John Adams

The Short Ride in a Fast Machine animation is a music education tool that visually explains the internal workings of John Adams’ minimalist orchestral composition. The three music education areas that the animation focuses on are: pulse, ostinato and rhythm. The visual landscape of the Short Ride in a Fast Machine animation was informed and inspired by extensive research carried out by Victor Craven. He incorporates the Hindu Sri Yantra mandala, said to represent the whole of existence. Craven imaginines the Sri Yantra coming to life and representing the driving force and source of power for John Adams’ Fast Machine. A second design element, meant to represent the “machine,” is a stylized spaceship influenced by the overall shape of the orchestra and made from the component parts of the orchestral instruments featured in the work. If Craven’s “machine” recalls images of the spaceship from the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, you are not mistaken.

The required software and media files for this film or accompaniment track will be available at the vendor's website (www.ionconcertmedia.com). Ion Concert Media will send an email to you with instructions on how to access, download and install your products.


This synchronized film for concert performance is driven by Ion Concert Media’s proprietary Muséik technology. With Muséik, a user controls the pacing of the film to match the pacing of the music, making concert visuals behave like an instrument in your ensemble. The software is easy-to-use and intuitive, and can be used by musicians from middle school to the professional level to achieve a perfect media sync with just 20 minutes of practice.


Please note: The proprietary software necessary to show this film (called Muséik) is included in the purchase price of the product. Instructions for how to access and install the software will be included in the email from the vendor. The license for your specific product(s) will be valid through June 15. After that date, the file will encrypt itself and cannot be used again unless you repurchase it. You may use the files in rehearsal or performance as many times as you desire until the license expires.

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