Leonard Meyer (1956), Eugene Narmour (1990, 1992), Steve Larson (1993), and Fred Lerdahl (2001) have published theories of melodic expectation. Experimental inquiries by James Carlsen (1981), William Lake (1987), Mark Schmuckler (1989), Lola Cuddy and Carole Lunney (1995), E. Glenn Schellenberg (1997), Paul von Hippel (2000), and others have suggested paths for the improvement of existing models. The current study presents a model of melodic expectation based on the interaction of five factors: stability, proximity, direction, temporal position, and hierarchic position. The formulation of each parameter and the method of their overall combination address issues concerning existing models, including those of hierarchy and temporality, transparency of notational system, real-time realization, and susceptibility to empirical investigation. The model assigns a degree of expectedness to each melodic event. It correlates expectedness with three distinct tension types, and records in graph form the proposed fluctuations in tension across the course of a melody. An adaptation of Lerdahl and Jackendoff’s time-span reduction specifies expectations about non-adjacent events. A factor informed by Mari Riess Jones’ notion of dynamic attending specifies the temporal target of expectations.
Rhythm and drumming have been playing a central role in indigenous music of Africa. Although most scholars maintain that rhythm in African music range from simple to most complex organisation, which involves multiple rhythmic configurations, they do agree that polyrhythmic organization is a chief feature of most African music cultures. From these studies we are informed of various forms of polyrhythmic organization such as additive rhythm, hemiola, and cross rhythm Agawu (1995), Chernoff (1979) and Nkentia (1979). In this study I intend to show, by way of analysis, how these forms of polyrhythmic organisation operate and contribute to the general musical aesthetics of the specific songs analysed. I do this with an understanding that polyrhythmic organization is not uniformly applied in all African music cultures not even in all songs of one music culture. So the study takes into consideration contexts and spatio-temporal environment in which the songs exist and I consider their influence to rhythmic organization and general aesthetics of the songs.
The graphical user-interface is de facto standard in every commercial music notation software. The mouse or other pointing device is used to select and manipulate objects, and various keyboard commands and menus are used to perform the needed operations. Tool palettes, and context sensitive menus are usually also utilized. While it may seem that there is a certain consensus among user interfaces, the case is, in fact, quite the opposite. The implementations vary from one program to another. This includes dealing with multiple selection, the use of contextual menus, selection, etc.
In this paper we propose a graphical user-interface for a music notation program that is prolifically contextual menu driven. We introduce a uniform protocol how to manage multiple selection and how to assign operations to desired objects. This model is object-oriented and relies on the class hierarchy. The user-interface is intended to be intuitive and straightforward. ENP relies on the concept of direct editing thus the user is able to point and manipulate almost all the visible objects directly with the mouse. Most objects react to dragging, changing one or more of their attributes according to the type of the object in question. For example, the notes and chords can be dragged to transpose (vertical drag) or to position them in time (horizontal drag). The articulations can be repositioned or reshaped etc. There is also a uniform protocol for the most commonly used operations such as pan and zoom. Furthermore, every object has a context sensitive menu that contains all the applicable operations arranged in logical categories. The features of ENP user-interface are discussed in detail. Furthermore, some comparative study is made between ENP and Commercial Music Notation Programs.
Reduced listening has been intuitively linked to the long studied "semantic satiation", a phenomenon by which a word, by repeated definition, begins to lose its intended meaning. Successful attempts to recreate and measure this effect have led to the further illumination of another effect known as "semantic spreading" in which the relational network within said symbol's proximity also weakens. Although no studies have yet been found using non-word sound objects, the author feels that this relational network is still useful for an analytical methodology describing form building in the process of composition.
The author will outline a possible set of semantic and symbolic connections within a piece of acousmatic music. He will assess the sources' semantic influence on the treatment of form and attempt to critique the way in which they interact, interfere and contribute to the musical value of the sound object and it's variants leading to the development of the music in its present version. If possible, an outline of the tension between semantic value and musical value may be traced.
A survey of possible bifurcating paths leading to other musical sources, by symbolic and spectromorphological attractors, will conclude. Musical examples will be used.
