ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the evaluation of Reach, an augmented keyboard instrument that provides control over the sound modulation of a live piano feed. It builds upon existing research previously presented at the Innovation in Music conference that took place in London, September 2017. Subjects were briefly interviewed about their pianistic background, current knowledge and experience with electronic music and #MIs. Classical pianists struggle more with the aural elements of the system than the gestural ones. The accessibility of the interface combined with the confidence of the user to approach the described interactions led to an exploration of possible extended technique outside of the proposed gestural nuances. The ability of the pianists to freely improvise at a first encounter with the instrument was also compared with the low degree of invasiveness, providing a fertile ground to transfer the instrumental technique developed.
