A POINEERING event is to demonstrate how new technology is paving the way for disabled artists to create new music.

The performance this week in Glasgow will see musicians use innovative ways of making music with laptops, iPads and wearable technology.

It will include musician Kris Halpin with his MiMu gloves, technology which has been used by pop star Ariana Grande and which Halpin says has changed his life as he has an impairment that is making guitar and piano playing increasingly difficult. Playing with Halpin are the iPad Quartet, part of Drake Music Scotland’s Digital Orchestra.

“We are trying to change people’s minds about those who are disabled so rather than focus on what they can’t do, this shows what they can do,” said Pete Sparkes, artistic director of Drake Music Scotland. “Often disability is not such a big issue in the arts as there are always creative ways to overcome barriers and we want audiences to recognise that.

“We have amazing technology and hopefully this will change the audience perception of disabled people as there are often low expectations of what is possible.”

The event is the second Cryptic Nights of 2019, a regular series of events which nurtures emerging artists in the development and presentation of work that crosses creative boundaries with live music, visual and sonic art, film and new media.

“This will be a completely unique musical experience and it will look beautiful and sound beautiful,” said Sparkes.

“Anyone at all interested in what technology can do should come along as the apps we are using are available to everyone. It will be enlightening on what is possible and how amazing technology can be.”

Throughout the evening, each work will be unpacked with discussions about how the technology is bridging gaps and enabling musicians to have physical control over their playing that would not be possible at such a high level using traditional instruments.

The technology will be explored from multiple perspectives using live cameras.

“I think it will be an interesting night and the cameras will give a good view of what is going on,” said Sparkes.

“The gloves alone are fantastic and well worth seeing. It is visually really interesting as you can hear the music change as he directs it because the laptop is following the movement of his hands.”

The iPad Quartet are composer and performer Clare Johnston, Erin O’Neill, Steven Thornton and Emma Clark.

“The iPad Quartet is a traditional quartet reimagined for modern instruments,” said Johnston. “The ubiquitous touch screen is transformed into an instrument shaped by and for the players, on which their fingertips dance to create new music with a fresh and distinctive voice.”

Some have questioned whether iPads and other digital technology can be classed as instruments but Sparkes said that any anything that allowed people to produce musical sounds was an instrument.

He pointed out that when the piano was introduced in Mozart’s time there was initial suspicion.

“We don’t think of a piano as technology now but anything a musician uses that is not just their own voice is some form of technology,” he said. “This performance will show that what they are doing with music is really interesting.”

Drake Music Scotland is the nation’s leading arts organisation providing music making opportunities for people with disabilities and over the last 20 years has worked with more than 13,000 children and adults across Scotland.

Achievements to date include Inclusive Classroom, a flagship education programme for special and mainstream schools, implementation of an acclaimed training and continuing professional development programme and innovative developments in technology.

Recognising the need for a regular, supportive platform for emerging Scottish based artists with fresh ideas, Cryptic launched Cryptic Nights in 2009 and has to date presented more than 270 artists in partnership with the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) in Glasgow.

Cathie Boyd, Cryptic’s artistic director, said they were delighted to be collaborating with Drake Music Scotland for Thursday evening’s event at the CCA. “Their pioneering composers and musicians present ambitious works which push the boundaries of how the body and technology can interact to create beautiful and profoundly moving soundscapes,” she said.