Howdy! 

We pull ourselves out of the sawdust, away from the paint buckets and a surprisingly stubborn and treacherous sewing machine to let you know what we’ve been up to—we’re making a Syncomasher! (Well actually, we’re making the table and stand that will eventually house and display the electronic components of the Syncomasher).  

Now, I realize some questions might have popped into your mind as you read the above and lucky for you I’m in an accommodating mood, so read on, oh curious one!

Q: What the F is a Syncomasher?

A:  Read the title of this post and get back to me. J

Q: What the F is an Octamasher?

A: Looks like someone didn’t do his previously assigned reading, hmm? Oh that’s right, I said I was in an accommodating mood. Well then: the Octamasher is an interactive, collaborative audio installation created by Matt Moldover that connects eight unique instruments to one computer brain. It’s incredibly fun and allows musicians and novices alike to create electronic music together in a kind of jam-session format. (Don’t believe me? Check it out.) The Octamasher has had great success at events like SXSW, Mile High Festival, Burning Man, Coachella and more! For us here at RR, it was love-at-first-mashup with the Octamasher, and Moldover has generously allowed us to bring it with us to events like Treasure Island Music Festival and our upcoming Earth Week event at the University of Wisconsin. The Syncomasher is basically the same concept, but uses 5 instruments instead of eight, and is in general lighter and more mobile.  

Q:  Who the F is “we?”

A: Matt Moldover is the brain behind the Syncomasher and everything masher-related. On this project, John Taylor is carpenter-extraordinaire, having designed and built the pentagon-shaped table and stand that will house and hold the electronic Syncomasher bits. We here at RR basically just do as we’re told, helping with sanding, painting and sewing a skirt to cover the base. (The Syncomasher is no hussy, after all.) 

Q: Wait a second, you said “we” again.

A: That’s right. I did. There’s no “I” in RuckusRoots, baby! Come to think of it, there’s no “we,” or “team” either, but suffice to say, when I say “we” I’m referring to my helpers and me, be they real, imaginary or somewhere in between. 

Q: What the F does this have to do with RuckusRoots?

A: Looks like it’s time for RuckusRoots 101, the abridged version. Here goes: our mission here at RuckusRoots is to engage peeps the environmental movement through art and music. (We call this merging of art and activism ARTivism.) And when we say engage, we mean to, well, get you really freakin’ excited about it. We figure the best way to do that is to create a connection between eco-activism and things that already get you really freakin excited, like music and art. SO, that means that a big (no, huge) part of what we do involves curating, building and installing interactive art and music pieces for you to play with at our events. We’re hoping to one day have our very own Syncomasher-type piece that will accompany us to festivals and campuses, so we can spread the musical mashup fun far and wide! Until, or even after that time comes, we’ll do everything we can to help the artists who so generously lend us their art, which allow us to continue promoting environmental awareness and ARTivism. 


Q: Wow, great! How can I help you?

A: So glad you asked! You can join our email list to get the latest news and to learn about volunteer opportunities AND you can donate, here! (Funds will be used to purchase and build interactive art and music pieces.) Also, we’re always looking for more interactive artists to contribute to our arsenal...if you’ve got ideas, contact us here! 

Alrighty, we’re about outta time, folks. If you’ve read this far, congratulations! A blue pony named Mel will visit you in your dreams as your reward.  

Meanwhile, I’ll be trekking with the Syncomasher to the first annual TEDx Conference at USC on Monday, March 23rd and to a private party in San Francisco on Wednesday, March 25th. Pictures to come!

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