We are involved in a global and only slowly reversible experiment in the effects of human’s activities on the natural environment. Designs of human spaces today will affect global problems of tomorrow. Climate is one of those areas. Natural fluctuations of weather, uncontrolled by humans, and human-induced climate variability and change, are effected principally through the injection of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and, secondarily, through phenomena like land-cover change (destruction of vegetation, urbanization). Extreme, episodic weather can occur under “normal” conditions and disrupt society; when human-made environments contribute to the problem of global warming and its attendant effects are superimposed, vital societal functions can be irreparably damaged. Droughts are especially pernicious and possibly exacerbated by the climate change. A gradual rise in global mean temperature, alone, may not have catastrophic impacts in the near term. However, impacts on weather systems (e.g., intensity and frequency of extreme events) can be marked.
The urban landscape and the climate that it experiences co-exist in a state of mutual influence. In a ten-year span the Earth’s population increased by the equivalent of 80 cities of a million people each. However, cities have not been designed with concerns for climate change. The role of good design should be to mitigate the impact of climate change on the functioning of society and, in turn, to mitigate the adverse impact of human practices on the climate system. Alternatives to the pollutants in our living spaces must be incorporated in all aspects of human shelter. This dual role, to provide functional and respectful shelter for millions of people and, simultaneously, to minimize the human impact on the natural rhythms and patterns of nature is daunting but not unattainable for designers. Design must address wise utilization of vital resources. Or using local manufacturers to save on fuel costs and the use of building materials that is or can be recycled. All the effects of climate change cannot be known or anticipated at this time. Therefore, flexibility must be designed into the built environments of the future.
This presentation will address the concerns of the impact that choices made by designers must be thoroughly evaluated and addressed. The philosophy that sustainability is an integral part of design and not a separate issue will be explored.
Human spirit in interior environments is a celebration of a connection between an artistic expression and an experience of place. The artist and the participant are sharing a common belief about qualities that both believe define the experience of a particular place. Qualities of interior environments such as beauty, creativity, imagination and harmony are developed through a multi-layered process. The process involves nature-based concepts, mythology, psychology and rational thinking as well as traditional principles and elements of design in a rigorous exploration of needs and aesthetic expression. In a 1996 article in the Journal of Interior Design, Hassell and Scott document a discussion about emerging trends in interior design. One of the topics was Environmental Poetics.
“Environmental Poetics. This term refers to that unique component of designed environments that distinguishes merely functional spaces from places that affect the intellect and spirit of the inhabitants. Meaning, expression, and spiritual values are not being given as much consideration in design as function, practical objectives, and other aesthetic components such as style. It is feared that in losing sight of the poetic, the design professional has substituted technical and practical proficiencies for a more unique expertise and the inhabitants of the interiors created settle for a reduced quality of life” (p.12).
Music as form is a design studio project that seeks a non-traditional avenue to inspire imaginative and creative volumetric solutions through a documented multi-layered design process. How can the structure of music inform three-dimensional space? How can auditory sensations be expressed through solid/void relationships, balance, color, light, rhythm and proportion? The results of this five-part process, Investigation and Documentation, Analysis, Operations in three-dimensions, Synthesis, and Presentation surprised the student designers. Their unique and creative solutions connect and celebrate human spirit in interior environments.
The word "series" has particular significance for contemporary musicians. In the immediate post-war years the serial method exemplified an approach to music composition which emphasised the rational control of all parameters of music. Carried to its "logical" conclusion the serial method culminated in works composed in the electronic medium where even the micro-level of sound could be shaped and controlled. In reality, serial thought was applied in many different ways and to imply that a general consensus existed is excessively simplistic. Serial methods can be used to control chance (however paradoxical that may appear), it may also be used to mediate between extremes in any chosen parameter. Thus, as a "system" it can attain a certain autonomy and, as a result, it can reveal relationships and structures that the composer would not have considered - the system itself, once created by the composer, assumes responsibility for the music. In fine art since the 1960¹s practice the term "series" has also been used. In this context there are subtle but important differences. For example, Sol Le Witt, Jack Burnham and others refer to "systems aesthetics" and "serial art". In fine art the end result seems to communicate with a directness and clarity that is in contrast to the complexity of serial music (though, unfortunately, this does not mean the art is more popular). Both music and art share terms and concepts related to serial such as "logic", "module", "determinism", "permutation"Š There is, therefore, a certain cross-fertilisation between the arts (music, for example, is mentioned in articles on conceptual art). My paper will explore the common aspects that can be identified in the use of serial systems in music and fine art. I will seek to elucidate how the use of the aforementioned concepts can assist in an understanding of both art forms.
