Composer and violinist Benjamin Day Smith continually attempts to expand the limits of human-machine performance. Designing and manipulating musical-synthetic worlds using original human interface devices, Smith's works draw on popular and academic themes, convolved into dramatically new visions. Smith performs regularly on stages across the country as a violinist and fiddler, playing genres from classical to trance to celtic to cajun. He studied at Ithaca College, NY, the University of Limerick, Ireland, and the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He is currently the resident artist at the CIA (Cleveland Institute of Art), teaches video game design, and leads research on ultra-high bandwidth video streaming software at Case Western Reserve University. Previously, Smith worked as a Post Doc at the Institute for Advanced Computing Applications and Technologies researching dynamic machine learning models to support next generation human-computer interactions.
Dr. Benjamin Smith embodies post-disciplinary collaborative ideals, equally comfortable creating and working as a musician, a computer graphics artist, and software designer. His work confronts the limits of human-computer interaction and performance, seeking continually to expand the realm of aesthetic potential at the nexus of artistic technological engagement.
Currently Smith holds a dual appointment researching and teaching at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) as Assistant Professor of Music and Arts Technology and Computer Information and Graphics Technology. Smith came to IUPUI from Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Institute of Art where he led a Tele-health and Wellness research group, and taught animation, game design and development, and sound design. As a Post Doc Smith worked at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) at the Institute for Advanced Computing Applications and Technologies in the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, researching dy- namic machine learning models to support next generation human-computer interactions.
In 2011 he completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Composition at UIUC. Active as a composer and violinist, his works have been premiered all across North America, and his ground-breaking Telematic works have joined stages across the US, Australia, South America, and Europe in simultaneous performance. His recent creative work involves interactive, 3D, computer generated environments in combination with real-time music composition/performance systems, and leverages the capabilities of ultra-high bandwidth networks and high performance computing.
Dr. Ben Smith began his musical journey as a boy in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains in Alabama, fiddling through NY, Ireland and Illinois on his way here. This path is evident in his playing, as elements from many diverse styles, including Celtic influences, bluegrass, jazz, cajun, zydeco, and American old-time, become manifest. As a fiddler Ben has lead a number of bands, toured nationally, and appears on dozens of independent label recordings. Currently Ben performs actively with his acoustic trio, the Mean Lids, who recently released their second CD and are appearing regularly on national stages.