by Christian Pezzino
Calling all hackers! Drexel University will host the first official Philadelphia Music Hack Day at its Expressive and Creative Interaction Technologies (ExCITe) Center on May 18th and 19th. The 24-hour marathon event attracts coders, developers, and musicians by challenging them to create the next generation of music applications and technology using the application programming interface (API) provided by sponsors such as Spotify, Soundcloud, and The Echo Nest, who will also host workshops and presentations during the afternoon.
Local jazz fusion band Dirk Quinn Band will enliven the party Saturday night while participants feverishly hack the night away in preparation for a brief two to three minute demonstration on Sunday showcasing their projects before a crowd of industry insiders and tech-hungry enthusiasts. Sponsors will award various prizes to winners of the best hack.
This event will mark the 34th of its kind since Dave Haynes, founder of Music Hack Day and VP of Business Deveopment for Soundcloud, first held the event in 2009 in London. MHD grew in popularity, quickly spreading to major metropolitan areas worldwide, including Paris, Amsterdam and New York.
In the past, projects included apps which allow users to tweet songs onto a collaborative playlist, a hands-free Pandora controller, and even an app which allows audience members to control visualizations at concerts and festivals! Ever wanted to hear what Jon Bonham would sound like playing drums with your favorite band? “The Bonamizer” replaces the drum track with four of Bonham’s own beats. At Music Hack Day, anything is possible!
Compared to decades ago, technological innovations have drastically altered the ways in which people discover, consume, and interact with music. Music Hack Day provides the spaces for participants to develop practical, sometimes zany tools to allow individuals to interact with their favorite music in exciting new ways.
If you would like to register or acquire more information, go to http://philly.musichackday.org
