Block Jam: A tangible interface for interactive music

In this paper, we introduce Block Jam, a Tangible User Interface that controls a dynamic polyrhythmic sequencer using 26 physical artifacts. These physical artifacts, that we call blocks, are a new type of input device for manipulating an interactive music system. The blocks' functional and topological statuses are tightly coupled to an ad hoc sequencer, interpreting the user's arrangement of the blocks as meaningful musical phrases and structures. We demonstrate that we have created both a tangible and visual language that enables both the novice and musically trained users by taking advantage of both their explorative and intuitive abilities. The tangible nature of the blocks and the intuitive interface promotes face-to-face collaboration and social interaction within a single system. Linking two Block Jam systems together to create a network further extends the principle of collaboration. We discuss our project vision, design rational, related works, and the implementation of Block Jam prototypes.