Essay Title

Effects of gestural computer music instrument design on performance: How does the application of Sensory Percussion effect the approach and technique used to create an expressive performance on a traditional instrument?

(2)(Spencer, 2018)

 

Motivations

My interests as a drummer centre on concepts of hybrid drumming, encouraging my work to focus on creativity within experimental and electronic music coinciding with drum performance. My essay aims are to delve into the uses of technology alongside drumming and specific tools used to encourage expressivity with the instrument.

(1)(Spencer, 2018)

 

Research Methods

I believe it would be beneficial to ask a selection of known SP artist’s specific questions relating to their use of the tool and how it has effected their playing, providing focused information regarding SP.

As this topic is close to my musical passions I feel it would be beneficial to carry out a user experiment myself and provide my own opinions on the tool.

(2)(Spencer, 2018)

 

Research Questions

After researching some sources relating to different aspects of my topic, I drafted some questions that would help me focus my research and keep a consistent analytical approach within my essay.

• SP focuses on being a tool made to ‘remap’ an acoustic drum. With the ability to be personalised by individual users, how does this effect how an experienced player reacts psychologically and musically to the instrument?

 

• To what extent is the SP software written for the computer to be given musical capabilities? How is the input device used to exploit these capabilities to create musical structure and modify sound?

 

• How efficiently does SP transmit the users musical expression, and how much does this rely on the users ability/experience with the tool?

 

• How far does the application of SP support a view that expression within a performance relies on structure? Does a lack of relationship between these factors create a performance with decreased listenable quality?

 

Research Sources

I have listed some initial sources I have read and intend to use in my essay that express varied opinions, from both psychological, musicological and technical approaches.

• Performance on Sensor-based Instruments (Tanaka, 2000)
  • Descriptive paper discussing the intervention required from a performer with the creation of sensor based gestural instruments, not analytical.
• Making Motion Musical (Winkler, 1995)
  • Analytical paper discussing how interactive performance systems can be used to go beyond a one-to-one relationship of performer and sound, verging on being outdated.
• Effort and Expression (Ryan, 1992)
  • Paper analysing the relationship between musical expression and the effort supplying it, biased view towards comparison of computer and traditional music performance.
•  The Importance of Parameter Mapping (Hunt, Wanderley and Paradis, 2003)
  • Descriptive paper considering progression of parameter mapping, includes examples and case studies, fairly outdated.
• Gesture in Performance (Visi, Schramm and Miranda, 2014)
  •  Recent paper considering performance gesture in relation to instrument mapping and the effect on audience and performer.
• Five facets of musical expression (Juslin, 2003)
  •  Analytical paper focusing on psychological affects of musical performance on performer and listener, limited view to musical performance.
• Music Performance (Palmer, 1997)
  •   Outdated paper discussing relationship between musical structure and expression, analytical and self critical.

Structure

I plan for my essay structure to be fairly straightforward including introduction, description, analysis and conclusion sections. Throughout my essay I will use chaptered headings to maintain a clear narrative and structure.

  

Planning

Currently I am using research questions and listing sources/quotes relative to each question. I am also using Trello online project management to set project deadlines. The main part of my project that I’m currently planning is the interviews and experiments.

 

Bibliography

• (1) Spencer, T. (2018). Advanced Music Tech Studies – Week 1: Initial Ideas and Interests. [Blog] Tim Spencer Music Tech Studies. Available at: https://wordpress.com/post/timmusicstudies.tech.blog/11 [Accessed 29 Oct. 2018].
• (2) Spencer, T. (2018). Advanced Music Tech Studies – Week 2: Sensory Percussion and Design of Music Production Tools. [Blog] Tim Spencer Music Tech Studies. Available at: https://wordpress.com/post/timmusicstudies.tech.blog/14 [Accessed 29 Oct. 2018].
• Tanaka, A. (2000). Musical Performance Practice on Sensor-based Instruments. Trends in Gestural Control of Music, 13, pp.389-405.
• Winkler, T. (1995). Making Motion Musical: Gesture Mapping Strategies for Interactive Computer Music. In: International Computer Music Conference.
• Ryan, J. (1992). Effort and Expression. In: International Computer Music Conference.
• Hunt, A., Wanderley, M. and Paradis, M. (2003). The Importance of Parameter Mapping in Electronic Instrument Design. Journal of New Music Research, 32(4), pp.429-440.
• Visi, F., Schramm, R. and Miranda, E. (2014). Gesture in performance with traditional musical instruments and electronics. In: International Workshop on Movement and Computing.
• Juslin, P. (2003). Five facets of musical expression: a psychologist’s perspective on music performance. Psychology of Music, 31(3), pp.273-302.
• Palmer, C. (1997). Music Performance. Annual Review of Psychology, 48, pp.115-138.

This weeks seminar and research topic had a focus on case studies and how they can be used as the motivation and inspiration behind essay ideas and research aims. The two case studies we looked at as a class were very different to each other, in both how they read and the structure of the writing but also in the reasonings for using a case study.

Th first case study titled ‘The British dance music industry: a case study of independent cultural production’ is written similarly to most essays. With clear headings and paragraphing it was clearly understood as an academic piece of text written for the purpose of explaining a line of research within a fairly strict line of research. The use of this case study was also fairly self explanatory with the author using the concept of “independent cultural production” to potentially explain the phenomenon behind the development of the dance music industry.

