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FEATURE
Joining Forces —Cross-Divisional University Projects
THE FUTURE OF ORCHESTRAL GARMENTS Parsons and MANNES COLLEGE
“Our goal is to erase preconceived notions of what a classical concert is,” said MARIN ALSOP, music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO). “We’re re-imagining orchestral attire and bringing technology into the concert hall in exciting new ways.” For the past year, Alsop and the BSO have collaborated with PARSONS and MANNES COLLEGE the new school for music on a project in which fashion, wearable technology, and interactive design are used to transform the concert experience and reach new audiences. Alsop created the project to honor her friend and mentor, fashion executive and Parsons board member TOMIO TAKI.
The project was initiated last fall in Orchestral Garments, a Parsons course on wearable technology led by SABINE SEYMOUR and SCOTT PETERMAN, MFA DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY ’12. Students observed Mannes musicians and the BSO performing to research ways to make concert wear functional and comfortable. They created devices that track performers’ movements and the sound waves they produce and convert them into projected animations. In IDC Networks–The Gift, a BFA Integrated Design course led this spring by GABRIEL ASFOUR, students built on concepts from last fall’s class to develop concert attire further. “The ‘gift’ in the course title refers to students’ discovering their talents,” Asfour explained, “and bringing them to a creative collaboration.” Using vintage pieces, ready-to-wear, and sportswear fabrics, students outfitted Mannes musicians for a recital presented in and livestreamed from the Theresa Lang Center.