Whole number ratios of frequencies of sound, which produce consonant musical intervals, formed the basis of the proportional systems of the Renaissance. Thus, these ratios were applied to produce harmonious dimensional relationships in significant architectural projects of that period.
An examination of twentieth century buildings reveals the presence of such ‘consonant’ ratios also in a number of important innovative ‘modern’ architectural projects. This suggests that the abstract ‘harmony’ inherent in the combinations of these ratios constitutes a universally valid aspect of architecture, which transcends time and local conditions, and can exist within an otherwise revolutionary architecture.
This paper will introduce my on-going practice-based research project UNCAGED which is an attempt to create an interactive mixed-reality environment that will establish and explore relationships between virtual environments and their physical surroundings.
The project is motivated by my vision of a system which integrates the remote computer world with our physical world, and thus makes the virtual domain more accessible and meaningful to our human experience and perception.
The project incorporates computer based animations as well as (digitally processed) video material and images, which are ‘hooked up’ with different electronic devices. These electronic devices are triggered by different events happening in the virtual domain and vice versa. Thus a quasi symbiotic relationship between what happens on-screen and what happens off-screen is established. Further, the project aims at creating a truly multi-sensory experience for the participants. Hence the linkage between the physical and digital world is not only based on audio and visual as well as audio-visual relationships between both domains but also incorporates haptic stimulation of the participants.
The paper will give an overview of related projects in the mixed-reality area and will have a theoretical focus on (tele-)presence research. The presentation will be illustrated by audio-visual material taken from UNCAGED as well as previous projects.
One of the most remarkable features of music that has been noted since antiquity is that it evokes images of motion, and generates a motion-experience. Music theorists have proposed various conceptual models and metaphors in order to account for this dynamic aspect of music. While some sought the explanation in the physical properties of the phenomenon of sound, others referred to the psychological principles of human cognition. In music theory, the idea of musical motion led to the development of sophisticated models of tonal space, and in philosophy it occupied the central place in discussions of time-consciousness.
In this paper, I first summarize the various historical methods employed in explaining motion in tonal music. Then, I concentrate on one particular thread that runs through theoretical writings at least since the time of Rameau, i.e. the idea of ‘’attractional forces’’ between the tones as constituting the source of musical motion. After reviewing how the concept of ‘’attraction’’ has been employed in music theory, I consider its applications in other disciplines, including physics and Gestalt psychology. I argue that ‘’attraction’’ refers to a psychological schema humans employ in making sense of dynamically evolving systems, and that ‘’tonal attraction’’ is not merely a metaphor borrowed from physics. In this connection, I briefly analyze an arietta by Mozart. I conclude by pointing out the relationships between tonal attractions and affective responses to music.
The notion of performance is introduced as a design approach to the creation of interactive environments. These environments can ultimately be regarded as user-spaces; a condition which replace the art object with a configuration of interactions. Our understanding of space, as suggested by H. Lefevbre, defines the “inhabitant” as a full participant, a user, a performer of space. We discuss the implications of digital interfaces in the context of our experience of architectural space. We propose that improvisatory mechanisms are at the centre of our experience in interacting with both digital environments. The process that an artist engages with when designing a space for interaction, is analysed with view to a re-definition of the interfacing between the artist and the public. Two interactive installations by the author and works by others in the field provide a context for discussion and analysis.
Although the Lithuanian artist and composer Mikolajus Konstantinas Ciurlionis (1875-1911) is revered as a cultural hero in his native country, his work is little known outside Lithuania. Trained as a composer, his earliest works show the influence of Chopin; he largely eschewed programmaticism, favoring the more abstract forms afforded by short piano preludes.
In 1903 Ciurlionis began painting; after 1907 he painted more than composed, aiming at a synthesis of the arts. His paintings often had visionary, symbolist subjects and bore musical titles, constructed as visual analogies to musical forms (for example, the four-painting Sonata of the Pyramids cycle, and the diptych Prelude and Fugue). He continued to paint and compose until 1909, when he succumbed to mental illness. His piano works from 1907-1909 are among his most abstract, characterized by tonal experimentation.
