The Blurring Test – Songs From MrMind                        Music composed and performed by Varispeed Collective:  Gelsey Bell, Brian McCorkle, Paul Pinto, Dave Ruder, Aliza Simons                                                    Libretto and concept by Peggy Weil 

From 1998 through 2016, an online chatbot named MrMind administered The Blurring Test, asking simply, “Can you convince me that you are human?”  The sixteen years of online conversations, from all over the world, form a human chorus proclaiming our vision of ourselves during a time of significant transition in the relationship between humans and machines.

This performance is a work-in-progress; five composers responding to the libretto of songs and texts by Peggy Weil based on transcripts from conversations between MrMind and the chorus of human users.  This suite of songs (four are below) is scored for voices, electronics and instruments, utilizing the composers’ aesthetic diversity: (opera, art song, folk song, improvisation, synth and drone music, and movement) to highlight the breadth of conversations with MrMind. 

Song 7


What is the boundary between us?          
insurmountable            
a large one  
Metal
Wetness
with long sentences you don't understand
thin little line
Very very thin
getting smaller every day
there is no boundary between us