opher DobrianUniversity of California Irvine303 Music and Media B - PDF document

1 opher DobrianUniversity of California, I
opher DobrianUniversity of California, Irvine303 Music and Media B CA 9269 -824-7288dobrian@uci.eduDaniel KoppelmanMusic Department, Furman University3300 Poinsett HighwayGreenville SC 29613 USA(1) 864- sixth year, demonstrates For thepurpose of this article, we are referring to the latterÑthenuance that a live performer adds to the available different interpretations.Ó [4]1 In the case ofÒprogrammable instrumentsÓ and live control of composi-tional computer music algorithms, the distinction betweencompositional expression and performative expression may beblurred somewhat; the performer may be shaping primarycharacteristics of the composed/improvised musical materialsthemselves. What we are specifically concerned with in thisdiscussion, however, are those characteristics of the liveperformance that enhance expressive attacks, tone decays and pausesÓ) andlisteners Òreceive musical expression by decodingÓ these cues.This implies that performer

2 expression, like language, dependson a
expression, like language, dependson a set of conventional signifiers and an understanding ofthose signifiers shared by both performer and listener. Thesecues are generally at a different logical level than that of eachindividual parameter of a sonic attributesat the note levelÑe.g. intonation, timbre, vibrato speed anddepth, etc.Ñand attributes of the musical structure at thephrase levelÑrubato, crescendo, etc.Even the physical gestures made by the performer affect thelistenerÕs perception of the music. In the visual arts, a viewercan respond to specific traits of a pencil line, such as itssmoothness, sounds imply gesture, evenchoreography. Conversely, viewing the physical gesture that aperformer makes can influence the listener/viewerÕs perceptionof the sonic expression. Computer interfaces can dissociategesture from result to varying degrees by the way expression(conveying meaning or feeling) of intelligence or expression is sufficient tob

3 elieve that intelligence or expression e
elieve that intelligence or expression exists. Emulations ofexpressive performance have been attempted by means of rule-based programs expressive use. It might besaid that the ability to control a sound generator, and themeans of that control, are the tool or the medium by whichexpression is made possible. But it is important to note thatone should not therefore equate control with expression. TheperformerÕs expression is the significant has beensuggested that Òthe expressivity of an instrument is dependenton the transparency of the mapping for both the player and theaudience.Ó [13], be it through direct mapping schemes, or moresophisticated gesture analysis (e.g. [8, 23]). Transparent or not,the correspondences must be learnable, repeatable, andsufficiently refined to enable control of the sound that is bothintimate (finely detailed) and at aminimum that the interface provide accurate capture of gesture,and that the mapping of input to sonic res

4 ult be situated at theappropriate In tr
ult be situated at theappropriate In trying to design an instrument a certain degree of complexity ease; we are not referringsimply to extravagant displays of extreme speed or dexterity. whohas only recently encountered the instrument, has had with putting this experimentation onstage in aless-than-refined form at demonstrations, workshops, andconferences. But it would be a mistake to pretend that such anonstage experiment is a good representation of the expressivecapability of that instrument, or that it canÑexcept in a fewfortunate and Ôknob-twiddlingÕ we might see on stage that is sounsatisfying to watch.Ó The Old OnesOne approach to improving virtuosity and expressivity in livecomputer music has been to design instruments modeled onexisting acoustic instruments. Indeed, this is still an attractiveapproach to many in the field, as demonstrated by the NIME2006 Òspecial paper sessionÓ on Digital In

5 terfaces for theViolin Family. Early des
terfaces for theViolin Family. Early designers of synthesizers, and designersof the MIDI protocol, Yamaha G1D guitar pickup and G50 guitar MIDI converter, 3 A particularly musically satisfying fusion of ÔtechnicalÕ andÔartisticÕ issues occurs in works such as ChopinÕs counterparts to bring their expressiveskills to computer many acoustic instrumentalists remain reluctant to use new Indeed for the designer of such an instrument, there are manychallenges in iseffective for transparent more expressive bymore virtuosic newdesign (particularly in a technical conference), but when doneon the concert stage are subject to data presentsÉachallenge of the necessary and valuable for musical performers, well-developed history in the field of artificialintelligence, and much of that knowledge can be fruitfully artistic life, whichobliges analysis, evaluation, and discussion, which

6 in turnleads to improvement. Conference
in turnleads to improvement. Conferences such as NIME, ICMC,SEAMUS, and SMC focus predominantly on technicalpresentations and music concerts for an audience of likecolleagues; form combining humans and machines, to life in aparticular realtime performance. One result of necessary toencourage further development in the following areas:continued focused research on strategies withÑa given instrument as a way to further itsdevelopment; and more opportunities for critical discourse,both within the community of practitioners and among non-practitioners. The future is rich with possibilities forinvolvement by fromcomposition to expressive instrumentsÓ. Organised computers for new musicsÕ performance andimprovisation Determinants in Computer MusicPerformanceÓ. Paris: IRCAM, 1997.[24] Schloss, W. A. Using Contemporary Technology in LivePerformance: The Dilemma of the PerformerÓ. Journal ofNew Music Research, 32:3, pp. 239Ð242. New York:Routledg