The Boyer College Electroacoustic Ensemble Project—BEEP—is a group for electroacoustic music creation in a collaborative environment. Founded in 2013 by Dr. Adam Vidiksis at Temple University, BEEP embraces a variety of aesthetics and styles, from EDM to the avant-garde. We function in varied modalities: from a laptop orchestra, to fusion of computers and traditional instruments, to an electronic music band. BEEP uses the laptop orchestra model, an ensemble of computer-based meta-instruments, as but one of many possible modes of music making using computers and other electronics.
Our main goal as an ensemble is to explore new musical paths and new technologies by uniting people of varying and complementary skill sets in the discovery of new possibilities of creating sound. BEEP also aims to promote expressive music making and musical vocabulary, increase technological literacy among its participants and audience, to encourage a culture of code literacy and computer competency hand-in-hand with critical and independent thinking, and to perform the ever-expanding repertory of electronic music.
We believe that the integration of electronics in traditional music is one of many pathways forward for new music in our future. For performers, it is integral to harness the power of computer technology in order to have a strong online presence and be able to perform a large part of the music being written today. For composers, music technology makes itself evident in the writing process with engraving software and sequencers, but there is a clear creative advantage to be found in learning the benefits of integrating electronic aspects into developing pieces. For educators and music therapists, there is vast, largely unexplored potential in numerous programs being constantly written and coded for electronics that could have success in the classroom and in the therapy field. The potential is limitless when one has the tools to create sound from scratch, and BEEP strives to spread that potential as far as it can go.
BEEP has been featured at the International Computer Music Conference in Daegu, South Korea, the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States National Conferences in Georgia and Boston, the New York Electronic Arts Festival, the Electroacoustic Barn Dance in Virginia, and was the headlining band at the Andy Warhol exhibition opening at the M WOODS contemporary art gallery in Beijing, China. The group has collaborated with renowned artists such as Nicholas Isherwood, Toshimaru Nakamura, Dan Blacksberg, and Susan Alcorn. BEEP regularly performs at venues around the Philadelphia area.
BEEP’s programming carries wide appeal, enjoyable for everyone from the seasoned electronics aficionado to the casual radio listener. All our audiences need are open ears and open minds—let us show you how it’s BEEPin’ done.