ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ryan Holladay - Musician
Brothers Ryan and Hays Holladay explore the intersection of art and technology with an emphasis on music and sound, with projects ranging from multichannel audio installations to interactive performances to mobile apps.

Why you should listen

The Holladay brothers have done pioneering work in location-aware music composition: music created and mapped to a physical space, released as mobile apps, that use a mobile device’s GPS to dynamically alter the music as the listener traverses a landscape. Their first production, “The National Mall,” a location-aware piece mapped to the Mall in Washington, DC, was described by music critic Chris Richards “magical...like using GPS to navigate a dream.” They went on to create similar works for Central Park in New York and for SXSW Interactive in Austin, Texas, and are engaged in a long-term project of sonically mapping the entirety of the Pacific Coast Highway. Ryan is a 2013 TED Fellow.

More profile about the speaker
Ryan Holladay | Speaker | TED.com
TED@BCG San Francisco

Ryan Holladay: To hear this music you have to be there. Literally

Ryan Holladay: Para escoitar esta música tes que estar alí, literalmente.

Filmed:
1,348,704 views

A industria musical ás veces forcexa para atopar o seu sitio na era dixital. Nesta agradable conferencia, o membro de TED Ryan Holladay cóntanos porque está a experimentar co que el chama "música que ten en conta a localización". Esta programación e produción musical inclúe centos de segmentos xeolocalizados de sons que só se poden reproducir cando o ouvinte está fisicamente preto. (grabado en TED@BCG)
- Musician
Brothers Ryan and Hays Holladay explore the intersection of art and technology with an emphasis on music and sound, with projects ranging from multichannel audio installations to interactive performances to mobile apps. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:14
(Music)
0
2939
4616
(Música)
00:19
For any of you who have visited
or lived in New York City,
1
7555
3666
Para os que teñades visitado ou
vivido na cidade de Nova York
00:23
these shots might start to look familiar.
2
11221
4895
estas imaxes quizais
vos comecen a soar.
00:28
This is Central Park,
3
16116
1684
Isto é Central Park,
00:29
one of the most beautifully designed
4
17800
1736
un dos espazo públicos mellor
00:31
public spaces in America.
5
19536
2896
deseñados de América.
00:34
But to anyone who hasn't visited,
6
22432
2502
Pero para aqueles que non o visitaran,
00:36
these images can't really fully convey.
7
24934
3631
estas imaxes non se axustan por completo.
00:40
To really understand Central Park,
8
28565
2045
Para comprender de verdade Central Park
00:42
you have to physically be there.
9
30610
3159
tes que estar alí físicamente.
00:45
Well, the same is true of the music,
10
33769
4105
Ben, sucede o mesmo coa música
00:49
which my brother and I composed and mapped
11
37874
2797
que meu irmán mais eu
compuxemos e localizamos
00:52
specifically for Central Park.
12
40671
3086
especificamente para Central Park.
00:55
(Music)
13
43757
5058
(Música)
01:00
I'd like to talk to you today a little bit about the work
14
48815
2826
Gustaríame falarvos hoxe
un pouco sobre o traballo
01:03
that my brother Hays and I are doing --
15
51641
3157
que meu irmán Hays e eu estamos a facer.
01:06
That's us there. That's both of us actually —
16
54798
3446
-Ahí estamos nós. Somos nólos dous de feito -
01:10
specifically about a concept that we've been
developing over the last few years,
17
58244
3807
concretamente sobre o concepto que estivemos
desenvolvendo ao longo dos últimos anos,
01:14
this idea of location-aware music.
18
62051
3609
a idea da música que ten en conta a ubicación.
01:17
Now, my brother and I, we're musicians
19
65660
1954
Ben, meu irmán e eu somos músicos
01:19
and music producers.
20
67614
1639
e produtores de música.
01:21
We've been working together since,
21
69253
1636
Levamos traballando xuntos dende,
01:22
well, since we were kids, really.
22
