Drexel’s ExCITe Center, which has been at the confluence of science, technology and the arts communities in Philadelphia for a number of years, is gearing up to support a new endeavor this spring with an open call for a musician in residence which coincides with its annual call for seed project proposals to support research, technology development and performance.
With funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundations, the Center is opening applications for its inaugural ExCITe Residency: Music. The residency will bring a professional musician to the Center for 4-6 weeks to work closely with ExCITe technologists on a collaborative project for enhancing audience engagement during live performance.
ExCITe has been the venue for creative exploration by a number of musicians on their way to or through Philadelphia, including Grammy-nominated jazz keyboardist Marc Cary, Grammy-winning percussionist Will Calhoun, and composer-pianist Conrad Tao. These partnerships with talented visionaries have resulted in interactive performances that highlight the harmony of arts and technology.
The Center’s SEED Grant initiative has allowed many of these sorts of ideas to grow into fully realized technologies and programs with community impact. Since 2012 ExCITe has funded 12 projects ranging from a video game for patients with cerebral palsy to an in-home hydroponics system that uses algae.
Applications are now online for both the ExCITe Residency: Music program, which is open to all professional artists; and ExCITe SEED Grants, which are available to collaborative, transdisciplinary teams with at least one member of the Drexel community.
