Ryan Raffa | Portfolio

DisFluency Exhibition

Ryan — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:49:35 +0000

^{Photo by Michelle Calabro} Aronson Gallery, The New School November 28 - December 16 Curated by George Bixby, Jeanna Hamilton and Ryan Raffa Faculty Advisors: Melanie Crean and David Carroll More information at www.disfluencyexhibition.org Featuring works by Ricardo Dominguez, Brendan Fernandes, Nina Katchadourian, Erica Duffy-Voss, and Krzysztof Wodiczko, the exhibition examines universal aspects of inhibited communication by investigating synergies between works created in the areas of art and design. Additionally, we’re attempting to foster transdisciplinary participation across therapeutic, technological and pedagogical fields to investigate issues that affect fluent communication.

disfluency | ˌdis floōənsē|
Within the clinical realm, ‘dysfluency’ is a real word used as a diagnostic requisite for a speech disorder. By its very nature, the addition of the prefix ‘dys’ to fluency, negates the word and connotates dysfunction. Emerging from a common interest in how the act of stuttering affects the lives of stutterers, DisFluency examines how each of us is effected by compromised communication, and questions whether divergence from the fluent norm is always a ‘dys’.

Inhibited communication is a universal human condition, and as such, is in danger of oversight, misunderstanding and being met with complacency. As designers, technologists, and artists, we question how art and design can overcome obstacles to fluency, and investigate the mechanisms through which these obstacles arise and persist.

How can artists and designers address communication disruption practically, theoretically, technologically and clinically? What role do new forms of technology play to bridge political, social and clinical divides? What effect can artistic practices have in the forms of games workshops, dialog, or performance?

The show will be on view at Aronson Gallery until December 19, 2011. DisFluency Exhibition Opening - November 28, 2011 ^{Photos by Michelle Calabro}

Tempo: Conversational

Ryan — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 19:00:05 +0000

The following pieces were composed for the Aronson gallery exhibit, DisFluency. Inspired by Christian Marclay's Zoom Zoom as well as John Coltrane's Psalm, I composed three pieces of music for the upcoming DisFluency exhibit happening at The New School's Aronson Gallery. The three pieces explore the affordance of words as a form of expression and use the sound of language as the basis for musical composition. The compositions are in text form (ex. dialogue between multiple participants), and the performers interpret the text as musical notes and enact the conversation through the sound of their instruments. Each piece makes use of a different system of organization and technique.

Words of the Day Words of the Day makes use of William Burroughs's cut-up methods. Inspired by the dynamic narrative lectures I heard from Nicholas Fortugno and my own readings of Burroughs's The Ticket That Exploded, I had produced many experiments with text. Through the making process, I developed a plan for this particular composition using two newspapers, The Wall Street Journal and The New School Free Press. I cut out specific words that caught my attention and represented specific actors and actions that felt relevant to the times. I then arranged the words into loose phrases and, with the idea of tonal languages in mind, indicated specific intonation. Instructions: Interpret each phrase using the intonation noted above each word.

A Way With Words A Way With Words is based loosely on traditional board games that use maps and provide choices that offer differing levels of reward and feedback. In preparing for the composition, I kept a list of sounds and words that I felt had strong sonic and figurative relationships. The word map provides unique rhythmic paths that the performers are free to interpret tonally. Instructions: Each performer chooses a word to begin. The performer interprets that word as sound and is free to select the note and inflection. The following word must be connected to the previous word. Performance length is determined by performer(s).

Welcome Aboard Welcome Aboard is based loosely on my own experiences of interviewing for jobs after graduating this May. The piece involves a dialogue between two persons, and the performers are to repeat the short piece as many times as they deem necessary. I've experimented with loops in purely sonic form in my previous musical pieces, so I had several versions of this piece that I read aloud. Instructions: Each performer selects an actor. The performer interprets each word as sound and is free to select the note and inflection. Multiple performers per actor is encouraged. Repeat as desired, and stop at any portion of the reading. Performance length is determined by performers.

