Instrument-hacking, synth-making, and creative coding

On Wednesday 5th July, in the basement of a vibrant cafe in Brixton, a group of music enthusiasts pushed the boundaries of both music tech and their minds, during a day of workshops, talks and networking.

As attendees slowly poured in, excited chatter about music filled the room before the programme had even begun. This set a great tone for Daisy from Wired4Music to open with a passionate call-to-action to own your creativity and make the most of any circumstance.

Pumped up and motivated, young minds were stretched by Irini Mirena’s display of quirky digital design from the V&A Museum, and then put to the test by Helen Leigh’s guitar-making workshop.

The rest of the day challenged and inspired participants with instrument-hacking, synth-making, and creative coding. Being led through these sessions revealed the reality that such activities aren’t as daunting and inaccessible as we think.

The instruments were crafted with appliances readily available on the high-street and were created by complete beginners within an hour. The event managed to unite a room full of strangers to explore alternative approaches to music tech, spark new interests, and establish new relationships.

If the mission was to galvanise, then I would say it was a mission accomplished.

Big thanks to all speakers Helen Leigh, Daisy Kelly-Granger, Irini Mirena Papadimitriou, Tim Yates, Adrian Holder, and Dr Matthew Yee-King.