Towards the disintermediation of creative music search: Analysing queries to determine important facets

Purpose: Creative professionals search for music to accompany moving images in films, advertising, television. Some larger music rights holders (record companies and music publishers) organise their catalogues to allow online searching. These digital libraries are organised by various subjective musical facets as well as by artist and title metadata. The purpose of this paper is to present an analysis of written queries relating to creative music search, contextualised and discussed within the findings of text analyses of a larger research project whose aim is to investigate meaning making in this search process. Method: A facet analysis of a collection of written music queries is discussed in relation to the organisation of the music in a selection of bespoke search engines. Results: Subjective facets, in particular Mood, are found to be highly important in query formation. Unusually, detailed Music Structural aspects are also key. Conclusions: These findings are discussed in relation to disintermediation of this process. It is suggested that there are barriers to this, both in terms of classification and also commercial / legal factors

Self-induced structure in the current-voltage characteristics of RSQUIDs

Resistive two-junction SQUIDs (RSQUIDs) made from high-temperature superconductors are being developed as narrow-linewidth tunable oscillators in the GHz frequency range. We present here the results of numerical simulation of RSQUIDs of this type. These studies have identified conditions where sub-harmonic steps and other features are apparent in the current-voltage characteristics, driven by the internally-generated heterodyne frequency. The behavior is sensitive to the frequency (set by the voltage across the resistive element in the RSQUID), the temperature and also the loop inductance. We have studied the effects of thermal noise on these features. We also assess how these effects might be observed, and consider how they might affect practical applications of high frequency heterodyne RSQUID oscillators

Content or context? Searching for musical meaning in task-based interactive information retrieval

Creative professionals search for digital music to accompany moving images using interactive information retrieval systems run by music publishers and record companies. This research investigates the creative professionals and the intermediaries communication processes and information seeking and use behaviour with a view to making recommendations to information retrieval systems builders as to the extent of relative importance of content and contextual factors. A communications model is used to suggest that the meaning of music is determined by its listener and use context, as well as cultural codes and competences. The research is framed by a holistic approach based on Ingwersen and Jarvelin’s Interactive Information Seeking, Retrieval and Behavioral processes model

Upbeat and quirky with a bit of a build: Interpretive repertories in creative music search

Pre-existing commercial music is widely used to accom-pany moving images in films, TV commercials and com-puter games. This process is known as music synchronisa-tion. Professionals are employed by rights holders and film makers to perform creative music searches on large catalogues to find appropriate pieces of music for syn-chronisation. This paper discusses a Discourse Analysis of thirty interview texts related to the process. Coded ex-amples are presented and discussed. Four interpretive repertoires are identified: the Musical Repertoire, the Soundtrack Repertoire, the Business Repertoire and the Cultural Repertoire. These ways of talking about music are adopted by all of the community regardless of their interest as Music Owner or Music User. Music is shown to have multi-variate and sometimes conflicting meanings within this community which are dynamic and negotiated. This is related to a theoretical feedback model of communication and meaning making which proposes that Owners and Users employ their own and shared ways of talking and thinking about music and its context to determine musical meaning. The value to the music information retrieval community is to inform system design from a user information needs perspective

Organising music for movies

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine and discuss the classification of commercial popular music when large digital collections are organised for use in films. Design/methodology/approach - A range of systems are investigated and their organization is discussed, focusing on an analysis of the metadata used by the systems and choices given to the end-user to construct a query. The indexing of the music is compared to a checklist of music facets which has been derived from recent musicological literature on semiotic analysis of popular music. These facets include aspects of communication, cultural and musical expression, codes and competences. Findings -In addition to bibliographic detail, descriptive metadata is used to organise music in these systems. Genre, subject and mood are used widely; some musical facets also appear. The extent to which attempts are being made to reflect these facets in the organization of these systems is discussed. A number of recommendations are made which may help to improve this process. Originality/value - This paper discusses an area of creative music search which has not previously been investigated in any depth and makes recommendations based on findings and the literature which may be used in the development of commercial systems as well as making a contribution to the literature

Music, movies and meaning: communication in film-markers' search for pre-existing music, and the implications for music information retrieval

While the use of music to accompany moving images is widespread, the information behaviour, communicative practice and decision making by creative professionals within this area of the music industry is an under-researched area. This investigation discusses the use of music in films and advertising focusing on communication and meaning of the music and introduces a reflexive communication model. The model is discussed in relation to interviews with a sample of music professionals who search for and use music for their work. Key factors in this process include stakeholders, briefs, product knowledge and relevance. Searching by both content and context is important, although the final decision when matching music to picture is partly intuitive and determined by a range of stakeholders

Test, Control and Monitor System (TCMS) operations plan

The purpose is to provide a clear understanding of the Test, Control and Monitor System (TCMS) operating environment and to describe the method of operations for TCMS. TCMS is a complex and sophisticated checkout system focused on support of the Space Station Freedom Program (SSFP) and related activities. An understanding of the TCMS operating environment is provided and operational responsibilities are defined. NASA and the Payload Ground Operations Contractor (PGOC) will use it as a guide to manage the operation of the TCMS computer systems and associated networks and workstations. All TCMS operational functions are examined. Other plans and detailed operating procedures relating to an individual operational function are referenced within this plan. This plan augments existing Technical Support Management Directives (TSMD's), Standard Practices, and other management documentation which will be followed where applicable

Group Theoretical Foundations of Fractional Supersymmetry

Fractional supersymmetry denotes a generalisation of supersymmetry which may be constructed using a single real generalised Grassmann variable, $\theta = \bar{\theta}, \, \theta^n = 0$, for arbitrary integer $n = 2, 3, ...$. An explicit formula is given in the case of general $n$ for the transformations that leave the theory invariant, and it is shown that these transformations possess interesting group properties. It is shown also that the two generalised derivatives that enter the theory have a geometric interpretation as generators of left and right transformations of the fractional supersymmetry group. Careful attention is paid to some technically important issues, including differentiation, that arise as a result of the peculiar nature of quantities such as $\theta$.Comment: Plain Latex, 18 page

Direct measurement of penetration length in ultra-thin and/or mesoscopic superconducting structures

We describe a method for direct measurement of the magnetic penetration length in thin (10 - 100 nm) superconducting structures having overall dimensions in the range 1 to 100 micrometers. The method is applicable for broadband magnetic fields from dc to MHz frequencies.Comment: Accepted by Journal of Applied P:hysics (Jun 2006).5 pages, 5 figure

The pre-hospital trauma and emergency doctor

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