Jiffer Harriman is a creative technologist, musician, artist, and educator. As an interdisciplinary designer, he leverages his background in electrical engineering, music technology, interactivity and digital fabrication. He works with and designs hardware and software for music and music production, interaction and performance. Jiffer also designs toolkits to support others to create novel digital musical instruments and musical robots.
For more on Jiffer's background and CV please visit Bio.
Teaching
Jiffer teaches and develops courses at the undergraduate and graduate level including Creative Technology, Physical Computing, Internet of Things (Wireless Physical Computing), Digital Fabrication and Human Centered Design. He teaches at ATLAS Institute at the University of Colorado in Boulder and Inworks at the University of Colorado in Denver.
He also teaches and develops workshops and curriculum with a range of creative technologies including creative coding, music technology, electronics, design and interaction. He has experience teaching children (ages 8+) through adults. He believes in a hands-on, and experiential approach with a focus on "learning by doing", sharing and critiquing.
Interactive Art | Installation Art, Exhibitions, & Research
Jiffer's art blurs the line between audience and performer, and creation and creator by allowing the visitor to become the performer. He has developed his own hardware for controlling motors for sound actuation, allowing digital control of acoustic sounds. Using software tools including OpenFrameworks, Processing, Max/MSP, and Pd, he creates interactive systems for music, sound and visual arts.
Jiffer offers creative technology design for interactive experiences, exhibitions and prototypes. He develops turnkey solutions for multimedia exhibits and musical instruments for performance and play. Jiffer also works collaboratively with musicians, artists, exhibit designers and researchers to create custom technologies and experiences.
Design Services
By incorporating a wide range of technology and tools, Jiffer develops new instruments for musical expression, interactive art, custom music, and software applications for exhibits, performance and research.
He has experience creating systems for public installations, musical performance and educational support by integrating with existing systems or creating solutions from the ground up.
Hardware + Software Design
Custom human - computer interactions rely on custom hardware an software design, embedded system design, printed circuit board design and layout. Jiffer's background as an electrical engineer allows him to create reliable and custom hardware designs for all environments. He can also develop software for custom applications for desktop, mobile and embedded systems using C/C++, Java, JavaScript, node.js, openFrameworks, and Processing.
Music | Recording & Production | Performance
Music is the common denominator in nearly all of Jiffer's work. He has been a student of music and music technology since high school. He writes music, creates sound installations and performs with traditional and custom instruments & systems.
He's been recording and producing music since his high school days which began with a four track tape recorder. He continues to record & produce music in his home (and sometimes mobile) studio. He works a range of tools for audio and video production including ProTools, Ableton Live, Max for Live, Logic, Reason and Final Cut.
Jiffer plays guitar, banjo, lap steel and Dobro or really anything with strings. His active bands right now are Chunky Whiskey and The Hop Pickers.
Boulder Experiments in Art and Technology (B.E.A.T)
In 2019, Jiffer founded Boulder Experiments in Art and Technology out of a desire to connect and develop community which aims to foster explorations at the intersection of the arts with technology and science.