Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Music technology'

What is music, and how should it be taught in schools? This thesis traces how education and literation have reified music and distanced the construction of music in western conceptions, and British education, from practice in other, historical and geographical, cultures. Musical practice is dependant on the technologies for music production, which also influence the cultural construction of music. New developments in music technology, through the application of electronics and digitisation, have substantially changed the music industry, and, beyond this, have altered the generally accepted construction of music, by opening up new possibilities of sound creation and manipulation. These changes are theorised here as a transgressional step in the progressive literation of music, that reconnects musical practice to wider possibilities in the organisation of sound, some of which are examined by reference to the example of the traditional music of sub-Saharan Africa. By requiring more music practice, and inclusion of music from other times and cultures, the (British) National Curriculum has made new demands of music education in schools. It is shown that as these coincide with concomitant changes in the production of music due to new technologies, there is a possibility of restructuring music teaching in schools to take account of twenty-first century industry practice of music production. This will provide a sound basis for future employment to pupils. While there are many examples of excellence in school music teaching, quality remains variable and change is uneven. This thesis demonstrates the possibility within school music, of increasing the emphasis on a wider range ix of possibilities of organised sound, by connecting music to science, especially acoustical science, in Key Stages 1-3. At higher levels, considering music and sound together with images in multimedia will provide wider opportunities for the development of career skills. An electronic xylophone serves as an example of an instrument developed to enable the exploration of sound in the manner proposed, while retaining the kinaethesia found in physical musical instruments.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2012.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 103-112).
Music has been shown to form an essential part of the human experience-every known society engages in music. However, as universal as it may be, music has evolved into a variety of genres, peculiar to particular cultures. In fact people acquire musical skill, understanding, and appreciation specific to the music they have been exposed to. This process of enculturation builds mental structures that form the cognitive basis for musical expectation. In this thesis I argue that in order for machines to perform musical tasks like humans do, in particular to predict music, they need to be subjected to a similar enculturation process by design. This work is grounded in an information theoretic framework that takes cultural context into account. I introduce a measure of musical entropy to analyze the predictability of musical events as a function of prior musical exposure. Then I discuss computational models for music representation that are informed by genre-specific containers for musical elements like notes. Finally I propose a software framework for automatic music prediction. The system extracts a lexicon of melodic, or timbral, and rhythmic primitives from audio, and generates a hierarchical grammar to represent the structure of a particular musical form. To improve prediction accuracy, context can be switched with cultural plug-ins that are designed for specific musical instruments and genres. In listening experiments involving music synthesis a culture-specific design fares significantly better than a culture-agnostic one. Hence my findings support the importance of computational enculturation for automatic music prediction. Furthermore I suggest that in order to sustain and cultivate the diversity of musical traditions around the world it is indispensable that we design culturally sensitive music technology.
by Mihir Sarkar.
Ph.D.

This thesis is centred on a number of contemporary vocal performances and projects I encountered, and often single-handedly organised, during years of study and exploration. An introduction provides insights as to how I came to connect my original performance research goals with additional subject matters in an effort to provide a more complete illustration of the broad span of the music at hand. The bulk of this submission lies within the recordings of performances, which are supported by three exploratory chapters that discuss the relationships of the works to one another. The first chapter examines Finnish contemporary vocal music from a performer's point of view. Following this are two chapters that look at selected vocal works of two of the most internationally famous composers today, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Kaija Saariaho, in juxtaposition with an array of non-Finnish composition that share common themes. These chapters are accompanied by five audio CDs and one DVD, an extensive listing of recording tracks and performances, programmes and notes from all relevant concerts, press releases and reviews where applicable. An afterword sums up conclusions I arrived at regarding the role ofthe contemporary vocal artist and our responsibilities to the future of musical art.

Today’s technology of music file sharing in peer-to-peer networks is genius. Peer-to-peer are networks composed of several computers enabling files to be shared among users. A substantial part of the files shared constitute unlawful copies; uploading and downloading of such files infringes copyright legislation. File sharing through peer-to-peer networks is therefore both a genius technology and a copyright infringement.

Peer-to-peer technology has been subject to heavy debate in media, both nationally and internationally. The issue of illegal downloads of music is an international dilemma since music is a global commodity. Sweden has been accused of being file sharers’ haven by organisations such as the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Internet access and broadband capacity is very high in Sweden, which is a reason why many Swedes engage in file sharing. The Swedish company, The Pirate Bay, is the creator of one of the most popular file sharing websites in the world, using the BitTorrent application. The website offers free downloading of inter alia music, films and software. Like most peer-to-peer networks the Pirate Bay website includes copyrighted material, which often is published without the consent of copyright holders. As a result The Pirate Bay is facing a lawsuit on behalf of numerous organisations and companies in the music and film industry.

The Pirate Bay is accused of contributory infringement and of preparation to commit a copyright infringement according to the Swedish Copyright Act (SwCA).  Contrary to the American copyright legislation, the SwCA does not contain any explicit provisions regarding contributory infringement. The SwCA refers to the Swedish Criminal Code, which states that preparation to copyright infringement and contributing to such infringement is illegal and punishable. There is currently a lack of Swedish case law regarding copyright infringement and there are no cases concerning contributory infringement. One reason is that the field of law is constantly changing; the copyright legislation is adjusted to the technological developments. The lack of case law causes unpredictability of the SwCA, which may be harmful to the rule of law. International organisations, such as the RIAA, consider the SwCA to be somewhat ineffective and that it needs to be amended in order to uphold the fundamental purpose of copyright.

Copyright is a partly harmonised area of law from a global perspective. However, since the Internet and file sharing through peer-to-peer networks is an international phenomenon, copyright legislation needs further harmonisation internationally. At the time there is an ongoing process of implementing the European Union (EU) Enforcement Directive into the SwCA, which grants greater rights to copyright holders. The Directive contains provisions that simplify the process of taking action against an alleged infringer, which may in the long run increase the amount of case law in Sweden. At the same time the implementation of the Enforcement Directive has been criticised as being too far reaching and intruding people’s privacy.

File sharing through peer-to-peer networks benefits consumers by offering easy access to a wide range of music for a low cost, at the same time enabling artists to reach out to a larger audience. Consumers are vital for the music industry, since they purchase the music. However, the fundamental aim of copyright is to reward copyright holders and function as an incentive to encourage creativity. Consequently, without economic rights the incentive to create is forfeit and music production might decrease. Even if the justification of copyright is primarily to protect creators of a work, it is also essential to emphasise the consumer aspect. Therefore it is of importance to balance the interests of all parties involved.