The second case study we looked at, ‘Redesigning Principles for Computer Music Controllers: a Case Study of Squeeze Vox Maggie’, was written for the purpose of analysing how some of the principles and purposes of computer music controllers have adapted and also stayed the same with developments in technology. The Structure of this writing reflects on the topic, written similarly to project write ups, however still containing the subheadings and sections expected within an academic text. Along with the less formal structure of the writing the text is also written far less formally conveying a humorous manner throughout the paper. As discussed in class this could reflect how the author is very much respected in this field and is able to write in such a less formal way as they understand their writing is still relevant and respected. The way this case study of ‘Squeeze Vox Maggie’ is used to explain which principles have and haven’t stayed the same seems particularly relevant in this case as in the first paragraph of the paper the instrument is described as a “reoccurring NIME character” suggesting that it reliably reflects the past and present needs for computer music.

In terms of my essay my aim this week was to find research that could be applied quite closely to Sensory Percussion, however after not achieving that this week my aim is to now take a different approach to my research and look into case studies written in a similar way to ‘Squeeze Vox Maggie’ for the purpose of researching the development of computer music tools and how they affect performance and musicianship. My aims will then be to apply this research to the use of Sensory Percussion and build up a collection of sources relevant to my essay ideas.

Thanks for reading

Tim

After my initial thoughts during week 1, I started to draft some ideas for essay questions. The main theme of which focusing around Sensory Percussion drum sensors and how these sensors affect the approach of an experienced practitioner towards their instrument. Specifically the acoustic drum kit.

After developing this question I started to think of ways in which I could research this quite specific topic efficiently enough to be able to answer it as well as possible. After considering where I first discovered this piece of technology myself, through Instagram and other social medias, I thought it would be beneficial to write a a questionnaire which I could send to a wide range of users of this technology with the hope of gaining a useful insight into the technology specific to my case study. Another method I could use to study this topic would be to research the affects of Sensory Percussion on traditional music practice autoethnographically. After developing my own forms of interactive trigger made to be used alongside acoustic drums, I have some knowledge of how technology such as this can affect how someone might approach a previously entirely acoustic traditional instrument. If I were to incorporate this form of research into my studies then I would be interested in the opportunity of using sensory percussion myself for the purpose of having a more in-depth knowledge of the workings of the technology and how this relates to other areas of my research.

As well as working on my essay question I also spent this week looking at our weekly seminar topic which was focused on the design of music production tools. After searching through some papers I found some conference notes from NIME 2006 titled ‘Turntable Music in the Digital Era: Designing Alternative Tools for New Turntable Expression’.

As I was in the process of looking into how I could research the effects of a newly developed acoustic drum sensor, this paper focused on the development and regeneration of turntable performance tools seemed particularly relevant. Although over a decade out of date, this paper focused on the development of ideas aimed at creating systems visually and audibly “coherent to the audience”, an emphasis I thought was quite similar to the aim and sense of interactivity embedded in Sensory Percussion.

For the next week my aim is to continue my research into Sensory Percussion and to find journals or papers directly relating to the use of Sensory Percussion so I can gain a deeper understanding into the technology used within it.

Thanks for reading

Tim

I’m Tim, a third year Music Technology student studying at Sussex University. After initially starting University on a Music course and only being able to confidently call myself a performer with some skills in composition, production and studio engineering, my Journey through Music Technology has been an interesting and eye opening one.

Before starting my studies at University my main interests in music were in the writing and performance of Rock, Funk and Jazz music. Primarily as a drummer these genres interested me greatly and I found that a lot of my musical practice, whether in live, studio or rehearsal settings, was closely linked to these interests. After starting my studies at university in September 2016, I very quickly found myself to be much more interested in other peoples work than I had ever been before. I very quickly found myself performing on many of my course mates pieces for studio recording modules in both first and second year. This encouraged me to play more Hip-Hop, Pop, and Soul than I had imagined I would be, expanding my skill set as a performer massively.

During my first year at University I chose many of the Tech electives giving myself an almost 50/50 balance of modules between the Tech and Music courses. With the Tech modules focusing on new ideas in Music technology regarding coding and programming, and not just focusing on production, my view of the Music Technology  course and the course I was doing changed Drastically.

After switching to study Music technology for my degree both my mindset to work and my general interests in music changed greatly. My interests as a drummer quickly became focused on electronic and hybrid drumming and artists who were at the forefront of a new focus on the way drumming is viewed and used as a tool for performance (Artists such as Jojo Mayer, Deantoni Parks and Ian Chang). Outside of drumming (but relating closely with my aims as a musician) my interests lie heavily in production, synthesis, programming and generative art.

Throughout University I have gradually realised that I want to make a career of drumming as a paid musician in live and studio bands. This is something I have already been successful with and currently earn money from however I have also realised that my passion lies in exploring creativity through experimental and electronic music with a focus on drumming. Currently my research hasn’t been sent in a specific route however my ideas always seem to relate closely to this concept of drumming alongside my experiences and ideas of how it can be used with new developments in technology. This is an area I will continue to research this week focusing on finding academic studies relating to this topic, which I hope will then inspire me to look more deeply into a specific focus for my essay.

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim