An Arduino works as the brain of countless versions of a MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) controller.  Ready for a dozen switches and a half-a-dozen knobs, the Arduino lends itself to drum machine and sequencer designs.  But that doesn't mean that designers are limited to the obvious use cases.  With a design thinking philosophy, a DIY punk aesthetic, and a handful of cheap parts, the Arduino can become the ultimate "alternative" alternative controller.  In this workshop, we will set up the Arduino to send MIDI messages and explore minimalist methods and naked wire hacks to make an Arduino make music.  

This workshops are free and open to all University of Rochester students and faculty.  All materials for the workshop will be provided.  Participants should a laptop and, if possible, download and install the Arduino open-source software before the workshop. No previous microcontroller experience or electronics experience is required.  The first part of each workshop will be an introduction to the Arduino and the second part will focus on the specific workshop topic.