Tempo: Conversational All pieces composed by Ryan Raffa Performed by Ian Christensen, Ryan Beckley, and Zach Campbell DisFluency Exhibit Performance Series December 1, 8, and 15 Aronson Gallery, The New School [soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/1388522" params="show_comments=true&auto_play=false&show_playcount=false&show_artwork=false&color=FF4B99" width="100%" height="145" ]
Here is a video from the December 1st performance:

NY Public Radio Exercise – Social Radio Experience

Ryan — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:35:33 +0000

I envision the best of social radio experiences to include a way for users to become contributors by remixing and sharing their own broadcasts and recordings with curated broadcasts from radio content providers. When starting any project, I always try to create a set of user profiles framing the context and possible usage scenarios. For this exercise, instead of doing an in-depth review of real metrics, I scanned a number of magazines and newspapers for images of contexts and users I imagine using my proposed WNYC User Broadcast Editor. From amateur reporters, teachers and students to cultural organizations and tastemakers, I see a community of radio consumers becoming radio contributors who share their content locally and globally. I also included a brief Schedule that illustrates the steps I see involved in designing, developing, and deploying this functionality. As with any change to existing systems, it does not only include changes to the the surface (ex. a website) but also includes cultural changes within an organization. This could be a simple change in process, but as with the changes we have seen recently with social media, it represents a fundamental shift in how people experience their media. This schedule is by no means complete (ex. it does not include any clear stakeholders, 3rd party contributors, or specifics in regards to timing), but it represents a general approach to designing and developing new interactions and interfaces. Lo-fi Wireframes Below are a set of lo-fi wireframes that provide an overview of the product and features: Hi-fi Mock & Specifications Below are a set of hi-fi mock-ups and specifications for the WNYC User Broadcast Editor. I see contributors being able to select audio from any of the WNYC archives, record their own audio, and assemble the audio content into a cohesive release. After arranging all of the pieces of audio and publishing it, users are able to share links to the audio as well as post it to any of their social media outlets (ex. Twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc).

Urban Drifts

Ryan — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 23:36:48 +0000

Urban Drifts is a series of research–driven bicycle rides through urban spaces that make use of the Situationist International concept of the dérive and tracks the course of the rides using GPS technology. At the outset, the goal of the project was to use the series of dérives as a probe and information gathering technique to create a set of photographic works and psychogeographic sound maps of cities I explored. For the full project description, click here. The reason for the project is my interest in exploring the connection between urban landscapes and the emotions and actions of the inhabitants of that urban space and looking to see what new insights technology (primarily GPS tracking) and psychogeographic maps can shed on this relationship. For each dérive, I would choose an initial direction and then allow the local surroundings, such as the architecture, the sounds, the smells and the overall feel of the space to guide where I went next. I would drop my usual motives for movement and action (such as heading to school) and let myself "be drawn by the attractions of the terrain and the encounters." To create the sound maps, I built a patch in Max MSP that applied the GPS data I collected during these rides to sound; making use of the latitude, longitude, elevation, speed, and duration, the midi output program I created expressed these many elements in successive tones. I considered my various latitude and longitude positions (or intersecting points) as chords, assigning a note to each value. The speed at which I was moving altered how quickly the notes (or chords of latitude/longitude) were played in succession, and the length of time I was in an area of space affects how long the notes were held. Here are two video demonstrations of the dérives used in the application: Here are samples of photos that were taken during this derive series: For more information about this project, please check out the full description here.

Gracias

Ryan — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 13:56:57 +0000

Self produced: recorded in 2009-2010 / July 2010. Available at Music Matters and iTunes. [soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/24151158" params="show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=FF4B99" width="100%" height="81" ]
We did it a little different with this one, and our album is on a usb drive that's shaped like a pill. That way you can share it even easier, and it's also reusable. Enjoy the music and your brand new usb drive.

Credits The Mugs are Brett Tieman, Jeremy Gough, Nick Moy and Ryan Raffa Engineered, recorded, and mixed at City Closet Storage Studios, Brooklyn, NY by The Mugs Mastered at West West Side Music, New Windsor, NY by Alan Douches

Ravel Day EP (2008)

