Epistemic tools: the phenomenology of digital musical instruments

Digital music technologies, and instruments in particular, are the result of specific systems of thought that define and enframe the user’s creative options. Distinctive divisions between digital and acoustic instruments can be traced, contrasting the conceptually based design of software with the affordances and constraints of physical artefacts. Having lost the world’s gift of physical properties, the digital instrument builder becomes more than a mere luthier. The process of designing and building the instrument is transformed into a process of composition, for it typically contains a greater degree of classification and music theory than its acoustic counterpart. Part I of this thesis begins by framing musical systems in the context of the philosophy of technology. Here technological conditions are questioned and theories introduced that will assist the investigation into the relationship between creativity and technology. After this general grounding, the ramifications digital technologies pose to the human body are explored in the context of human expression through tool use. The human-machine relationship is described from phenomenological perspectives and relevant theories of cognitive science. This analysis serves as a foundation for the concept of epistemic tools, defined as the mechanism whereby techno-cultural models are inscribed into technological artefacts. The cultural element of tool use and tool origins is therefore emphasised, an aspect that is highly relevant in musical technologies. Part I thus frames the material properties of acoustic and digital instruments in relation to human culture, cognition, performance and epistemology. Part II contextualises these theories in practice. The ixiQuarks, the live improvisation musical environment that resulted from the current research, are presented as a system addressing some of the vital problems of musical performance with digital systems (such as the question of embodiment and theoretical inscriptions), proposing an innovative interaction model for screen-based musical instruments. The concept of virtual embodiment is introduced and framed in the context of the ixi interaction model. Two extensive user studies are described that support the report on ixiQuarks. Furthermore, comparative surveys on the relationship between expression and technology are presented: a) the phenomenology of musical instruments, where the divergence between the acoustic and the digital is investigated; b) the question of expressive freedom versus time constraints in musical environments is explored with practitioners in the field; and c) the key players in the design of audio programming environments explain the rationale and philosophy behind their work. These are the first major surveys of this type conducted to date, and the results interweave smoothly with the observations and findings in the chapters on the nature and the design of digital instruments that make up the majority of Part II. This interdisciplinary research investigates the nature of making creative tools in the digital realm, through an active, philosophically framed and ethnographically inspired study, of both practical and theoretical engagement. It questions the nature of digital musical instruments, particularly in comparison with acoustic instruments. Through a survey of material epistemologies, the dichotomy between the acoustic and the digital is employed to illustrate the epistemic nature of digital artefacts, necessitating a theory of epistemic tools. Consequently virtual embodiment is presented as a definition of the specific interaction mode constituting human relations with digital technologies. It is demonstrated that such interactions are indeed embodied, contrasting common claims that interaction with software is a disembodied activity. The role of cultural context in such design is emphasised, through an analysis of how system design is always an intricate process of analyses, categorisations, normalisations, abstractions, and constructions; where the design paths taken are often defined by highly personal, culturally conditioned and often arbitrary reasons. The dissertation therefore dissects the digital musical instrument from the perspectives of ontology, phenomenology and epistemology. Respective sections in Part I and Part II deal with these views. The practical outcome of this research – the ixiQuarks – embodies many of the theoretical points made on these pages. The software itself, together with the theoretical elucidation of its context, should therefore be viewed as equal contributions to the field of music technology. The thesis closes by considering what has been achieved through these investigations of the technological context, software development, user studies, surveys, and the phenomenological and epistemological enquiries into the realities of digital musical instruments, emphasising that technology can never be neutral

Learning Advanced Skills on New Instruments (or: Practising Scales and Arpeggios on Your NIME)

When learning a classical instrument, people often either take lessons in which an existing body of "technique" is delivered, evolved over generations of performers, or in some cases people will "teach themselves" by watching people play and listening to existing recordings. What does one do with a complex new digital instrument? In this paper I address this question drawing on my experience in learning several very di#erent types of sophisticated instruments: the Glove Talk II real-time gesture-to-speech interface, the Digital Marionette controller for virtual 3D puppets, and pianos and keyboards. As the primary user of the first two systems, I have spent hundreds of hours with Digital Marionette and Glove-Talk II, and thousands of hours with pianos and keyboards (I continue to work as a professional musician). I will identify some of the underlying principles and approaches that I have observed during my learning and playing experience common to these instruments. While typical accounts of users learning new interfaces generally focus on reporting beginner's experiences, for various practical reasons, this is fundamentally di#erent by focusing on the expert's learning experience

The pedagogical use of technology-mediated feedback in a higher education piano studio: an exploratory action case study

