Trash Sounds

Everything you need to know about the workshop
Tue Jun 21 2022

RUSL FEST 2022 is just around the corner and we’re working hard prepping our Trash Sounds workshop. Here you’ll find all you need to know about the workshop and what is included in the ticket.

First off, the workshop is designed to support individual needs and interests. We welcome people who want to learn something new and also people who already have something in mind they want to build.

If you want to learn how to build your very own instrument, using “trash”, then this is the workshop for you. Everyone learns on their own pace and due to the vast experience of our workshop leaders, you can decide to learn new skills in the process. You don’t have to learn everything, just find the thing that interests you the most and build from there!

A group of workshop leaders sitting and smiling.

The workshop leaders: Robin, Karl, Sean, Sigga and Jack.

Trash Sounds, a week-long workshop on designing and performing with intelligent musical instruments made from discarded materials.

Dates: 27.06. - 02.07. 2022

Age limit: 20

Location: Fúsk, Gufunes, 112 Reykjavík (Iceland) a.k.a. Grafarvogur

Language: Our instructors speak both Icelandic and English but we will mostly use English

Areas we will look at:  

  • Musical instrument design
  • Techniques for real-time audio programming (from scratch)
  • Creative AI for gesture-sound mapping
  • Sonic interaction design
  • Physical instrument craft
  • Speculative design

 

Interested in any of these areas?

You don’t have to learn all if it or use all your new skills for your musical instrument. Simply pick the fields you’re most interested in. This is a relaxed setting where each participants can choose their own learning path. The instructors will be there with you, building their own stuff and helping others out with theirs.

Various musical instruments and other things on a yellow surface.

Anything can be a musical instrument if you've got imagination.

All participants will receive direct instruction in the topics above, using their new skills to rehabilitate waste materials into living musical objects

To show off your new skills, we will collectively improvise music daily at one of the many unique sites at FÚSK Gufunes. Musical experimentation is encouraged and mistakes are welcomed!

Whether you’re a beginner, a musician, maker or anything in between, you are very welcome to join the workshop. Together we will create a friendly environment where everyone listens to and learns from each other.

The schedule is as follows:

MON 27, Welcome, Free Lunch!, Workshop, Lecture, Warm Up Party, TUE 28, Workshop, Free Lunch!, Workshop, Lecture, Movie Screening, WED 29 Workshop, Free Lunch!, Workshop, Lecture, , Exp. and Trash Music, THU 30, Workshop Free Lunch!, Workshop, Lecture, , Radio and Massage Party, FRI 01, Optional Workshop, Free Lunch!, Workshop, Dinner, Fúsk Folk Vibe, SAT 02, Presentaiton, Buxur Party.

The Schedule for the Festival

Included in the price of the ticket is not only the Trash Sounds workshop itself but also tickets to some of RUSL FEST’s most popular events, such as parties and concerts like Massage and Buxur.

Furthermore, the festival provides vegan food for lunch and dinner each day of the workshop so you won’t go hungry!

To bring discarded materials to life, participants will use a kit loaned by the Intelligent Instruments Lab for the duration of the workshop. Central to this kit is the Bela high performance interactive audio and sensor platform (http://bela.io/). The kit also includes various sensors and actuators allowing participants’ creations to perceive motion, vibration and light, and in turn vibrate and resonate objects and materials of choice.

Various things on a yellow table, including boxes with electronics and string cases, a Moog theramin, drum sticks, an empty drinking bottle and electronic cables. In the background, a man holding an interesting wooeden instrument.

Tickets are available at: https://tix.is/is/event/13336/rusl-fest/

Full RUSL FEST program is available here. Note that all the lectures are free for all! https://ruslfest.is/Home