Ryan — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 13:02:42 +0000

Self produced: recorded January - June 2008 / released August 26th. Available at Music Matters and iTunes. [soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/3812021" params="show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=FF4B99" width="100%" height="81" ]
Ravel Day EP is, more or less, the smoldering remains of what could have been our summer 2008 cross-country tour. Our original plan at the start of the year was to do lots of touring around these wonderful states of ours, but two engagements, two funerals, and one life-threatening illness later, the open road seemed a less-likely option. Since we weren’t heading out of Brooklyn for the summer, we got out the microphones and recording gear, and this new EP is a reflection of that time. "Could It Be" was featured as KEXP's "Song of the Day", and we performed it live for NPR and Radio New York. The song of the day podcasts are free and are available on iTunes, KEXP’s website, or from KEXP’s blog. "Could It Be" was also be a part of their Music That Matters podcast Vol. 122 - “The Only Road I’ve Ever Been Down” (free download from iTunes). KEXP also did a really nice write-up, and you can read it on their blog here or on facebook here. Thanks to KEXP and John Richards for the support. With each release we try to do something new, and Ravel Day EP features lead vocals from each member of the group. We also did some personalization with the packaging that started with a hundred heavily altered photos that we pasted up around our neighborhood. Each EP was glued and stamped by hand, and we also included a Polaroid series and original “source” photo that the street art started from in the first 100 cd’s we put together. The actual cover art for the EP has one of 4 different photos of that street art we put up around Brooklyn. Here are a few of the Polaroids included in the packaging: You can see pictures of the street art, Polaroids, and other related things here (humdrumboy) and here (b. tieman). To hear songs from the album, you can also go to our myspace. All songs © 2008 The Mugs A Brick Called Alcohol Music (ASCAP) TRT = 23:41 The Mugs are: Jeremy Gough - Vocals, Keyboards, Trumpet J. Nicholas Moy - Guitars, Vocals, Bass, Percussion Ryan Raffa - Drums, Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion Brett Tieman - Bass, Vocals, Guitar Credits Engineered, recorded, and mixed at City Closet Storage Studios, Brooklyn, NY by The Mugs Mastered at West West Side Music, New Windsor, NY by Alan Douches Layout Assistance by Naomi Donabedian Inspirado by F. Trainer Photos by humdrumboy and Brett Tieman

Here Tomorrow (2007)

Ryan — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:58:58 +0000

Self produced: recorded January to July 2007 / released August 25th. Available at Music Matters and iTunes.

[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/229430" params="show_comments=true&auto_play=false&show_playcount=true&show_artwork=true&color=FF4B99" width="100%" height="225" ]

To hear a few of the songs from the album, go can also go to our myspace.

All songs © 2007 The Mugs
A Brick Called Alcohol Music (ASCAP)

Credits The Mugs are Brett Tieman, Jeremy Gough, Nick Moy and Ryan Raffa

Engineered, recorded, and mixed at City Closet Storage Studios, Brooklyn, NY
by The Mugs

Mastered at SAE Mastering, Phoenix, AZ
by Roger Seibel

Artwork design & layout by Naomi Donabedian

Photos by humdrumboy and Sam Horine

Paper Scissors Rock (2005)

Ryan — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:56:47 +0000

Self produced: recorded in 2004 / released early 2005. Available at Music Matters and iTunes.

[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/229412" params="show_comments=true&auto_play=false&show_playcount=true&show_artwork=true&color=FF4B99" width="100%" height="225" ]

To hear a few of the songs from the album, you can also go to our myspace.

Credits The Mugs are Brett Tieman, Jeremy Gough, Nick Moy, Ben Small and Ryan Raffa Engineered & recorded at Union St., Brooklyn, NY
by Jonathan Goldberger - Downhome Labs

Mixed at Mission Sound Recording, Brooklyn, NY
by Oliver Strauss & The Mugs

Mastered at West West Side Music, Tenafly, NJ
by Alan Douches

Artwork design & layout
by Naomi Donabedian

Daisy Cutter EP (2003)

Ryan — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:53:02 +0000

Self produced: recorded/released in 2003. [soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/3811247" params="show_comments=false&auto_play=false&color=FF4B99" width="100%" height="81" ]
NOTE: This recording hasn’t been ruthlessly compressed, nor has it been mastered, so it sounds best loud. Daisy Cutter ep Daisy Cutter Frank While it Lasts Poker Face Holiday Broken Signals All songs © 2003 The Mugs Credits The Mugs are Brett Tieman, Jeremy Gough, Ben Small and Ryan Raffa Engineered & recorded at Union St., Brooklyn, NY by Jonathan Goldberger, Down Home Labs Mixed at Down Home Labs by Jonathan Goldberger & The Mugs

Performatron

Ryan — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 06:37:48 +0000

This is documentation of the latest app prototypes. More information to come.