Existing research evidence suggests that the application of technology can be beneficial in instrumental and vocal learning. However, it is not clear how technology-based feedback might be used in advanced level piano lessons to enhance learning and teaching. An exploratory action case study approach was undertaken in Brazil to investigate systematically the pedagogical use of technology-mediated feedback in a piano studio. Technology-based data were provided by the researcher as a facilitator for three pairs of higher education teachers and students across two lessons each in order to evaluate possible/actual changes and improvement in participant students' performance. Three data sets were captured: video recorded piano lessons, technology-generated data regarding keyboard and pedalling activity, and audio-recorded interviews with teacher and student participants. Two piano lessons for each case study were conducted, and semi-structured interviews were also undertaken with each participant separately after each piano lesson. Qualitative analysis involved a multi-methods approach which focused on reporting and comparing the process and outcomes for each pair of participants. Findings suggest that technology-enhanced feedback provides potentially useful additional feedback, both in real-time and post-hoc. The usefulness of such additional feedback was shown to relate to the individual and to the shared priorities of the particular teacher and student pair. Whilst user biases revealed preferences for either visual or auditory cues, it was shown that shared experience which draws on enhanced sensory modalities can decrease discrepancies between teacher and student perspectives of learning priorities, and increase awareness of appropriate learning foci

Exploring pre-professional musicians’ experiences of a somatic movement approach as a practice method for musical phrasing

This thesis explores pre-professional musicians’ experiences of a Somatic Movement approach as a practice method for musical phrasing. It develops possibilities for music performance learning through Enactive perspectives and the principles of Somatics. The Enactivist-based notion of Image Schemata, proposed by Mark Johnson (1987, 2007) and George Lakoff (Lakoff & Johnson 1980), is drawn upon to consider ways in which sensorimotor interaction can establish patterns of understanding of musical phrasing. In conjunction, Somatic Movement approaches including Laban Movement Analysis/Bartenieff Fundamentals (LMA/BF) and Skinner Releasing Technique (SRT) are used to look at how the application of a Somatic Movement-inspired approach can be an important mediator in helping performers fulfil their musical phrasing intentions with a greater sense of ease and agency. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, seven undergraduate students of western classical music performance participated in a series of Somatic Movement-inspired workshops (six in the pilot study and one in the main study). The workshops, which were video-recorded, focused on Somatic Movement/music exercises and explorations. Observation, individual interviews and video-assisted recall were used to collect data, which also acted as feedback to the participants. Laban-inspired Kestenberg ‘Shape Flow’ categories were used to look at participants’ movement patterns and the musical material. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis was used to analyse the interview data allowing participants’ experiences to be examined ideographically and in detail. Themes identified included Embodiment, Musical Intentionality, Performer Agency and Learner Autonomy. The potential contribution of these findings toward developing a framework that supports a pedagogical orientation of embodiment for pre-professional music students in higher education was discussed. The implications and benefits concerning attending to movement and, the shaping and refining of pre-professional music students’ own practice as reflective learners and as future embodied music performers were considered

Learning to use melodic similarity and contrast for narrative using a Digital Tabletop Musical Interface

This thesis investigates Digital Tabletop Musical Interfaces (DTMIs) in the context of music education. Digital tabletops have emerged in recent years, surrounded by much enthusiasm, and have found applications in a diversity of fields – from museum installations to engineering applications, from information systems, to music making. In particular, their ability to create a link between the physical and virtual world makes the digital tabletop an excellent way for beginners to approach music making. By allowing users to “touch” music, and experience it through various visual representations, in addition to its aural representation, digital tabletops provide an intuitively approachable way of making music that supports both beginners and experts, and allows them to collaborate and exchange knowledge and ideas. However, we still know little about the challenges and opportunities that DTMIs present, particularly their role in supporting music education. This thesis explores the challenges and opportunities presented by a bespoke DTMI in supporting people of different levels of musical experience in learning about some fundamental musical notions, and in learning how these can be used to compose music in an intentional way. This thesis covers three exploratory studies. In the first one, the notion of melodic contour, and its role as a visual metaphor for describing music, were explored by participants. A music composition task to describe a painting with music was presented to participants, and the ways in which participants described and composed music, in relation to melodic contour, were analysed. In the second study, the notions of melodic similarity and contrast, and their role in suggesting narrative, were explored by participants. Through a series of discussions and practical exercises, participants developed their understanding of melodic similarity and contrast, and learned how to use these notions to suggest narrative in melody. The third study followed directly from the second one, exploring again melodic similarity and contrast, but this time in a group setting. Groups of participants explored the musical notions using the DTMI as a discussion mediator. In these last two studies, the ways in which participants discussed the notions, and used them to compose music that suggested a narrative, were analysed. The findings suggest that it is possible to appropriately design a DTMI that can be used by both musically experienced and inexperienced people in order to create music in a way that is graspable for the novice, yet expressive for the expert, so that the two can discuss music with equal ease, and learn more about it

Music and movement: the case for a kinaesthetic stategy in promoting musical memory.