In order to uphold the purpose of copyright and interests of the general public, it is necessary to promote and develop more legal file sharing alternatives. Music in digital formats has to some extent replaced the traditional Compact Disc (CD) format. Therefore the music industry must cooperate with among others Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in order to embrace the digital developments of music and offer better solutions to consumers. Simultaneously, there is a lack of knowledge of copyright among the Swedish population, which is why more education is required. In conclusion, advertisement and education could decrease illegal file sharing and enhance all the parties’ interests.

Dagens fildelningsteknologi i peer-to-peer nätverk är genial. Peer-to-peer är nätverk bestående av flera sammankopplade datorer som möjliggör fildelning mellan användare. En betydande mängd av de delade filerna utgör dock olagliga kopior; uppladdning och nedladdning av sådana filer bryter mot upphovsrättslagstiftningen. Fildelning genom peer-to-peer nätverk är därför både genial teknologi och upphovsrättsintrång.

Peer-to-peer teknologin har väckt stor debatt i media, både nationellt och internationellt. Frågan kring illegal nedladdning av musik är ett internationellt dilemma eftersom musik är en global handelsvara. Sverige har kritiserats av organisationer som Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) för att vara en frizon för fildelare. Tillgången till internet och bredband är väldigt hög i Sverige, vilket är en anledning till varför många svenskar fildelar. Det svenska företaget The Pirate Bay som använder sig av BitTorrent protokollet, är skapare till en av världens populäraste fildelningssajter. Webbsidan erbjuder gratis nedladdning av bland annat musik, film och programvara. I likhet med de flesta peer-to-peer nätverk innehåller The Pirate Bay’s hemsida upphovsrättsskyddat material som ofta har blivit tillgängliggjort utan upphovsrättshavarens medgivande. Till följd av detta har ett flertal organisationer och företag inom musik- och filmindustrin ingett en stämningsansökan mot The Pirate Bay.        

The Pirate Bay är åtalade för medhjälp och förberedelse till brott mot upphovsrättslagen. I motsats till den amerikanska lagen om upphovsrätt innehåller inte den svenska upphovsrättslagen några uttryckliga bestämmelser rörande medhjälp till brott mot upphovsrätt. Upphovsrättslagen hänvisar istället till brottsbalken som stadgar att förberedelse och medverkan till brott är olagligt och straffbart. I dagsläget finns endast ett fåtal svenska rättsfall angående upphovsrättsintrång men inga fall kring medhjälp till upphovsrättsintrång. En bidragande faktor kan vara att rättsområdet ständigt ändras; upphovsrättslagstiftningen anpassas kontinuerligt till den tekniska utvecklingen. Bristen på svenska rättsfall leder till att upphovsrättslagens tillämpning blir oförutsägbar, vilket kan vara skadligt för rättsäkerheten. Internationella organisationer som exempelvis RIAA anser att den svenska upphovsrättslagen är ineffektiv och att ändringar behöver göras för att upprätthålla upphovsrättens grundläggande syfte.      

Upphovsrätten är till viss del en harmoniserad lagstiftning ur ett globalt perspektiv. Eftersom internet och fildelning genom peer-to-peer nätverk är ett internationellt fenomen behöver upphovsrättslagen ytterligare harmonisering på ett internationellt plan. I dagsläget pågår en implementering av Europeiska Unionens (EU:s) sanktionsdirektiv som tillerkänner större rättigheter till upphovsrättshavare. Direktivet innehåller bestämmelser som förenklar möjligheten för rättighetshavare att vidta åtgärder mot personer som begår upphovsrättsintrång, vilket på sikt kan komma att bidra till en ökad mängd rättsfall. Sanktionsdirektivet har samtidigt kritiserats för att vara alltför långtgående och inskränker människors rätt till privatliv.

Fildelning genom peer-to-peer nätverk är förmånligt för konsumenter genom att utbudet av musik är stort, lättillgängligt och till en låg kostnad; samtidigt ger nätverken artister möjligheten att nå ut till en bredare publik. Konsumenter är nödvändiga för musikindustrin eftersom de inhandlar musiken. Dock är det viktigt att upprätthålla det fundamentala syftet med upphovsrätt, vilket är att ersätta upphovsrättshavaren för sitt verk och fungera som ett incitament till att stimulera skapade. Utan de ekonomiska rättigheterna skulle uppmuntran att skapa nya alster gå förlorad, och musikproduktionen skulle minska. Trots att upphovsrätten rättfärdigas genom att skydda rättighetshavare så är det även angeläget att understryka värdet av konsumenterna. Det är därför av stor vikt att balansera samtliga parters intressen.

Det är nödvändigt att marknadsföra och utveckla fler lagliga fildelningsalternativ för att upprätthålla upphovsrättens syfte och samhällets intresse. Digital musik har till viss del ersatt det traditionella Compact Disc (CD) formatet. Musikindustrin måste därför samarbeta med bland annat internetleverantörer för att ta till sig den digitala utvecklingen av musik och erbjuda bättre lösningar till konsumenter. För närvarade har den svenska befolkningen otillräckliga kunskaper inom upphovsrätt, varför mer utbildning behövs. Avslutningsvis, skulle marknadsföring och utbildning kunna bidra till en minskning av den illegala fildelningen och gynna alla parters intressen.       

Music streaming services are increasing, compact discs (CDs) and digital download sales are declining, and many music artists are becoming affected by this positive shift in music technology. Music streaming revenue does not compensate for the decrease in revenue from CDs and paid downloads. Based on organizational configuration theory (OCT), the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the technology and marketing strategies that small business music artists used to generate sales revenue from the Internet. Six small business music artists who were 18 years or older with different music revenue streams participated in semistructured interviews. These small business music artists provided detailed information on the technology and marketing strategies they used to generate sales revenue from the Internet. The data collection process for this study included semistructured interview data and participant observations. The data analysis process included methodological triangulation of the interview data and participant observation data to identify themes for the study. Seven themes identified were having a marketing budget, social media, recording studio sessions, digital distribution, SoundExchange, music licensing, and corporate sponsorships. These data may contribute to positive social change by helping small business music artists sustain operations in the music industry.

Thesis (MMus) - University of Glasgow, 2007.
MMus. thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts, Department of Music, University of Glasgow, 2007. Includes bibliographical references. Print version also available.

