Ovaom was an artistic and research-driven commercial project investigating sound as a material to be touched and physically engaged with. It challenged conventional notions of musical experience by creating the Sound Explorer, a sensory instrument using breath, movement, and touch to manipulate sonic textures in real time. Rooted in the maker movement and digital lutherie, Ovaom questioned how children could explore sound and music as a malleable material using touch and playful intuition. We wanted to create an embodied sonic experience that engaged deep listening, memory, and improvisation. This concept extended into cognitive and linguistic research, leading in a published study on phonological awareness. At the same time, collaborations with La Gaîté Lyrique and La Philharmonie des Enfants led to museal installations, reinforcing Ovaom’s role as both an artistic experiment and a research-driven project.
I was a co-founder, leading the technological, musical, and sonic interaction design aspects.
Music & Interaction Design: I designed and implemented the interaction systems of our sensory controllers and I composed the soundscapes and musical elements. I created a colorful engaging language that balanced playfulness with depth, encouraging improvisation and exploration independent of age. I populated this sound world with familiar noises, odd ones, and some that were spooky, mysterious, or fun. We removed the idea of failure or punishment, shifting from the classic musical constraints to an open-ended, expressive experience inviting discovery, and joy.
Software Strategy: I was in charge of tackling the technical challenges necessary to make interactions feel immediate and organic. This was a challenge as latency or small software failures would quickly shatter the magic of sound as a tactile, living material.
