Trevor’s Tromboon Touchpad Throwdown

Designer:​ Trevor Albright

Technologies Used:
● Makey-Makey: attached to both the touchpads and computer in order to “send
messages” to Scratch to trigger sounds.
● Scratch: used in correlation with Makey-Makey in order to code for the touch based
inputs allowing for specific noises to come out.
● MuseScore: used to electronically type out my selected “melodies”
● Adobe Spark: used to add a cover photo to my demo video
● Google Forms: used for quick logging of participant success/progress/feedback

Learning Goal:
○ Recreate melodic and rhythmic ideas using digital tools (MU:Cr1.1.T.Ia)
Assessment:
I have developed specific melodies, wrote those down for my personal use, and created two
rubrics for the participants’ success in recreating these melodies of increasing difficulty.

Rhythmic Accuracy
1 2 3 4 5
needs significant need some
improvement improvement average above average exemplary
well over half of the misses a quarter or
rhythms are misses around half slightly less of the gets 2 or 3 rhythms
incorrect of the rhythms rhythms incorrect rhythmically perfect

Pitch Accuracy
1 2 3 4 5
needs significant need some
improvement improvement average above average exemplary
misses a quarter or
misses over half of misses around half slightly less of the
the notes of the notes notes misses 2 or 3 notes hits all of the notes
I will then use the Google Form below to track participant success according to my rubric.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=19taZk-GlYgTc92LiAd89jFVL8NT_8NGL2aPt2DxMMOY

Project Overview and Rationale:

This is intended to be an adaptive unconventional instrument for individuals with limited
lung capacity and limited finger mobility. I will start by giving participants an informational
handout and then introducing the participants to the electronic tromboon touchpad device by
demonstrating simplistically how the device functions. I would next invite them to test it
themselves and after a minute or two of them tinkering with it I would then invite them into a
more guided experience involving the device. I would then explain that the experience will
involve me playing some sounds on the device once or twice, and then asking them to repeat
that. I would repeat this process with gradually more difficult examples and grade the participant
on their ability to recreate the rhythms or melodies based on note accuracy and pitch accuracy
using the rubric shown above. Participants ideally will grow more familiar with this touchpad
device if they seem to improve with their abilities to recreate the rhythms/melodies. They also
can demonstrate growth through continued success in recreating the melodies as the melodies
get more difficult. I will close by thanking them for their time, and asking them to fill out the
survey below.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YdkKSSy3opNu98Z1kAtvlFUBITWde8UJ9VlvoCnYHrs

Plan for Success:

Think about this experience and your controller:
What do you need to learn?
- Range abilities of a tromboon
- Practicality of recording a tromboon
- Coding in my own sounds on Scratch
What do you need to do?
- Wiring within frame to makey makey
- Get tromboon recordings
- Leave extra time for potential failures/setbacks
What do you need to make?
- Tromboon touchpad frame
- Physical touchpads/connectors
What resources do you need to seek out?
- X-Labs or some other woodworking establishment
What is your plan to pace out the work? Provide a plan (with dates for yourself) between now
and our final on Dec. 10 to help you organize your independent work.
1. Try to get tromboon noises ​(by 11/21,​ or​ just switch to both instruments simultaneously​)
2. Readdress online 3D model of frame ​(by 11/21)​ ditched wood carving idea 11/27
3. Go to X-Labs to build frame ​(by 11/22) ​using pvc 11/29
4. Build touchpads ​(by 11/28) ​11/29
5. Set up wiring ​(by 11/28)​ 11/29
6. Set up coding (by 11/30) 11/29
7. Test out functionality of device (by 11/30) 11/30
8. Fix any issues (by 12/1) 11/30
9. Record demo video for assignment (by 12/2) 12/2
10. Develop specific rhythms/melodies for testing ​(by 12/4)​ 12/9
11. Develop a rubric for testing accuracy on said rhythms/melodies ​(by 12/6)​ 12/9
12. Create a page for participants at the event ​(by 12/8)​ 12/10
13. Present project at event (12/10)