70889
2012
ben, dende que eramos nenos en realidade.
01:24
But recently, we've become
more and more interested
23
72901
2599
Pero ultimamente, fómonos interesando
cada vez máis
01:27
in projects where art
24
75500
1920
en proxectos nos que a arte
01:29
and technology intersect,
25
77420
2828
e a tecnoloxía se cruzan,
01:32
from creating sight-specific audio
26
80248
2227
dende crear unha
instalación de audio e vídeo
01:34
and video installation
27
82475
1872
específica para unhas vistas
01:36
to engineering interactive concerts.
28
84347
3002
ata deseñar concertos interactivos.
01:39
But today I want to focus on this concept
29
87349
2647
Pero hoxe quero centrarme neste concepto
01:41
of composition for physical space.
30
89996
3742
de compoñer para un espazo físico.
01:45
But before I go too much further into that,
31
93738
2449
Pero antes de ir máis aló con isto,
01:48
let me tell you a little bit about how we got started
32
96187
1713
deixádeme contarvos un pouco máis sobre como
01:49
with this idea.
33
97900
1837
comezamos con esta idea.
01:51
My brother and I were living in New York City
34
99737
2055
Meu irmán e eu estabamos vivindo
en Nova York
01:53
when the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude
35
101792
1787
cando os artistas Christo e Jeanne-Claude
01:55
did their temporary installation, The Gates,
36
103579
2229
fixeron a súa instalación temporal, "The Gates",
01:57
in Central Park.
37
105808
1821
en Central Park.
01:59
Hundreds of these brightly-colored sculptures
38
107629
1644
Centos destas esculturas de cores brillantes
02:01
decorated the park for a number of weeks,
39
109273
3202
decoraron o parque unhas semanas
02:04
and unlike work that's exhibited
40
112475
1932
e, a diferenza do traballo exposto
02:06
in a more neutral space,
41
114407
1548
en espazos máis neutrais,
02:07
like on the walls of a gallery or a museum,
42
115955
3155
como as paredes dunha galería ou dun museo,
02:11
this was work that was really in dialogue
43
119110
2311
este era un traballo que
estaba realmente dialogando
02:13
with this place,
44
121421
1380
con este lugar,
02:14
and in a lot of ways, The Gates
45
122801
1932
e de moitos xeitos, "The Gates"
02:16
was really a celebration
46
124733
1456
foi realmente unha celebración
02:18
of Frederick Olmsted's incredible design.
47
126189
2733
do incrible deseño de Frederick Olmsted.
02:20
This was an experience that stayed with us
48
128922
2262
Esta foi unha experiencia
que se mantivo con nós
02:23
for a long time, and years later,
49
131184
2269
por moito tempo, e anos despois
02:25
my brother and I moved back to Washington, D.C.,
50
133453
2825
meu irmán mais eu mudámonos
de novo a Washington DC
02:28
and we started to ask the question,
51
136278
2277
e comezamos a preguntarnos
02:30
would it be possible,
52
138555
1764
se sería posible,
02:32
in the same way that The Gates
53
140319
1441
do mesmo xeito que "The Gates"
02:33
responded to the physical layout of the park,
54
141760
3198
respondía á disposición física do parque,
02:36
to compose music for a landscape?
55
144958
4842
compoñer música para unha paisaxe.
02:41
Which brought us to this.
56
149800
2647
O que nos conduciu ata aqui.
02:44
(Music)
57
152447
4922
(Música)
02:49
On Memorial Day, we released "The National Mall,"
58
157369
3636
No Día dos Caídos, estreamos
"The National Mall"
02:53
a location-aware album
59
161005
2488
un album que ten en conta a ubicación
02:55
released exclusively as a mobile app
60
163493
2717
lanzado en exclusiva
como unha aplicación móbil
02:58
that uses the device's built-in GPS functionality
61
166210
3711
que usaba a función interna do GPS
03:01
to sonically map the entire park
62
169921
2785
para cartografar sonoramente todo o parque
03:04
in our hometown of Washington, D.C.
63
172706
5754
da nosa cidade natal en Washington, DC.
03:10
Hundreds of musical segments
64
178460
2021
Centos de segmentos musicais
03:12
are geo-tagged throughout the entire park
65
180481
3261
están etiquetados xeograficamente
por todo o parque
03:15