Transparency issues influence many aspects of modern society and are critical in balancing the dichotomy between personalisation and privacy. Transparency behaviours have previously been refined into the disclosure, clarity and accuracy (DCA) model (Schnackenberg & Tomlinson, 2014). This thesis has two projects. Project 1 makes a significant contribution to the research literature on transparency and music industry practices by testing the DCA model. Project 2 presents an investigation into music licensing, missing revenue and technology transfer in Australia. The findings suggest an accreditation system for copyright throughput accuracy could function as a potential roadmap for transparency innovation more broadly.

This thesis interrogates the new music technology and its relationship to creativity, musicality and learning in the Key Stage 31 curriculum. In doing so it considers the effectiveness of the technology, what value pupils and teachers might place on technologically mediated musical interactions and how this relates to the principles enshrined in the National Curriculum. The research also explores the views of teachers in relation to the nature of creativity and learning in the music curriculum and their role in promoting it. The research was carried out across five sites: a PGCE music course, a year 7, year 8, and year 9 Key Stage 3 music classroom, and a panel of secondary music teachers. It was located in a qualitative paradigm which made use of observational and interview techniques. The research also probed the pupils' creative outcomes through detailed analysis. The findings suggest that the new technology can afford creative musical engagement through the manipulation of ready-made musical materials. It also suggests that pupils engage in a range of musical learning through such interactions and that they value the processes and outcomes. By way of contrast, teachers are still unclear about how to value such musical actions and are in the process of re conceptualising the learning that emerges in technologically mediated settings. Moreover, confusions still exist in relation to creativity and learning in the music classroom. This is compounded by the fact that the pupils' musical actions in relation to the new technology do not meet certain core practices and principles enshrined in the National Curriculum for music. This is problematic for, as the research suggests, such core practices often exclude or distance those pupils who are non-performing musicians. Hence the thesis concludes by positing that music education must consider a broader view of what it is to be musical. In doing so it needs to remix the music curriculum to take account of a range of musical actions. This remix should accommodate the new technology, reconfigure musical creativity and learning in the light of the technology and find new ways to value pupils' actions. In such settings the role of the teacher in shaping and supporting the pupils' musical actions will be an important consideration.

This dissertation describes the creation of new music technology and information systems: electronic music interfaces, keyboard and audio networks, a novel information system called an electronic student assessment and data management system and new intelligent tutoring systems. Keyboard systems are used by music teachers. Existing systems offered a range of useful features using a number of technologies. However, they also had drawbacks, which prevented users from performing efficiently. Students had to use the new systems with portable keyboards for their lessons and were required to learn how to play the keyboard by the national curriculum. However, student's music and keyboard playing skills varied. A new intelligent tutoring system was created to overcome this problem by delivering customised tutoring on music and keyboard skills through the new systems. A broad base of research was completed and the following were the tangible research successes. The new music technology systems consisted of a network of new electronic music interfaces that could be remotely controlled from a computer using a new communication protocol. New object oriented control structures to interface with non-computer networks were defined to enable the accurate setting and display of system status, as well as management of communication-problems and abnormalities. The novel information system was a new three-tier information system created to help teachers manage students and their work. The new music technology and information systems used a new ergonomic graphical user interface. A new mobile teaching system using these systems (tablet PCs, software remote control and local station control) allowed teachers to perform their teaching anywhere. These systems were used as a test bed to implement artificial intelligence. A new habits capturer, using a new stamping method was created to anticipate user's actions from monitored activity. Also, a new computer aided instruction system to teach basic music-keyboard skills was created. This new system used the new music technology systems (through a novel interfacing method using keylighting, text-to-speech and key capturing technologies), and a new music=keyboard skills expert used as a music concept translator. The computer aided instruction system formed the base for the creation of a new intelligent computer aided instruction system (also called intelligent tutoring system) to tech basic music-keyboard skills in a custom way. This new intelligent system used a new methodology. The new methodology showed that a tutor module that gathered knowledge, expertise and assessment functions was viable. The new intelligent system also used a new generic tutoring base. Finally, a new learning curves plotter was created to display student modelling information from the new intelligent system.

The Vienna based record label Mego is known for establishing an uncompromising, radically experimental electronic music in the 1990s. This thesis considers the work of various different artists on the label, examining in particular their approaches to technology. The artists discussed appear to share an approach that I describe as pragmatic or experimental, which I contrast with idealist or rational approaches. In the latter, music appears to be understood within the framework of a simplistic model of communication, where technology is seen as a medium that should be transparent, allowing the music to pass unaffected. In the pragmatic approach however, I claim that technology is not seen not as a medium for the communication of ideas, but rather as a source of ideas. Implications follow for the ontology of the music. In the simplistic model of communication, physical sound can be considered merely a representation of something more abstract: musical form conceived by the composer. But if music is materially constructed and based on experimentation with the technology at hand, then the sound should not be considered a representation; there is no preconceived idea for it to be a representation of. This concept, which I refer to as 'literalism', is explored in a number of musical examples, and I link it to a definition of noise.

Music branding is not a new phenomenon in marketing, and it is not uncommon that companies brand themselves through means such as jingles, audio logotypes and the use of music in commercials. The digitalization of music has affected the way people listen to music, but it has also given brands the potential to brand themselves through music in other ways than those mentioned above. The aim of this study is to investigate and identify how music branding in alternative ways on digital platforms can build value for brands in the fashion industry. A literature study was conducted in the first part of this study, followed by a multiple-case study of the fashion companies Burberry and Converse and their respective digital platforms Burberry Acoustic and Converse Rubber Tracks. The findings indicate that the alternative music branding analyzed in this case study is successful and that it has led to both brands having a deeper emotional connection with their consumers. Having identified their respective target groups, they have managed to adjust their ways of alternative music branding to the needs of their customers.

The composition of mixed music involves numerous aesthetic and formal challenges; the opposition of the rich, unrestrained sounds of live orchestral instruments amalgamated with electroacoustic sources - which differ in material source, compositional approach, performance practice, and meaning – expose musical difficulties innate to the musical anatomy of each medium. This thesis and portfolio examines how these difficulties can be reconciled through “source-bonding”; a term defined by Denis Smalley as the predisposition of a listener to relate sounds to their physical source or cause, paired with a comprehensive investigation into how space, from a phenomenological perspective, can offer holistically perceptible source-bondings within mixed music. An examination of existing literature precedes a discussion on the fundamental dichotomies between instrumental and electroacoustic mediums, setting a contemporary context for mixed music research. This is succeeded by a discussion of how existing compositional listening approaches and philosophies can shape the perceived source-bondings of a listener, with specific regards to temporal and phenomenological considerations. The final part will consist of a mixed music composition portfolio, with accompanying commentary discussing how the perceived real and abstract aspects of source-bonded sounds can co-exist within these phenomenological spaces and consequently evoke meaning, relative to the listener’s interpretation and comprehension of the spatially integrated source-bondings.

