L2Ork » Linux Laptop Orchestra

11Apr 2010

L2Ork on the Cover of the Linux Journal

Posted in Announcements

I finally got my hands on the May issue of the Linux Journal (many thanks Dave!) and am truly thrilled by the fact that L2Ork ended up on the front cover of the magazine. More so, Linux Journal editors have honored us with a generous 8-page story, including an interview with yours truly. To top it all off, LJ also has a really entertaining podcast discussing connections between L2Ork speakers and Star Wars. For more info on the article, or to obtain a copy of Linux Journal, click here.

On an unrelated note, L2Ork has finally joined Facebook. You can find us by clicking here or by visiting the Links page.

09Apr 2010

Upcoming L2Ork Spring Event and Midwest Tour

Posted in Announcements

It’s been a busy semester to say the least. Consequently, I hope you’ll forgive us for posting this announcement so close to the actual event.

It is my great pleasure to announce the upcoming joint L2Ork/DISIS spring event scheduled for April 17th 2010 (Saturday) in the Squires Recital Salon, starting at 7pm with the Boys & Girls Club of Roanoke, VA children’s showcase, followed by the 8pm Benefit Concert.

Apart from the L2Ork 14-member ensemble, the program will also feature guest artists Matthew Burtner (UVA), Ron Coulter (SIUC) and Mark Engebretson (UNCG), as well as Virginia Tech Music Department’s tremendously talented soprano Chelsea Crane. All donations will benefit Boys & Girls Club of Roanoke, VA.

The 7pm program is geared mainly towards children and parents and will also include a demo hands-on session for visitors and parents alike. The 8pm benefit concert will be more experimental in nature, featuring numbers for L2Ork and soloists, works by visiting artists, as well as musical robots and other innovative creative technologies.

On April 20th, L2Ork will also embark on its maiden tour made possible through generous contributions by Virginia Tech’s Center for Creative Technologies in the Arts (CCTA), Institute for Society, Culture & Environment (ISCE), Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Department (ECE), Collaborative for Creative Technologies in the Arts & Design (CCTAD), and Center for Human-Computer Interaction (CHCI).

The tour will include performances at the Cincinnati’s Conservatory of Music (April 20th) as part of the Sonic Exploration concert series, Southern Illinois University (April 22nd), and Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (April 25th) as part of the International Intermedia Festival of Telematic Arts.

For additional info visit the Events page.

29Mar 2010

L2Orking with Roanoke’s Boys and Girls Club

Posted in Uncategorized

Hello all,

Over the last month L2Ork has been working with the Roanoke Boys and Girls club to adapt a laptop orchestra for use in elementary school education. I have been traveling to Roanoke 3 times a week to teach the students and help them make music. We currently have ten 5th grade students involved in the program, and they are all eager to learn and have been great to work with.

Both the students, and VT l2orkists are very excited by the opportunity to collaborate with one another through the use of the laptop orchestra. On April 17th, we very much look forward to performing with our fellow l2orkists from the Boys & Girls Club. Undoubtedly the upcoming concert will be a big step forward for all involved, and I urge everyone to attend.

More to come in the next couple weeks, Jonathan.

28Mar 2010

L2Ork Documentation and Community Resources

Posted in Announcements, TechnoBabble

As busy as things have been since the onset of the spring semester, only now are we finally getting to updating community resources. To start off, we have created a general l2ork-dev public mailing list for the purpose of encouraging community participation in our infrastructure development as well as for support of creation of other L*Orks around the globe. In addition, since in L2Ork we do not like compromises, we’ve also provided a custom Ubuntu 9.10 real-time kernel that provides 100% hardware support for the MSI Wind U100 notebooks (available on the Software page). A growing library of Pure-Data externals and abstractions should follow shortly.

For additional info on the said content visit “Join the L2Orkmania” page.

28Mar 2010

XCaliber Award

Posted in Announcements

A couple weeks ago I learned that L2Ork was awarded 2010 Virginia Tech XCaliber Award that is given out every year “for exceptional, high caliber contributions to technology-enriched teaching and learning.” Special thanks go to l2orkists past and present for their time and dedication that has made this award possible!