Just a quick note to share with everyone what I have been doing with Arduino and SuperCollider:
Comments are welcome 
Really nice work, you at art-school?
At Queen's University in Belfast, about to finish my Masters in Sonic Arts....a hint if anyone knows of work going
n00b - Thank you 
Nice work! What are the cards hanging from the balloons? Is that your sensor?
The cards are instructions saying "pull" or "twist" so that the participant knows how to make sound.
the sensors are attached to the top to the balloons, and are stretch sensors and gyroscopes 
The cards are instructions saying "pull" or "twist" so that the participant knows how to make sound. the sensors are attached to the top to the balloons, and are stretch sensors and gyroscopes
So the sensors are on top of the balloons? I guess for the gyros they would have to be. I've never used gyros - which one did you use?
roypardl - i don't actually remember which gyro it was exactly, i know it was from sparkfun, may have been this one:
i used it for both the umbrella, and the balloons, very useful and accurate.
the only problem is it only picks up sudden movement, the accelerometer is more for when you stay in a certain position, just in case you didn't know...cos i didn't 