Master of Music
Department of Music
Julie Yu-Oppenheim
Teaching a large performing ensemble class, such as choir, can make it difficult to keep a record of each student’s individual progress. This report will discuss my philosophy of music education along with ways to incorporate technology into student assessment. Technology can most benefit the educational process when it is easy and efficient. Through personal experience, incorporating technology into student assessment can be done in the four different methods explored in this report. These four methods are: integrating practice file submissions through a virtual interface; using Google Docs Surveys for self-reflection; incorporating audio or video recording students for sight-reading tests; and using YouTube for students to post videos for final projects. Each has the potential to both strengthen and organize the way student assessment is completed.

This thesis deals with two categories of musical time, concrete and subjective, and the effect of recording technology on musical time. Concrete musical time can be measured in an objective way, for example, through reference to standards of time external to the listener, such as clocks. Subjective musical time refers to the musical time that cannot be measured objectively: it depends entirely on the listener who experiences the musical work. It is my conclusion that recording technology affects the concrete aspect of musical time, but not the subjective one. Chapter one defines the relationship between time and different forms of art, as well as the relationship between time and music. Chapter two defines concrete and subjective musical time. Chapter three discusses recording technology and the changes it imposes on the musical aesthetic ritual. By musical aesthetic ritual, I mean the agreed-upon physical actions which are related to the activities involving music and the experience of music. Chapter four explains the influence of recording technology on certain musical aesthetic ideas such as the reproduction of music, the completeness of the musical work, and the temporality of the musical work. Chapter five presents my conclusions with regards to the influence of recording technology on concrete and subjective musical time.

Music playback in venues is very often controlled by the small group of people administrating the business or locale, and not by the audience of listeners themselves. The people listening rarely have any ability to affect the choice of music within the public place or business they are currently situated in. This master thesis is built around a developed social music service, that lets the listeners control the playback of music together. The project is called: Blicko, and it enables its users to collaboratively build up a playlist of music, and then vote on the order of the upcoming tracks to be played. It can be thought of as a tool which has similar functions to a jukebox. The service enables the visitors or attendees at any type of public place or venue (i.e. cafes, bars, lobby, restaurants etc.) to be a part of deciding and controlling which music is being played. The thesis is dedicated to examine the best way of refining the service, in terms of optimizing the User Experience (UX), by application of different practices and methods within the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). This also involves managing the complications that rises when developing a multi-platform service for a wide range of devices.

This study was conducted in order to understand the types of music technologies band educators in the state of Arkansas were using, their attitudes towards technology, and the implications training, during undergraduate and through professional development, had on the frequency of use. Arkansas Music Educators (n = 64) completed an online questionnaire containing demographic information, selection of music technologies, agreeability/disagreeability to statements about music technology, frequency of use, descriptions of technologies, and description of how they felt music technology should be used for the purpose of learning. Regarding training in undergraduate professional development for music technology use, there appeared to be no difference between the increase of music technology usage and the increase of more training. Results suggest that participants have an overall “good” attitude towards technology with the stipulation that it should be considered a tool, students and teachers receive appropriate training, and it should be used efficiently.

Music therapists are expected to provide live music for clients with diverse preferences, yet these therapists face many barriers preventing them from recreating client-preferred music in a way that adheres to the expectations of the genre, or with “musical authenticity.” The purpose of this study was to investigate music therapists’ perceptions and practices regarding musical authenticity. Survey responses (n = 904) indicated that music therapists highly value musical authenticity, but a major theme in the qualitative data revealed they often balance its importance with other factors. Descriptive survey data and qualitative themes revealed lack of training in functional musicianship and electronic technology as major barriers to musical authenticity. A major qualitative theme regarding therapists’ practices was the use of collaboration with clients and creative solutions. Most participants indicated use of non-electronic strategies and reported they had not used electronic technology to increase musical authenticity. Descriptive survey data and qualitative themes revealed frequent and effective use of recorded music. Finally, chi-square analyses revealed significant relationships between age and use of technology and iPad and between gender and use of technology. Music therapists would benefit from additional training, more research on authenticity, and music therapy specific guidelines for using music authentically.

Technology non-use or active resistance towards technology is a pertinent issue in Human Computer Interaction, especially when we contemplate the ongoing changes regarding the concept of usability. By combining Theory of Practice and Theory of Materiality with Theory of Affect this thesis explores the resistance towards online streaming music technology among music enthusiasts devoted to vintage Vinyl music culture and also takes an effort to understand any possible effect of this voluntary non-use on the digital music industry. Qualitative research analysis is employed on ten in-depth semi structured interviews showing that material aspects and nostalgia, create an individualistic image and passion for record collection; furthermore, these aspects play a role behind the choice of non-use of online music technology.

The advances in music technology and cinematography in recent years has granted a higher level of importance to the film music. There exists a gap in the academic study of film music as it relates to music technology, as no appropriate methodology exists that can accurately measure the contribution that music technology makes towards the music as it exists in film. This study aims to contribute towards existing methodologies for analysing film music, but from the perspective of music technology, and more specifically how audio processing in the domains of dynamic, spectral, spatial and temporal processing contribute towards the music in the film. This is achieved by building on the proposed methodologies of the study of film music as proposed by Kassabian (2009) and Altman (2000). This new method can be utilized to create a reference list of contributions that audio processing can make towards the soundtrack of a film by isolating the particular contribution that every moment of music is contributing to the film, and then finding how audio processing adds to this.
Mini Dissertation (MMus)--University of Pretoria, 2017.
Music
MMus
Unrestricted

The Drake Music Project Northern Ireland (DMNI) is a charity with the aim of enabling disabled people to compose and perform their own music independently through the use of music technology. Thus, DMNI is a charity that works at the intersection of music, disability and technology. This research contributes to raising further awareness on the issue of inclusion and disability, and at the same time presents an example of a charity working on practice-based and technical solutions to transcending both material and social disabling barriers to music making. Interviews, observations and professional perspectives on DMNI techniques and inclusive music practices were gathered through a sixteen-month ethnographic study of the charity between 2013 - 2015. In this thesis I explore the ways in which people produce exclusions and barriers to inclusion whilst using computer-based music technology. In addition, I argue that a music technology device’s potential to be used in accessible ways, or to be inaccessible to certain users is not determined by its design. Through practices of adaptation, or by creating assemblies of devices, even interfaces that are not matched to the specific requirements of a certain user can provide access to music making. I argue that a relational understanding of “independence” serves to reveal a layer of activity beneath simply the physical ability to perform musical actions unaided, and recognises that independence also exists in the choices and opinions of the individual. I argue that the practices of resistance to various barriers and constraints to music making at DMNI are highly improvisatory and creative. Moreover, looking at the practices of music making, and the design and adaptation of devices I discuss throughout this thesis, I argue that DMNI provides a space and platform for disabled musicians to exercise acts of resistance against individual, social and material barriers.

