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The MIDI Association at Music Tectonics 2025

The MIDI Association

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After a week in China and a week in Japan, we got on a plane headed back to the US on November 3.

The plane was three hours late taking off so we left at 11 pm and arrived at LAX at 5 pm the same day.

Rather than heading home, we went straight to a hotel in Santa Monica to attend the Music Tectonics conference.

Our friends at Rock, Paper, Scissors put on the conference which is a really interesting mix of music instrument technology companies, companies focused on connecting artists and fans and a pretty heavy dose of venture capitalists and IP lawyers.

One of the things we found fascinating was it was very hard to tell where to start when people walked up the the MIDI booth. Some were music producers and film composers who understood MIDI deeply and were interested to learn the latest about the orchestral articulation profile, some were “wanna be” music producers who didn’t know very much about MIDI and some were from a completely different world of streaming payment systems.

For example Tipalti, a company which does expense management and accounts payble automation was one of the sponsors. What was really cool was that they all got the idea behind the interactive display which allows anyone to experience the joy of making music.

Music Tectonics Day 1

Day 1 was at the Santa Monica Pier Carousel. Dmitri Vietze Founder & CEO, Rock Paper Scissors Inc. and Adam Adam Mcheffey Chief Creative Officer, Rock Paper Scissors Inc. were making sure the vibes were right, but to be honest it was Shayli Ankenbruck, Head of Events at Rock Paper Scissors who was always there to make sure that everything was running smoothly,

A brightly lit indoor carousel with colorful, ornate horses and a blue sea creature seat, set on a polished wooden floor under a white, domed ceiling with visible beams.

It was a great hang and we set up the same table of accessible interactive gear (Connect Through MIDI as the core software connecting up the Arcana Strum , the Oddball , the Cosmos Dots, the Drum Beam) that we had at Music China and Tokyo Gakki Fair.

Music Tectonics Day 2

We tore down the setup, packed it up and Shayli arranged to have the gear dropped off directly at the Annenberg beach house where the next day of the conference was. That turned out to be a really nice thing because we got to walk from our hotel on California street to the Annenberg and catch some stunning views of Santa Monica cliffs and beaches.

A rocky cliff with palm trees overlooks a road, sandy beach, and the ocean under a cloudy sky. Some buildings and more palm trees are visible near the shoreline in the distance.
A view of a wide sandy beach with palm trees, a parking lot, a pool area, and a few buildings, under a cloudy sky. The calm ocean stretches into the distance.

The Annenberg is a really beautiful places for an event like this. So we will let a few pictures tell the story.

A sunny day at an outdoor poolside area with modern buildings, tall palm trees, people standing by the pool, and orange umbrellas shading tables along the deck.
A group of people gather near vendor tables by an outdoor swimming pool, with a modern building featuring large windows and vertical white columns in the background. Some booths have banners and promotional materials displayed.
A group of people sit on white chairs facing a panel of speakers under orange umbrellas at an outdoor event near the beach, with palm trees and a blue sky in the background.
A table with a red MIDI Association tablecloth holds a laptop, small keyboard, monitor, headphones, joystick, cards, and electronics. A white chair and metal fence with greenery are in the background.
An outdoor booth with a bright orange tablecloth labeled MIDI Association is set up under large umbrellas. A person sits beside the booth, giving a thumbs-up. Colorful banners and informational posters are displayed behind.
An older man with long gray hair and a beard sits on a chair outdoors, holding a white circular object. He wears a black hat, black shirt, and a lanyard. Colorful pool rule signs and a black table are visible behind him.
Arne Schulze was there with the Jambourine, a MIDI Controller for tempo

There were a number of MIDI Association members we ran into and some had booths like ours.

Two women stand behind a table with electronic equipment and laptops, smiling at an outdoor event. One gives a peace sign. Both wear black Eternal Research shirts, with banners and colorful background behind them.
A triangular black audio device with various knobs and vents sits on a table among synthesizers, cables, stickers, and electronic equipment, including an Eternal Research sticker in the bottom right corner.
Two men smiling for a selfie at an outdoor event. One has an afro hairstyle and headphones around his neck; the other has gray hair and glasses. Booths and plants are visible in the background under a clear sky.
Diego Pinzon from DAWn Audio
A panoramic view of an outdoor pool area with vendor booths, orange umbrellas, and people walking around. A modern building and palm trees are visible in the background under a clear blue sky.

After three weeks on the road promoting MIDI, it was finally time to watch the sunset and then head home.

A beach at sunset with orange and purple clouds, three tall palm trees, volleyball nets, and a few people playing on the sand; parked cars and buildings are visible in the background.