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VIOLIN POWER THE PERFORMANCE  1992 to present

AN INTERACTIVE PERFORMANCE BY STEINA
STEINA: “In 1991, after having experimentally interfaced my acoustic violin with a variable speed video cassette player, I bought a MIDI violin and a Pioneer Disk Player. Interfacing these instruments with a computer gave me an instant access to any frame of video on the disk as well as access to fast/slow and forward/backward movements. The initial software was written by Russ Gritzo and further developed and improved by Bill Heckel. Violin Power is a ongoing continuous project with an ever increasing ‘repertoire.’ So far I have made five videodisks and I change the program for every performance.”
— Steina
 
C O N C E P T
The ZETA Violin is a five-stringed electric violin with a MIDI output. The assignment, at the moment, is that stops on A and E string point to frame locations on the disk. The D and G strings control speed and direction and the C string is a master controller assigned to address segments on the disks.
In another programming scheme, the C string controls which upper strings get assigned their function, as Steina experiments to make the performance more musically interesting.