FOR THE FUTURE OF MUSIC

Why does so much music sound the same?

Imagine all artists are told by the art industry that 12 standard colors are enough for their art, and there is never a need to tint or shade or mix colors. Practically speaking, this is the situation which exists in the music world today. 12 equally spaced pitches per octave are the default modern music industry standard, but 12 pitches represent less than 5% of the pitches that the average person is capable of responding to. Research has proven that on average, around 200 different pitches can be heard within one octave, and like unique colors, they all have unique effects; many more than 12 of them sound "good"; in fact, they are all expressive and useful for art. Imagine what kind of new music is possible when all of the pitches are available...

Express yourself more personally.

Hπ Instruments is founded on the premise that you should have the freedom to choose any pitches you want to make music with, not just the 5% the music industry has decided on for you. Hπ products exist to give you this freedom. To hear some examples of music made using Hπ products, use the transport controls in the menubar at the left, or visit the music and videos pages.

Hπ exists to serve the needs of musicians in the area of expressive tuning control for the advancement of musical creativity.

Hi and thanks for visiting. I am the inventor of Hπ products and the owner of Hπ Instruments. It has been a dream of mine to give musicians tools to explore what I believe to be the most fundamental frontier still existing in music — pitch. Since 1996, I have dedicated myself to this dream for the future of music, which was first formed as as a doctoral dissertation proposal. Over many years I have developed a musical system called (for lack of a better name) the Hunt System, and I have finally realized this vision in the form of the products I now build and sell, with the help of MIDI Gadgets Boutique (MGB), whose products I also sell through this website. I am privileged to work closely with MGB in Bulgaria, where the internal electronics of each Hπ instrument are designed and manufactured, and I live in Illinois, where I keep these electronics on hand to fill orders. Each order requires lead time for manual construction of the enclosure, assembly of mechanical elements, and testing of the unit. This process takes time and is done with care by me with some help from my assistants. I only hire dedicated and talented musicians, who care about the goals of my company and who want to make a difference in the world. Hπ instruments are made by hand, and they are also made with heart. It is my sincere hope that an Hπ instrument will inspire your creativity and help you to realize your art. — Aaron Andrew Hunt

The Director's Credentials

  • 2006 - present: Founder and Director of H-Pi Instruments
    • Multimedia Presentation at UC Santa Barbara, November 2007: The Emancipation of Pitch, sponsored by CREATE, MAT, and the Third Corwin Chair in Composition, Professor Clarence Barlow
  • 2002 - 2007: Instructor of Music Theory and Composition at Eastern Illinois University
    • Courses Taught: Music Theory and Aural Training (all levels), Composition, Counterpoint (Bach style), Music Analysis (17th - 19th Century), Electronic Music
    • Multimedia Presentation at UK Microfest 2, March 2007: For The Future of Music: Bringing Microtonality Into The Mainstream
    • Keynote Lecture at UK Microfest 1, October 2005: Megastaff: a Notation for All Possible Pitches
  • 2000 - 2002: Independent Scholar, Chicago Illinois
  • 1999: PhD Studies in Music Composition at the University of Minnesota
    • Studied Musics of the Balkan Region with Miriana Lausevic
  • 1999: Instructor of Music Theory and Composition at Eastern Illinois University
  • 1997 - 1999: Freelance teacher, recording engineer, graphic designer and pipe organ tuner
  • 1996: Pipe Organ Technician with Goulding and Wood, Indianapolis Indiana
    • Pipe organ tuning, temperament setting, installation and maintanence
    • Woodworking, electrical wiring / soldering
  • 1994 - 1996: Masters Degree in Music Composition from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinatti
    • Winner of the 1995 AGO/Holtkamp composition prize: Fantasia and Fugue on St. Theodulph for pipe organ
    • Composition Teachers: Samuel Adler, Sylvia Bodorova, John McCabe, Marta Ptaszynska, and Allen Sapp (RIP 1999)
    • Organ: David Mulbury, Kevin Ballard, Leon Couch III; Viol: James Lambert
    • Thesis: Diatonic Inversional Theory
  • 1990 - 1994: Bachelors Degree in Music Composition from Eastern Illinois University
    • Composition Teachers: Paul Hayden and Peter Hesterman
    • Percussion: Johnny Lee Lane, Piano: W. David Hobbs, Organ: Herman Taylor, Horn: Burtin Hardin, Violin and Viola: Cindy Moyer and Cynthia Baker
  • 1982 - 1990: Private studies in...
    • computer programming with Richard Meiss at his home
    • percussion with Richard Paul at the Paul-Mueller Studio
    • mixed media with Jennifer Sugarman at the Indianapolis Art League (now the Indianapolis Art Center)
  • Professional Affiliations:
    • ASCAP writer member since 1996

      H-Pi Instruments is a legally registered business in the State of Illinois.