Includes abstract.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 144-147).
Professional audio equipment is migrating towards general purpose computers running professional audio software systems such as Virtual Studio Technology [VST) and VST plugins that have been adopted as an informal standard for audio and MIDI plugins. The proliferation of computer networks has facilitated sharing and distributing musical content over networked technology and has benefits of allowing multiple, simultaneous, remote access to audio resources, it allows processing and computer hardware resources to be distributed amongst many computers and therefore has potential for VST processing farms, and facilities location independent musical collaborations. Open Sound Control is an open high-level application protocol developed to facilitate modern networked communications amongst audio processing units like VST plugins. OSC has been suggested as a successor to MIDI addressing its shortcomings in its design. This dissertation presents a prototype VST plugin called OscVstBridge that bridges the network isolated VST plugin and VST host to the OSC network domain. The prototype facilitates modern, high speed, networked, musical control communications amongst VST audio processes. OSC is an open protocol allowing OscVstBridge to communicate between VST systems from different vendors furthering inter-operability of audio and musical system and promotes standardisation.

The main aim of this thesis is to explore the use of learning technology within the music technology curriculum. First of all, it is recognised that there is a problem for music technology tutors in providing support for students who have 24-hour access to a music technology studio: typically, there is no support available outside of normal working hours. One solution is to implement the use of learning technology in the studio. However, there is no research to date in the field of music education that considers the pedagogical value of an interactive multimedia-based tool for music technologists. In order to address this matter, two learning technology interfaces were designed to support music technology students in different areas of the curriculum, specifically recording and psychoacoustics, and empirical work was carried out in order to evaluate their effectiveness. The intention was for both interfaces to enable contingent learning, or learning at a time of need, so that music technology students could undertake a creative task and retrieve help without having to leave the studio environment or seek assistance from a member of staff. In the light of general educational literature on learning and teaching, the information contained within the pages of these interfaces was divided into two categories, procedural and conceptual. The former provided step-by-step guidance on the execution of a task, while the latter provided broader theoretical knowledge associated with that task. A second aim of this thesis is to examine the effect of acquiring procedural and conceptual information through the interfaces on students' abilities to perform a task and retain knowledge about it. Two experiments were carried out involving 48 first-year undergraduates and 30 second-year undergraduates respectively. For each experiment, the students were divided into two groups and were required to carry out a task using one of the interfaces. In completing the set task, the first group was asked to gather procedural information from the interface, while the second group had to gain conceptual information. One month later, the students were asked to carry out the same task, but without using the interface. On both occasions, the students submitted task material for assessment. In general, the results showed that there were some significant differences in the levels of knowledge retention and task performance between the two groups of students, notably in favour of those who had acquired conceptual information.

This thesis focuses upon how the use of aleatoricism can be used in electro-acoustic music to increase the perceived connection between the electronic and acoustic forces in performance. It also considers how the tools that a composer uses to create their work can enforce an influence upon their own creative process. These issues stem from research conducted early in the project investigating mapping strategies applied to composition for physical gesture capture devices. The thesis progresses by exploring performer freedom for both electronic and acoustic performers which includes examination of the use of different methods of scoring in order to transmit the composer's ideas. The approach is then considered in isolation from electronics with purely acoustic ensembles before exploring the use of recording as a compositional technique alongside indeterminate performance. All of these issues are explored within the context of my own practice, while simultaneously highlighting my overall compositional approach and how it is informed by this research. The thesis consists of two volumes. The first presents a portfolio of compositions that explore varying approaches to composition for various ensembles. The second volume consists of a written commentary that explores the context, themes and motivations for the compositions in the first.

I returned to my hometown and recorded Mongolian folk music—Mongolian Long Song and Mongolian Throat Singing. I wanted to combine technology and traditional folk music and write an electronic piece based on Mongolian vocal materials. I used what I’ve sampled, manipulated the sounds, composed the music, gathered the videos together and created this multimedia piece—On Horseback. The names of the four movements—Sand, Cloud, Water, and Fire—are four elements that I chose to represent the lifestyle in Inner Mongolia.

This thesis covers the journey of how I created this piece. I’ve explored many variations of technology such as sound sampling, mixing, and video editing. I’ve also gained the chance to bring traditional Mongolian folk vocal music out of my hometown and present it in my own work.

The thesis is a socio-cultural study of IRCAM, a large, state-funded computer music research institute in Paris directed by the avant garde composer Pierre Boulez. The approach is primarily ethnographic, supported by broader historical analysis. The aim is to provide a critical portrait of musical modernism and post modernism as expressed by IRCAM and its milieu; and to place this in historical perspective by combining anthropology with cultural history. Theoretically, the thesis examines the contradictory position of the contemporary musical avant garde: established in official cultural spheres, yet lacking wider public appeal and cultural influence. In this context, the central problem is how IRCAM continues to legitimise itself. The thesis opens with a discussion of literature on the critical sociocultural study of music, on the sociology of culture (especially the work of Bourdieu and Williams), and on the avant garde and modernism. Chapters 2 to 4 provide the basic account of the institution, including status distinctions, stratification, and power structures. Three local historical influences on IRCAM are outlined: the American computer music network, the French national context, and Boulez's history and ideas. Chapters 5 to 8 analyse IRCAM's musical, scientific and technological work, examining the gaps between aims and actuality, ideology and practice. The character of IRCAM's dominant, 'dissident' and 'vanguard' projects are explored. The classification systems that structure the institute's internal conflicts and ideological differences are drawn out (Ch. 6). Chapters 7 and 8 focus in on computer music production, and describe the mediations and phenomenology of this and related software research. One composer's visit is detailed, and the social and technological problems inherent in this work are analysed. Chapter 9 provides an analysis of the main historical aesthetic traditions which inform IRCAM culture - modernism and post modernism - and develops an hypothesis of their discursive character and interrelation. This is related back to IRCAM culture, and throws light on the inter- and intra-subjective differentiation of IRCAM intellectuals, which in turn allows an analysis of mechanisms in the social construction of aesthetics and technology at IRCAM. The preceding analyses generate insight into the representation of modernism and post modernism within IRCAM. The Conclusions describe major developments at IRCAM after fieldwork. The legitimation of IRCAM is linked to its institutional and ideological forms: particularly its processes of self-legitimation, resting on the discursive authority of its own internal vanguard, and the universalising character of advanced computer music discourse. Finally, there is consideration of IRCAM's place in long term cultural processes, and of the implications for theorising cultural reproduction and change.

