Musical Chairs. Not.

One week from today, the Blackball performance group will debut new music on a new kind of instrument.

Meet the blackballophon, a MIDI controller we built out of spare robot parts, disused electric guitars and a blue chair.
 
We've used Arduino and Makey-Makey technology to create a musical control surface that provides beat-making and a good sit-down. Simultaneously.

Blackball.
You know.
Electronica.
For kids.

Blackball performs at 6:00 PM Wednesday 20 June at the Toronto Kiwanis Boys & Girls Clubs' annual general meeting at 20 Portugal Square.

No More Sheet Music. Ever.

Johnny say All Notes Off when you listen and learn to the No More Sheet Music demo: Click me, already.

In October, we're taking control.

With less than a month to go before Blackball shatters the peace and quiet of Regent Park and Trinity-Bellwoods, Blackball kids are raring to take their places and get synthesized.
 
Who's the lucky Blackballista that gets to make medicine with this newly-acquired M-Audio Axiom 25 control surface? The one with semi-weighted keys and a real-time velocity display?

We'll talk.

In the meantime, you can watch this this live Blackball performance footage.

Second Sight.

Thanks to the very generous support of the Ontario Arts Council, Blackball's long-awaited second site goes operational in the New Year.

With this much-needed contribution of a significant amount of moolah, Blackball will deliver its transformational electronic music performance and production program to not one, but two Toronto Kiwanis Boys And Girls Clubs locations, Regent Park and Trinity Bellwoods.

Is there space in your community for innovative electronic music programming? Blackball would love to partner with you.

It takes two, baby.

FW ii: Magnificent. Seven.

The fourth iteration of the Blackball electronic music project is underway at the Toronto Kiwanis Boys and Girls Club.







As of this writing, seven kids
—a Blackball record—have signed on for the Fall/Winter term.

But there's more. Talks are underway with a TKBGC unit in the downtown Toronto area for a second, discrete Blackball site.

Watch this space for news, performance dates and exciting updates.

Photos by Simon Remark at ecstaticphotography.ca.

Blackball: Alive and Pictured.

On the 15th of June, the young musicians of the Blackball Project's school-year session took the stage at the Toronto Kiwanis Boys & Girls Clubs AGM and ended the year with big beats and sweet synths.

Meanwhile, there's a new band waiting in the wings: Blackball's second summer session is already underway.

Every picture tells a story.

Photo credits, 1-7. Simon Remark at ecstaticphotography.ca, 8. Alexandra Hall.

Defined

We produced this short video to give the world at large a clue to the Blackball project is all about.

Won't you lend your ears and eyes to our fledgling project, and watch this rivetting "What-We-Do"?

The play length is all of 2:59.

That's 28 seconds less than the '45 radio edit of Kraftwerk's Autobahn. You can't go wrong.

See It Now.