This research study focuses on the role of\ud kinaesthesis and motor response in promoting musical\ud memory. The main questions addressed are:\ud What is the nature of musical memory?\ud How is it promoted?\ud Is a kinaesthetic or muscular\ud strategy a particularly effective\ud means of promoting musical memory?\ud The investigation which follows is mainly conceptual,\ud yet reinforced by some empirical work. It falls into\ud three parts:\ud 1) Cognitive processes;\ud 2) The potential role of kinaesthesis\ud and movement as imagery\ud strategies;\ud 3) Empirical investigation.\ud In part one a framework for the investigation is\ud established. The study of general aspects of memory\ud is linked to research in music cognition and memory.\ud A chapter on representation and imagery is concerned\ud with those techniques and strategies by which musical\ud memory is developed.\ud Part two examines the nature of kinaesthesis and its\ud role in cognitive processes and musical cognition.\ud Rhythmic experience is considered in relation to\ud kinaesthesis and its overt manifestation in physical\ud movement.The major contribution of Emile Jaques-\ud Dalcroze is presented, as a study of kinaesthetic\ud strategy in practice. The close correspondence\ud between music and expressive movement is examined,\ud before a chapter in which a conceptual framework is\ud proposed.\ud The third and final part presents the empirical work\ud undertaken in testing the kinaesthetic principle:\ud 'The stronger the muscular\ud sensations, the clearer and more\ud precise the images' (Jaques-Dalcroze)\ud A replication experiment is described which forms the\ud basis for an experiment on kinaesthetic strategy, the\ud success of which lends support to the theoretical\ud evidence presented. Conclusions are drawn and Dalcroze\ud practice reviewed in the light of these findings and\ud the preceding theoretical work

A Process for the Restoration of Performances from Musical Errors on Live Progressive Rock Albums

In the course of my practice of producing live progressive rock albums, a significant challenge has emerged: how to repair performance errors while retaining the intended expressive performance. Using a practice as research methodology, I develop a novel process, Error Analysis and Performance Restoration (EAPR), to restore a performer’s intention where an error was assessed to have been made. In developing this process, within the context of my practice, I investigate: the nature of live albums and the groups to which I am accountable, a definition of performance errors, an examination of their causes, and the existing literature on these topics. In presenting EAPR, I demonstrate, drawing from existing research, a mechanism by which originally intended performances can be extracted from recorded errors. The EAPR process exists as a conceptual model; each album has a specific implementation to address the needs of that album, and the currently available technology. Restoration techniques are developed as part of this implementation. EAPR is developed and demonstrated through my work restoring performances on a front-line commercial live release, the Creative Submission Album. The specific EAPR implementation I design for it is laid out, and detailed examples of its techniques demonstrated

Shaping Musical Performance Through Conversation

It is common to learn to play an orchestral musical instrument through regular one-to-one lessons with an experienced musician as a tutor. Intuition suggests that the principal activity during these meetings would be playing, however conversation is important, not just as a way to analyse musical contributions, but to organise them within the lesson flow. Activities are managed conversationally, discussion interleaved with performance, demonstration and musical experimentation, resulting in a rich multi-modal social interaction. This thesis presents a detailed ethnographic study of five one-to-one clarinet lessons. Conversation transcription notation was developed specifically to capture the musical sounds produced alongside dialogue. Analysis of the shape and timing of the musical contributions shows that many aspects of music produced in this context are shaped by the way that playing can function as a conversational turn. For example, during student performance the volume, duration and timing of the tutor's utterances, in relation to the student's musical phrasing, determines whether they are interpreted as encouraging backchannels, or a bid for the floor to provide immediate feedback. Non-verbal behaviours such as gaze and changes in posture are used to encourage a student to self-repair and continue with their performance, despite mutual acknowledgement that a problem has occurred. Fine-grained analysis of a video-mediated remote lesson reveals what happens when this organisation is disturbed. The change in medium reduces the availability of non-verbal cues, and the disruption caused by latency has divergent effects on the sequence and placement of turns, as they are experienced at each location. For example, students find it more difficult to anticipate tutor interruption of their performance or correctly identify backchannels, leading to miscommunication. Our understanding of the importance of these phenomena to lesson flow leads to recommendations for tools to better support student-tutor interaction during the remote lesson experience.Media and Arts Technology programme, EPSRC Doctoral Training Centre EP/G03723X/1

The music of Sir Alexander Campbell Mackenzie (1847-1935) : a critical study.

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