so that as a listener traverses the landscape,
66
183742
2844
polo que a medida que
o ouvinte atravesa a paisaxe,
03:18
a musical score is actually unfolding around them.
67
186586
3409
un indicador musical vaise
estendendo ó seu arredor.
03:21
So this is not a playlist or a list of songs
68
189995
2240
Así que isto non é unha lista
de reproducción ou de cancións
03:24
intended for the park,
69
192235
2555
planeada para o parque,
03:26
but rather an array of distinct melodies and rhythms
70
194790
2996
senón máis ben un espectro
de distintos ritmos e melodías
03:29
that fit together like pieces of a puzzle
71
197786
2297
que encaixan entre si como
pezas dun crebacabezas
03:32
and blend seamlessly
72
200083
1563
e se mesturan continuamente
03:33
based on a listener's chosen trajectory.
73
201646
2466
segundo a traxectoria escollida polo ouvinte.
03:36
So think of this as
74
204112
1371
Así que pensen en isto como
03:37
a choose-your-own-adventure of an album.
75
205483
2541
un álbum de escolle-a-túaa-propia-aventura.
03:40
Let's take a closer look.
76
208024
1592
Botemos unha ollada máis de preto.
03:41
Let's look at one example here.
77
209616
1788
Vexamos este exemplo.
03:43
So using the app,
78
211404
2278
Utilizando a aplicación
03:45
as you make your way towards the grounds
79
213682
2274
a medida que te abres camiño polo terreo
03:47
surrounding the Washington Monument,
80
215956
1822
rodeando o monumento a Washington,
03:49
you hear the sounds of instruments warming up,
81
217778
4211
escoitas o son dos instrumentos afinándose,
03:53
which then gives way to the sound of a mellotron
82
221989
3008
que logo da paso ó son dun mellotron
03:56
spelling out a very simple melody.
83
224997
4762
entoando unha melodía moi sinxela.
04:01
This is then joined by the sound of sweeping violins.
84
229759
5836
A isto úneselle despois
o envolvente son de violíns.
04:07
Keep walking, and a full choir joins in,
85
235595
4397
Segue a andar e unirase un coro completo
04:11
until you finally reach the top of the hill
86
239992
2102
ata que finalmente acades o alto do outeiro
04:14
and you're hearing the sound of drums and fireworks
87
242094
2750
e escoitarás o son de tambores
e fogos de artificio
04:16
and all sorts of musical craziness,
88
244844
2286
e todo tipo de tolerías musicais
04:19
as if all of these sounds are radiating out
89
247130
2813
como se todos estes sons fosen irradiados
04:21
from this giant obelisk that punctuates
90
249943
1840
polo obelisco xigante que irrumpe
04:23
the center of the park.
91
251783
2929
no centro do parque.
04:26
But were you to walk in the opposite direction,
92
254712
2789
Pero se te dirixises á dirección oposta
04:29
this entire sequence happens in reverse.
93
257501
5371
toda a secuencia sucedería en orde inversa.
04:34
And were you to actually exit
the perimeter of the park,
94
262872
3200
E cando saises do perímetro do parque,
04:38
the music would fade to silence,
95
266072
2222
a música esvaeceríase ata desaparecer,
04:40
and the play button would disappear.
96
268294
3377
e o botón do play desaparecería.
04:43
We're sometimes contacted by
people in other parts of the world
97
271671
3048
Ás veces contacta con nós xente
doutros lugares do mundo
04:46
who can't travel to the United States,
98
274719
1927
que non poden viaxar ós Estados Unidos,
04:48
but would like to hear this record.
99
276646
2151
pero ós que lles gustaría escoitar esta grabación.
04:50
Well, unlike a normal album,
100
278797
2643
Ben, a diferenza dun disco normal,
04:53
we haven't been able to accommodate this request.
101
281440
2288
non puidemos satisfacer esta petición.
04:55
When they ask for a C.D. or an MP3 version,
102
283728
2998
Cando piden un CD ou unha versión en MP3,
04:58
we just can't make that happen,
103
286726
2196
simplemente non podemos conseguilo
05:00
and the reason is because
104
288922
2178
e a razón é que
05:03
this isn't a promotional app
105
291100
1985
esta non é unha aplicación promocional,
05:05
or a game to promote or accompany
106
293085
2449
