Count-Me-In

Count-Me-In is a collaborative music sequencer that uses a distributed Web architecture to promote audience participation in music performances, installations, and other similar contexts. Audience members take control of individual sequencer tracks using their mobile phones (or any networked device), collaboratively building a music loop or phrase. This dialog represents a disruption in the traditional role played by the audience in a music performance: instead of being passive listeners, attendees become active performers.

Count-Me-In consists of two types of Web applications, one "Sequencer" app and multiple "Track" apps.

The Sequencer should be run on an "Orchestration" computer and its user interface is meant to be displayed on a large screen for the audience. The Track applications run on each participant's device (mobile phone, tablets, computers, etc.).

The Sequencer features 10 tracks and 16 steps by default. It also includes Play and Stop buttons, Tempo value in beats per minute, a selector to switch between internal or external sounds, and a button to display the current session information. Session information helps participants connecting to the session by means of a QR code.

It is worth noting that the number of steps and tracks is not hard-limited to 16 and 10, respectively. We used these numbers as they comfortably fit on a typical 16:9 display. Using larger displays, more tracks and steps could be fit. Reconfigure the number of tracks and steps requires trivial code adjustments. The "Track" applications can be either Drum or Synth tracks. The former features 16 switches to turn individual steps on or off, and 16 slider controls to adjust the velocity of each step. The Synth Track features a 1-octave keyboard per step centered at the C2-B2 octave (C2 = 65.41Hz), with switches to transpose an octave up or down. Please visit the linked website for a more detailed explanation and diagrams.

Modern musical events create a boundary between performers and the audience, with only the former playing and active role. With Count-Me-In, I aim at making audience members active participants of the performance, adding a new level of playful engagement to music concerts and other music activities. Count-Me-In aims at making such engagement as easy as possible as no additional hardware or software is needed beyond a computing device connected to the Internet.

Creating a playful musical dialog between performers and the audience brings participants of a music event much closer. Count-Me-In brings social music performance to the digital era.