Electronic instrument pioneer Roger Linn (LinnDrum, MPC, LinnStrument) let us know about an upcoming workshop that offers a rare opportunity to learn instrument design.

Stanford University’s Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) is hosting a workshop on Designing Physical Interactions for Music June 17 through 21, 2024.

The workshop, held in Stanford, CA, will be taught by Linn, and composer/inventor Sasha Leitman.

Here’s what Linn shared about the workshop:

“Every year around June, I and Sasha Leitman co-teach a one-week, five full days, hands-on workshop about designing and creating simple electronic music/audio projects at Stanford University’s CCRMA computer music school, either in-person or remote via Zoom.

In the workshop, Sasha and I provide lots of information about sensors, actuators, software, mechanical design and materials, and lots more. We help you come up with a project idea and help you build it.

If you’re attending in person, you’ll have access to sensors, actuators and electronic/mechanical tools in the CCRMA Max Lab. Or if you’re attending remotely online, you’ll obtain the needed items in advance. Either way, we’ll provide one-on-one help with your project.

Given that the workshop is only one week, the projects are generally simple, providing a novel way of interacting with sensors to generate sounds, controlled by software written for a Teensy microcontroller board or a laptop.”

The workshop is conducted both in-person at Stanford ($500) or remote online from anywhere ($250). It is open to all, with no prerequisites. To register, see the CCRMA site. You can preview the content of the workshop at Linn’s site.