The purpose of this study was to examine if the implementation of a technology-based music class in public high schools in the northeastern United States had any significant impact on the overall music department enrollment and on enrollment in traditional performance ensemble courses, such as band and chorus, as they are the courses most offered in high schools in the United States. The two phases of the study included identifying eligible schools and collecting data from schools. A six-year history of music department and school enrollment data was collected from participating schools (n = 12). Individual music classes in each school were categorized as Band, Chorus, Orchestra, Technology-based, or Other Music Classes. Results found a statistically significant increase in overall Music Department enrollment and no statistically significant change in enrollment in Band or Chorus after the implementation of a technology-based music class. Reductions in enrollment did occur in Other Music classes. No significant change to the number of teachers in music departments was found. This study suggests that implementing a technology-based music classes may help increase overall music department enrollment without negatively impacting enrollment in traditional performance ensembles and may not necessitate funding for additional faculty.

This thesis is a socio-economic history of the relationship between music technology and organisational practices in twentieth-century Australia. It argues that the history of technology in the Australian music economy is dependent not only upon the changing technical characteristics of musical instruments and electronic consumer goods but also upon government policy-making, management practices in music technology manufacturing firms and patterns of music technology consumption. The thesis examines economic statistics regarding the import, export and local production of music technology in Australia. The economic statistics have not previously been examined in relation to the history of music technology in Australia. The historical analysis is structured according to a four-part periodisation which includes the Electric Age (1901-1930), the Electronic Age (1930-1950), the Transistor Age (1950-1970) and the Information Age (1970-1990). This periodisation enables the analysis to continually be refocussed as the key technological and socio-economic dynamics change. With this perspective, the history of the relationship between technology and organisation in the Australian music economy has been demonstrated to be dependent on a number of key technological changes. The thesis examines changes including the shift from acoustic to electric recording; the development of transistor-based consumer electronics goods; and the advent of digital information technology. However, a number of key social determinants, particularly organisational modes, are examined including changes from protectionist to more deregulated trade policy; lack of business skills in areas such as marketing, manufacturing technique and industrial research and development; and the development of a sense of popular modernity which is expressed in the consumption of new, technically advanced and glamorous music technology. In addition to the new perspectives on the history of music technology provided by the analysis of empirical economic data, this thesis contributes to the historiography of technology. The analytical framework it proposes locates music technology within what is described as an assemblage of technologies: technologies of production, technologies of sign systems, technologies of power and technologies of the self. This approach makes clear the interdependence of technological and social factors, and the inadequacy of narrow technological determinist and social constructivist accounts. The notion of an assemblage of technologies is further embellished by drawing upon key elements of recent theories of systems analysis: the seamless web, evolution and chaos theory. Through this analytical framework and the socio-economic analysis of the relationship between music technology and organisational practices, the thesis demonstrates that the history of technology cannot be understood unless it is seen as part of a complex and interacting technical, social, economic and institutional system.

This thesis is a socio-economic history of the relationship between music technology and organisational practices in twentieth-century Australia. It argues that the history of technology in the Australian music economy is dependent not only upon the changing technical characteristics of musical instruments and electronic consumer goods but also upon government policy-making, management practices in music technology manufacturing firms and patterns of music technology consumption. The thesis examines economic statistics regarding the import, export and local production of music technology in Australia. The economic statistics have not previously been examined in relation to the history of music technology in Australia. The historical analysis is structured according to a four-part periodisation which includes the Electric Age (1901-1930), the Electronic Age (1930-1950), the Transistor Age (1950-1970) and the Information Age (1970-1990). This periodisation enables the analysis to continually be refocussed as the key technological and socio-economic dynamics change. With this perspective, the history of the relationship between technology and organisation in the Australian music economy has been demonstrated to be dependent on a number of key technological changes. The thesis examines changes including the shift from acoustic to electric recording; the development of transistor-based consumer electronics goods; and the advent of digital information technology. However, a number of key social determinants, particularly organisational modes, are examined including changes from protectionist to more deregulated trade policy; lack of business skills in areas such as marketing, manufacturing technique and industrial research and development; and the development of a sense of popular modernity which is expressed in the consumption of new, technically advanced and glamorous music technology. In addition to the new perspectives on the history of music technology provided by the analysis of empirical economic data, this thesis contributes to the historiography of technology. The analytical framework it proposes locates music technology within what is described as an assemblage of technologies: technologies of production, technologies of sign systems, technologies of power and technologies of the self. This approach makes clear the interdependence of technological and social factors, and the inadequacy of narrow technological determinist and social constructivist accounts. The notion of an assemblage of technologies is further embellished by drawing upon key elements of recent theories of systems analysis: the seamless web, evolution and chaos theory. Through this analytical framework and the socio-economic analysis of the relationship between music technology and organisational practices, the thesis demonstrates that the history of technology cannot be understood unless it is seen as part of a complex and interacting technical, social, economic and institutional system.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School of Arts
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The purpose of this study is to explore the technology high school music students are using to improve musicianship. For this study, research was done to determine how students are using the available devices and the most popular applications, programs, and websites available and used by high school band students. A survey was issued to instrumental music students in two high schools asking questions pertaining to the topic. Then, data was compiled into lists consisting of the devices, uses, and applications that were the most favored. The results showed that a majority of students occasionally used technology to either self-evaluate while practicing or find music on their own. In addition, students favored using smart devices while practicing, and they chose applications based on accessibility or familiarity. The findings from this study were similar to a few sources in the related literature, which determine that students are familiar with the technology in similar ways several educators are. For those reading this thesis, the information will provide them with better awareness of the technology their pupils use for music learning.

