Growing weary of the endless debate about how to better engage audiences within the inflexible format of most concerts, my frequent collaborator Edwin Outwater and I tossed all decorum out the window and created a musical game show! The Artsy Fartsy Game took root at the unconventional Club01 venue at Two Bit Circus in Los Angeles, where all members of the audience get interactive touch screens at their tables. With the programmers on staff, we created several quiz modules, open-ended prompts, and ways to pass judgment about what audiences saw and heard, but the real prize was becoming part of the act on stage.

A typical Artsy Fartsy evening features several game modules that require performers and contestants from the audience to work together in the service of artistic greatness, whether that means playing the supporting role in an opera scene or composing a work of graphic notation and having it performed on the spot. The audience rules on who created the more compelling performance, using whatever criteria they deem appropriate. The lighthearted game show structure and groovy 60s aesthetic keeps intimidation at bay as audiences embrace the idea that anyone with eyes and ears is entitled to an opinion.

A good low-resolution prototype was extremely useful for the development of this project, which is how we launched the very first performance of the Artsy Fartsy Game. The venue gave us the room and turned on the lights, but said the touchscreens would be off limits until we had refined our product.

Armed with printed note cards, a slide show presentation, and few bags from the craft store, we mounted an extremely low tech version of the game to make sure the audience would buy into the conceit of each game. The test was a great success and greatly benefited the complex programming process that followed.