Max/MSP. Mechanical Engineering, HCI, Industrial Design: Interests in fabricating instruments, enclosures, user interaction, wearable tech, Virtual Reality, Extended Reality, Augmented Reality

    For more information, please head to the Georgia Tech Vertically Integrated Projects page!