1. Critical quotes on VORTEX percussion
Michael Holland, artistic director
“Best Next‐Wave Student Music Ensemble. ‘Downtown’ ain’t just for New Yorkers anymore.”
—Russell Johnston, Nashville Scene
“Vanderbilt Group Performs ‘Impossible.’ “
—The Tennessean
“It’s not clear what Michael Holland and VORTEX will do to top this performance.
Does anyone have Cirque du Soleil’s number?”
—John Pitcher, Artsnash.com
“…an unforgettable experience. Without question, this was the most ambitious and successful
performance I’ve ever seen at Blair.”
—John Pitcher, ArtNowNashville
“The performances blew me away…a picture of Cage that was spot on target. The audience was
with you the entire time…and your performances encouraged them to be even more and more
interested as the evening progressed. You have set a new standard.”
—David Patterson, Musicologist, Chicago
Photo: Standing room only audience for 2012 VORTEX Centennial Cage Celebration

2. VORTEX and THE BAD BOY— Michael Holland, Artistic Director
Playing with the legacy of Antheil, Léger, and Murphy
VORTEX invited guests to explore the themes of Ballet mécanique through new‐media art installations
Images from the Interactive Robotics and New Media Art preshow and concert April 7, 2013
Vanderbilt University – Blair School of Music, Nashville, Tennessee
Interactive installation: Above Left: Manipulating images from Ballet mécanique with a lever;
Above Right: Guests are invited to place pocket‐sized props on the spinning kaleidoscopic turntable and watch the
results on three overhead movie screens.
Move Chaplin’s hat and make A child interacts with a robotic sculpture R2D2 engaged in discussion
him dance

3. Larger‐than‐life projections of iconic images from Ballet mécanique…
… also appeared on the small screen for one‐on‐one interactions.
Ballet mécanique film images used with permission of Anthology Film Archive.

4. Actress Hedy Lamarr and George Antheil applied his research in player piano synchronization to develop the
“spread spectrum technology” that is used in guided missile systems, cell phone communications, and the
Internet. The Middle Tennessee Robotic Arts Society, Vanderbilt School of Engineering, and the young
engineers of Davidson Academy celebrated this legacy on the plaza before the concert.
Davidson Academy Robotics Club partners with VORTEX Robots controlled by tech‐infused garments
A robotic sculpture roams the plaza Bar2D2 – the robotic bartender (a star
attraction of the evening)
VORTEX partnered with: The Middle Tennessee Robotic Arts Society; Vanderbilt School of Engineering: Dr. Doug Fisher
and Dr. Julie Johnson; New media artists Benton‐C Bainbridge, Greg Pond, and Liz Scofield; Sound artist John Osburn; The
Embassy of France in the United States; The Consulate General of France in Atlanta; David Kibler, Cultural Attaché; Nicolas
Florsch, Scientific Attaché; Amélie de Gaulle, Honorary Consul to Nashville; Arshia Cont, Scientific Leader, MuTant Team
Project Director IRCAM, Centre Pompidou, Paris