New electronic technologies began to appear after 1948 that seemed to promise the infinite expansion of sonic possibilities in music. The ability to record and manipulate existing sounds (as in musique concrete), and to generate new, unknown timbres with electronic generators (as in elektronische musik), provided an extraordinary multiplication of musical resources.Much literature of the period extols the new possibilities offered by electronic music, but the limitations of the technology of the 1950s and 1960s and the interactions that occurred between composers and that technology have been little explored. This study attempts to document some of these interactions.The influences of the equipment and procedures of "classical studio technique" on the resulting music are examined. Selected electronic compositions are analyzed in terms of the equipment employed and the limitations this equipment may have imposed. The study reveals characteristics of certain works that are directly dependent on characteristics of the technology. New devices or procedures developed by composers are also detailed.Areas examined include disc technology, magnetic tape, oscillators and generators, filters, modulators and other devices, techniques of spatialization in multi-channel works, and a sampling of specialized devices or procedures used by individual composers. The influences excercised by voltage-controlled synthesizers, such as those designed by Robert Moog and Donald Buchla, are also discussed.Works by the following composers are studied: Bulent Arel, Henk Badings, Louis and Bebe Barron, Luciano Berio, Robert Beyer, John Cage, Mario Davidovsky, Tod Dockstader, Herbert Eimert, Kenneth Gaburo, Paul Gredinger, Karel Goeyvaerts, Bengt Hambraeus, Pierre Henry, Giselher Klebe, Gottfried Michael Koenig, Gyorgy Ligeti, Otto Luening, Bruno Maderna, llhan Mimaroglu, Pauline Oliveros, Henri Pousseur, Dick Raaijmakers, Pierre Schaeffer, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Vladimir Ussachevsky, and Edgard Varese. The writings of Milton Babbitt, Joel Chadabe, and Gustav Ciamaga also contributed significantly.Supplementary information is provided by Jon Appleton, Joel Chadabe, Tod Dockstader, Bengt Hambraeus, David Keane, Arthur Kreiger, Elliott Schwartz, Daria Semegen, Pril Smiley, Gil Trythall, and Scott Wyatt in response to a questionnaire concerning their experiences with classical studio technique.This study reveals that a wide area exists for further research on this topic.
School of Music

Based on initial interviews with music teachers at Årstra SpecialSchool, Uppsala, it was found that each child in a music playing session has different preferences of type and sound of a musical instrument. However, most of them have combined cognitive and physical impairments, preventing them from playing the instrument that theymight like.Starting from this idea, we developed a music application using virtual instruments, so that various types of instruments and sound can be used during a single music playing session. As an input device, we used aKinect sensor developed by Microsoft, i.e., a camera based sensor thatdetects human gestures. Our application used this Kinect sensor capability to allow users to control and play the sound by just movingtheir arms in the air. Our study has shown promising results of this applicatio, such as the positive response from the participant towards the application and the ability to change the sound of an instrument to match the participant's preference easily. However there are still some things to consider before releasing it as a consumer product, for instance bettercalibration and accuracy.

This research provides a guide to understanding, preparing, and performing Arnold Schoenberg’s last completed opus, “De Profundis” (Psalm 130) Op. 50B, within the context of the Hebrew chant that inspired it and Schoenberg’s other religious works, sketches, archival correspondence, and interviews with conductors. Theoretical and contextual analysis reveals significant discoveries relevant to an informed and accurate performance of the work. “De Profundis” embodies Schoenberg’s mature and most flexible twelve-tone writing at the peak of his spiritual development. Op. 50B is a serial a Cappella composition scored for six-part mixed chorus with great rhythmic and melodic independence in the vocal lines, including soprano and baritone solos and choral Sprechstimme. A composer’s final opus is generally regarded as his highest achievement, yet Op. 50, and in particular “De Profundis,” has received relatively little attention from music theorists or performers. While this research includes the traditional study of the composer and the score, there is also focus on distance learning through digital media and a symbolic interpretation of “De Profundis” that provides unique opportunities to engage the performer and audience. Through these efforts, others may be encouraged to hear and perform this beautiful work and to explore this unique method of rehearsing.

Pitch-shifting lowers or increases the pitch of an audio recording. This technique hasbeen used in recording studios since the 1960s, many Beatles tracks being producedusing analog pitch-shifting effects. With the advent of the first digital pitch-shiftinghardware in the 1970s, this technique became essential in music production. Nowadays,it is massively used in popular music for pitch correction or other creative purposes.With the improvement of mixing and mastering processes, the recent focusin the audio industry has been placed on the high quality of pitch-shifting tools. Asa consequence, current state-of-the-art literature algorithms are often outperformedby the best commercial algorithms. Unfortunately, these commercial algorithms are”black boxes” which are very complicated to reverse engineer.In this master thesis, state-of-the-art pitch-shifting techniques found in the literatureare evaluated, attaching great importance to audio quality on musical signals.Time domain and frequency domain methods are studied and tested on a wide rangeof audio signals. Two offline implementations of the most promising algorithms areproposed with novel features. Pitch Synchronous Overlap and Add (PSOLA), a simpletime domain algorithm, is used to create pitch-shifting, formant-shifting, pitchcorrection and chorus effects on voice and monophonic signals. Phase vocoder, amore complex frequency domain algorithm, is combined with high quality spectralenvelope estimation and harmonic-percussive separation to design a polyvalentpitch-shifting and formant-shifting algorithm. Subjective evaluations indicate thatthe resulting quality is comparable to that of the commercial algorithms.
Pitch-shifting sänker eller ökar tonhöjden för en ljudinspelning. Denna teknik har använts i inspelningsstudior sedan 1960-talet, många Beatles-spår produceras med hjälp av analoga pitch-shifting effekter. Med ankomsten av den första digitala pitchshifting hårdvaran på 1970-talet blev denna teknik avgörande för musikproduktionen. Numera används det massivt i populärmusik för pitchkorrigering eller andra kreativa ändamål. Med förbättringen av blandningsoch masteringsprocesser har det senaste fokuset inom ljudindustrin placerats på högkvalitativa pitch-shiftingverktyg. Till följd av detta är nuvarande toppmoderna litteraturalgoritmer ofta överträffade av de bästa kommersiella algoritmerna. Tyvärr är dessa kommersiella algoritmer svarta lådor som är väldigt komplicerade att vända sig om.I den här mastersuppsatsen utvärderas toppmoderna pitch-shifting-tekniker som finns i litteraturen och lägger stor vikt vid ljudkvaliteten på musikaliska signaler. Tiddomäner och frekvensdomänmetoder studeras och testas på ett brett spektrum av ljudsignaler. Två offline-implementeringar av de mest lovande algoritmerna föreslås med nya funktioner. Pitch Synchronous Overlap and Add (PSOLA), en enkel tidsdomänalgoritm, används för att skapa pitch-shifting, formant-shifting, pitch-korrigeringoch kör-effekt på röstoch monofoniska signaler. Fas vocoder, en mer komplexfrekvensdomänalgoritm, kombineras med högkvalitativt spektralhöljeuppskattning och harmonisk-perkussiv separation för att designa en flervärd pitch-shifting och formant-shifting algoritm. Subjektiva utvärderingar indikerar att den resulterandekvaliteten är jämförbar med den av kommersiella algoritmerna.

