'that was easy!' :: an intro to electronics and music by way of circuit bending

PLEASE NOTE:  This workshop is only open to people older than 15.  If you are 15-18, you need to bring along your parent or your parental consent form.  Anyone younger than 15 will be turned away, as will anyone 15-18 without an accompanying guardian or parental consent form.  We're sorry for the trouble, but MIT Museum policy requires it.

Circuit bending is the creative short-circuiting of electronic devices like children's toys and digital synthesizers to create new musical or visual instruments and sound generators. It's a great entry point for exploring electronics, and in this workshop Jimmie Rodgers will lead participants through a basic exploration leaving them with a noisemaker of their own design at the end of the workshop.

The Easy button makes for a great first circuit bend. It's easy to dive into basic concepts in electronics by playing with the timer circuit that controls the Easy Button's sounds. The case is also large enough to fit in an audio output jack, potentiometer, body contacts, and so on, but small enough that you have to work for it—making it a great opportunity for customization and extension.  While it may look like a simple toy, you can get a surprising range of sounds out of it. We'll be going over the basics of finding points and what to do with them to explore its musical potential.

This workshop is open to anyone, no matter their background. If you have any questions, feel free to drop Jimmie a line.