MAZE explores how the playful environment of a new board game, based on traditional Snakes and
Ladders, can be used as a means of structuring a musical composition. The idea is a development of
my interest in rule based musical pieces presented in the work of Cage, Xenakis and Zorn’s
improvisational game pieces. The work was built using Max MSP, Javascript and has a custom control
interface made using Arduino technology.
The goal of MAZE is to realise an interactive composition built from game based improvisations
through the development of a Max patch that analyses and reacts to the sound made by the player in
real-time. The analysed audio represents a metaphorical throw of a dice to control a musical journey
around the maze. The piece is brought to a close when the first player reaches the centre of the
Celtic maze pattern, playing back through a modified version of the opening of the piece, marking
the end of the composition.