ou un xogo para publicitar ou acompañar
05:07
the release of a traditional record.
107
295534
2285
o lanzamento dunha grabación tradicional.
05:09
In this case, the app is the work itself,
108
297819
3734
Neste caso, a aplicación
é o traballo en si mesmo
05:13
and the architecture of the landscape
109
301553
1883
e a arquitectura da paisaxe
05:15
is intrinsic to the listening experience.
110
303436
4643
é intrínseca á experiencia auditiva.
05:20
Six months later, we did a location-aware album
111
308079
2868
Seis meses despois, creamos un disco
que ten en conta a ubicación
05:22
for Central Park,
112
310947
1541
para Central Park,
05:24
a park that is over two times
the size of the National Mall,
113
312488
3272
un parque que duplica
o tamaño do National Mall,
05:27
with music spanning from the Sheep's Meadow
114
315760
2384
con música que abarcaba
dende Sheep's Meadow
05:30
to the Ramble to the Reservoir.
115
318144
3412
ata a camiñata á presa.
05:33
Currently, my brother and I are working on
116
321556
2003
Actualmente, meu irmán e eu
estamos traballando
05:35
projects all over the country,
117
323559
2317
en proxectos por todo o país,
05:37
but last spring we started a project,
118
325876
2248
pero a primavera pasada
comezamos un proxecto
05:40
here actually at Stanford's
119
328124
1661
precisamente aquí no Stanford's
05:41
Experimental Media Art Department,
120
329785
2592
Experimental Media Art Department,
05:44
where we're creating our largest
location-aware album to date,
121
332377
2958
onde estamos creando o noso maior disco
que ten en conta a ubicación ata agora,
05:47
one that will span the entirety of Highway 1
122
335335
2090
que abarcará toda a Estrada 1
05:49
here on the Pacific Coast.
123
337425
2290
aquí na costa do Pacífico.
05:51
But what we're doing, integrating GPS with music,
124
339715
4150
Pero o que nos facemos,
incorporar GPS á música,
05:55
is really just one idea.
125
343865
2503
en realidade é só unha idea.
05:58
But it speaks to a larger vision
126
346368
2338
Aínda que conduce a unha visión máis ampla
06:00
for a music industry that's sometimes struggled
127
348706
2149
para unha industria que ás veces forcexa
06:02
to find its footing in this digital age,
128
350855
2832
para atopar o seu lugar na era dixital,
06:05
that they begin to see these new technologies
129
353687
2465
que empecen a ver nestas novas tecnoloxías
06:08
not simply as ways of adding bells and whistles
130
356152
2245
non só como formas de
engadir campás e asubíos
06:10
to an existing model,
131
358397
1857
a un modelo existente,
06:12
but to dream up entirely new ways
132
360254
1738
senón que fantaseen
con modelos totalmente novos
06:13
for people to interact with
133
361992
1717
nos que a xente intereactúe
06:15
and experience music.
134
363709
1742
e experimente a música.
06:17
Thank you.
135
365451
2044
Grazas.
06:19
(Applause)
136
367495
4000
(Aplausos)
Translated by Alicia Ferreiro
Reviewed by Alba Regidor

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ryan Holladay - Musician
Brothers Ryan and Hays Holladay explore the intersection of art and technology with an emphasis on music and sound, with projects ranging from multichannel audio installations to interactive performances to mobile apps.

Why you should listen

The Holladay brothers have done pioneering work in location-aware music composition: music created and mapped to a physical space, released as mobile apps, that use a mobile device’s GPS to dynamically alter the music as the listener traverses a landscape. Their first production, “The National Mall,” a location-aware piece mapped to the Mall in Washington, DC, was described by music critic Chris Richards “magical...like using GPS to navigate a dream.” They went on to create similar works for Central Park in New York and for SXSW Interactive in Austin, Texas, and are engaged in a long-term project of sonically mapping the entirety of the Pacific Coast Highway. Ryan is a 2013 TED Fellow.

More profile about the speaker
Ryan Holladay | Speaker | TED.com
THE ORIGINAL VIDEO ON TED.COM