Ciurlionis’s music has been analyzed by several Lithuanian scholars, most notably Vytautas Landsbergis; outside Lithuania, most scholarly attention has been focused on his painting. Vladimir Fedotov (1995) has examined musical structure in Ciurlionis’s paintings; I propose to do the reverse, focusing on the coordination of lines and register in his 1907-1909 compositions as analogous to his visionary painting style.
The purpose of the ZING project was to construct a context for the skill training and experiential learning of young musicians performing as singing duos. The participants were selected across the country (South Africa and Namibia) and convened in small groups of five duos for a week’s training before performing live on stage and for TV broadcasting. The finalists from each week’s performance got together for further training experience before the final performance and selection of the winners. A unique system of relationships and behaviour patterns emerged in a structured context, aimed at developing the skills for public performance of these young musicians.
In this paper I propose to explore this unique system and its emergent properties, as well as the ways in which person-music interactive systems were used to facilitate the processes and relationships. The specific focus for this paper is the person-music interactive systems for relaxation and facilitation of personal well-being. Three strategies were employed for person-music interaction with the participants, namely guided imagery with music, synergistic exercises to music, and drumming. Although I will briefly report on the processes involved with the training experience, the focus is on a programme for stress relief and relaxtion, and the interrelated patterns that emerged from collaborating in a person-music interactive system.
Previous research has laid a foundation determining that music and architecture share many types of structural symmetry (see my IIAS paper, "Composing Symmetry", 2000). Thus, it is significant that music is often described with architectural terms like structure, symmetry, texture, design, proportion, balance, and form, while architecture is described with musical terms like tonality, rhythm, harmony, motive, and counterpoint. As the next logical step, this project proposes ways that the two disciplines can be synthesized in practice, both by way of examples and by speculating systems of implementation. Examples and projections will be drawn from my own experience as a composer and musician, and from some of my works composed for special environmental spaces, such as Music in Space (architectural), Random Play, Positive-Negative, and Evolutions. Other examples include Steven Holl’s Stretto House (Dallas, Texas, 1992) and Le Corbusier’s collaboration with Iannis Xenakis and Edgard Varese in the Philips Pavillion for the Brussels World Fair of 1958.
I wish to present documentation of "Occidio" an art installation that reinterpreted NASA scientific visualizations documenting climate change on Earth through the interplay of video, sound and drawing. In this work of environmental art visitors saw and heard the sound of global warming.
The work was originally installed at School 33 Art Center in Baltimore, from December 14, 2002 through March 7th 2003. A combination of the visual, metaphoric and sonic presented a very direct way to interpret and understand the fundamental changes taking place on Earth. Sound was synthesized through the interaction of optical theremin units stimulated by video projections. The theremins used in "Occidio" modulated sine waves when light played over a photosensitive receptor. Hue and value changes altered the pitch of audio tones to "perform" different sounds; a computer applying granular synthesis software further processed the audio signal. The abstract yet elegiac sound generated by "Occidio" presented a form of "music" and an alternative means to interpret scientific data. Anna Solomon-Greenbaum featured "Occidio" in a broadcast of National Public Radio's "Living on Earth" on February 21, 2003.
Creation of row classes using row operations has a central role in the theory of twelve-tone rows. Typically a row class consists of 48 row forms generated by transpositions, inversion and retrogression, but several alternative formulations have been proposed. Row class is a equivalence-class, no member has predominance over the others.
Row classes paint a black-and-white picture of the twelve-tone rows. Two rows either are members of same class or they are not. For many compositional and analytical purposes finding a finer way of measuring similarity of arbitrary rows would open new possibilities.
Measuring similarity of twelve-tone rows has enjoyed considerably less attention than measuring similarity of unordered sets of pitch-classes. While some novel approaches have been presented, many of them are incompatible with the idea of row class and fail to consider members of a row class equivalent. This oddity can be avoided by defining similarity measures between row classes, not individual rows.
This paper defines the method of calculating distance between two row classes to be the minimum of the distances between all elements of the two equivalence classes. This approach is intuitive, flexible and it can be adapted to any definition of row classes. The paper concludes with few examples of similarity measures.