samer@0: \documentclass[a4paper,12pt]{article} samer@0: \usepackage[rm]{frankgth} samer@0: \usepackage{geometry} samer@0: \usepackage{tools} samer@0: \usepackage{graphicx} samer@0: samer@0: \parindent=0pt samer@0: \parskip=1em samer@0: \title{Information Dynamics Installation\\Pattern and Predictability in Music} samer@0: \author{Samer Abdallah and Henrik Ekeus} samer@0: \begin{document} samer@0: \maketitle samer@0: One of the noticable features of most sorts of music is that it samer@0: involves patterns in time---a repeating bass line, the cycle of samer@0: harmonies in a 12 bar blues, a melodic theme that is repeated, perhaps samer@0: in slightly different forms, at different pitches or at different speeds, and so on. samer@0: One of the tools available to a composer or performer is to play samer@0: with his or her audience's expectations, by setting up patterns that samer@0: seem more or less predictable, sometimes doing what listeners expect, samer@0: and sometimes doing surprising things. samer@0: samer@0: Our work on \emph{information dynamics} involves studying several samer@0: different kinds of predictability in musical patterns, how we as samer@0: human listeners might perceive these, and how they shape or affect samer@0: the listening experience. samer@0: samer@0: This installation allows participants to explore a space of melodic samer@0: and rhythmical patterns organised by \emph{how predictable} they are, samer@0: at least according to a simple model of how one might guess the next samer@0: musical event given the previous one. samer@0: Each person in the space generates one instrumental line, at a certain speed samer@0: and using a certain pitch range. samer@0: samer@0: \subsection*{Moving around} samer@0: As you enter the space, the system will start generating an instrumental samer@0: line or voice. The loudness of your voice is linked to your height, samer@0: so if you crouch, you will become quiet. The active space is triangular, samer@0: with each corner corresponding to three different extremes of predictability/unpredictability. samer@0: As you move around, the system will generate patterns corresponding to samer@0: where you are in the space. With other people in the space, you can samer@0: cooperate to create polyhonic textures, for example, you could lay down samer@0: a predictable repeating ostinato or bass line while your companion can samer@0: generate a freer melodic line on the off-beats. samer@0: samer@0: \begin{center} samer@0: \hangbox{\includegraphics[width=0.55\linewidth]{PredictabilitySpace.pdf}} samer@0: \quad\hangbox{\begin{minipage}{0.4\linewidth} samer@0: \vspace{1em} samer@0: \textbf{Tip}\quad It's best not to move around too quickly, to give yourself samer@0: time hear the pattern you are generating to notice its characteristics. samer@0: Then you can decided if you like it or want to try somewhere else. samer@0: If you move around quicky, the patterns will change so quickly that there samer@0: will effectively \emph{be no pattern}. samer@0: \end{minipage}} samer@0: \end{center} samer@0: samer@0: samer@0: \subsection*{Control gestures} samer@0: \def\out{in$\rightarrow$ out} samer@0: \def\in{out$\rightarrow$ in} samer@0: Control gestures are made pushing out or pulling in your left and right samer@0: arms rapidly, either separately or together (while facing the Kinect samer@0: motion tracker; if you face away, then left and right are reversed). samer@0: samer@0: It should be noted that the system will sometimes detect gestures when samer@0: none was intended. In particular, you might find the timing of your voice samer@0: goes wild if you walk around quickly. In this case, the \textbf{(\in,\in)} samer@0: gesture will reset your voice to the initial tempo and on the beat. samer@0: \begin{center} samer@0: \begin{tabular}{lll} samer@0: \textbf{left arm} & \textbf{right arm} & \textbf{meaning} \\ samer@0: \hline\\ samer@0: \out & static in & double tempo \\ samer@0: \in & static in & halve tempo \\ samer@0: static in & \out & triple tempo \\ samer@0: static in & \in & one-third tempo \\ samer@0: \out & static out & shift by half-beat \\ samer@0: \out & \out & change instrument \\ samer@0: \in & \in & reset tempo samer@0: \end{tabular} samer@0: \includegraphics[angle=90,width=\linewidth]{01.pdf} samer@0: \end{center} samer@0: samer@0: \end{document}