Christopher Ariza is a software engineer, software architect, and leader of engineering teams. He is presently Partner and Chief Technology Officer at Research Affiliates, a global leader in investment strategies and research. He is the creator and lead developer of StaticFrame, a Python DataFrame library built on an immutable data model.
Having worked in Python for over 25 years, he has developed tools in a variety of domains, including algorithmic music composition and computer-aided musicology, and has spoken at numerous conferences, including PyCon USA, SciPy, PyData, PyBeach, and numerous other venues.
As Visiting Assistant Professor of Music at MIT from 2009 to 2012, he taught courses in music technology and was lead developer of the music21 system for computer-aided musicology. He has served as Assistant Editor at the Computer Music Journal and, from 2006 to 2009, on the faculty of Towson University as Assistant Professor of Recording Arts and Music Technology.
As a composer he has created computer and acoustic music for a variety of mediums and performed live-electronics with the ensmble Kioku. His compositions have been performed and distributed around the world.
He studied at Harvard University (AB), New York University (MA, PhD), and, under a Fulbright grant, at the Institute of Sonology, where he researched generative music systems and computer-aided algorithmic composition.
Site History
The first version of this site (v1) was titled Matrix (long before the movies by the same name), created in raw HTML, and published on a Harvard University server in 1996. The design of that site was inspired, in part, by a project called The Black Harlequin Space.
In 1999 and 2000 the flexatone URLs were acquired and a new site (v2) was created. Essential design components from the earlier site were maintained. From 2000 onward the original HTML was incorporated into a custom Python framework to permit flexible site generation. In 2007 this new Python-based framework was used to redesign the site (v3).
In 2011 (v4) the site was redesigned again in a strictly hierarchical form. The custom Python framework was replaced with a Python Django backend.
In 2023 (v5) the site was reimplemented using TypeScript and React as an interactive single-page-application.
In 2026 (v6) the site was converted to a NextJS app.
About the Flexatone
A flex-a-tone is a modern percussion instrument (an indirectly struck idiophone) consisting of a small flexible metal sheet suspended in a wire frame ending in a handle. A wooden knob mounted on a strip of spring steel lies on each side of the metal sheet. The player shakes the instrument with a trembling movement which causes the beaters to strike the sides of the metal sheet. While shaking the handle,the musician makes a high or low-pitched sound due to the curve given to the blade by the pressure from his thumb. A tremolo is thus produced.
An invention for a "flexatone" occurs in the British Patent Records of 1922 and 1923. In 1924 the Flex-a-tone was patented in the USA by the Playatone Company of New York, at 113-119 Fourth Ave., New York City. This website has no affiliation with the Playatone Company.
flexatone.net site v6.0.0. Copyright 1996-2026. Post comments or questions at the flexatone-comments GitHub repository.