I denna undersökning studeras hur digitala verktyg används på två högstadieskolor i årskurs 8 och hur dessa verktyg möjligtvis kan inverka på elevers musikskapande. Undersökningen är av kvalitativ art och grundar sig på deltagande observationer och semistrukturerade fokusgruppsintervjuer i projekt där elever på olika sätt skapar musik med digitala verktyg. Den genomsyras av ett medieekologiskt- och sociokulturellt perspektiv där empiri grundar sig på utsagor och erfarenheter från tio observationstillfällen och sex intervjuer. I undersökningen framkommer det att digitala verktyg används sällan och i begränsad omfattning i musikundervisningen på de två skolorna. Digitala verktyg erbjuder en direktlänk mellan det klingande ljudet och den visuella representationen, något som ligger i linje med tidigare forskning. Framstående i resultatet är också att flera av eleverna upplever att teknologin på olika sätt står i vägen för dem i musikskapandet. Undersökningen visar också att användandet av digitala verktyg skapar nya förutsättningar för musikskapande och samarbete och att teknologin möjliggör ett mer individanpassat musikskapande som motiverar fler elever. När vi använder digitala verktyg för att skapa, spara och kommunicera ett musikaliskt budskap visar undersökningen att eleverna blir beroende av dessa verktyg för att klara uppgiften. Tillgången till teknologin blir på så vis en förutsättning för att eleverna ska lyckas. Forskningsresultatet visar även att uppgiften som eleverna får inverkar och styr i deras val av produktioner, något som är avgörande för huruvida eleverna uppfattar de digitala verktygen som hjälpmedel i musikskapandet. Både lärare och elever i denna undersökning beskriver en rädsla och oro för en undervisning allt för präglad av digitala verktyg. De menar att det skulle minska utrymmet för ensemblespel och ta bort känslan i musiken som de får från att spela riktiga instrument tillsammans med andra.

This thesis examines the construction of gender identity in cohorts of 15-18 year old boys and girls in relation to music composition and digital technology. The thesis is a response to what I perceive as a strong deterministic trend in the recent technology in music education literature that ignores the socially constructed nature of computers and computer use. By placing my discussion of music technology within the wider framework of gender and the sociology of technology studies, I critically explore the processes by which Information and Communication Technologies (lCTs) have become gendered, in their material use, their symbolic meanings and their ideological function. Through this lens, I examine how these processes underpin the construction of gender and gender relations vis-it-vis technology and their reproduction in the music classroom. Throughout this thesis I have viewed technology as a social practice of which gender is an integral part, highlighting the social embeddedness of technology that posits technology and society as mutually constitutive. I argue that 'symbolic masculinity' and 'material men' retain their hold on technological artefacts, expertise and knowledge. As such, gender-technology relations are constituted in the dominant discourses and practices of technology and have a profound effect on the ways adolescents compose music when using digital technology and on the construction of gendered identities in the technologized music classroom.

Building novel Digital Music Instruments (DMIs) requires the use of a variety of sensors to transduce human actions to electronic signals that will control sound synthesis variables. Among them, contact (force/pressure) sensors such as the Force Sensing Resistors (FSR) are the most commonly used in the design of DMIs. Similar commercial sensor designs based on conductive materials also enable to detect position, displacement or flexion. Unfortunately, although commercial sensors can be easily found at electronic resellers, only a few standardised models with predefined sizes, shapes and electric characteristics can be purchased. Moreover, the quality of the sensor appears to depend on their shape and dimension. These limitations have direct implications on the design of novel DMIs, which actually need to be adapted to the existing offer of commercial sensors. After various investigations with polymers, textiles, adhesives and glues, we finally chose to focus on conductive paper as a generic material for producing sustainable, flexible and customisable contact sensors. This thesis study presents two directions on paper sensors investigations: We first began by studying the potential of building paper contact sensors using industrial paper. This type of paper is originally produced to provide optimal colour properties and is not optimised for use as a conductive material. Nevertheless, it has been shown that it provides a very efficient choice for the design of custom sensors. Several sensor prototypes were built using samples of four industrial papers from three main manufacturers (ArjoWiggins (Canson), Fabriano, and PASCO) and have been used in the design of various gesture controllers. In order to verify the electrical behaviour of these prototypes, we developed a special test machine that enabled us to characterise the sensor's properties in terms of repeatability, drift and hysteresis, and to compare the results with commercial sensors. The second step was to consider how to produce such a paper. Laboratory experiments were performed to evaluate the influence of the papermaking process as well as the chemicals to be added to optimise the retention and formation of a uniform mix of pigments and fibres, enabling the fabrication of a rough, porous, compressible but still elastic material. Papers with various amounts of pigment and different sheet structures were made and characterised in order to evaluate the influence of the paper characteristics onto their electrical resistance. Resulting materials were also characterised with the test machine and compared to other types of resistive materials. This research contributes to the promotion of alternative solutions for the development of contact sensors. In particular, it shows that conductive paper and inks are an ecological alternative to conducting polymers for producing custom contact sensors. Paper sensors can replace industrial sensors in many applications, as they are equally efficient. Moreover they are recyclable or reusable, flexible and customisable, therefore extending the capabilities of industrial solutions. The production of such a paper will provide researchers with raw materials to produce their own sensors and realise new DMIs, such as the ones presented in this thesis. Apart from their usefulness in acquiring expert musical gestures, paper sensors have potential applications in many other fields such as medical (e.g. as hospital bed sheet), security (e.g. sensitive floors), intelligent packaging, etc. Multi-disciplinary research is a profitable way for creating new technological outputs. Conductive paper can provide new ways of building DMIs at moderate cost and with an environmental-friendly label. Music and arts can in return offer an efficient and sensitive proof-of-work to convince industries that conductive papers have a major potential in other applications.
La fabrication de nouveaux instruments musicaux numérique (IMN) nécessite l'utilisation de plusieurs types de capteurs afin de convertir les actions humaines en signaux électroniques pour le contrôle de variables de synthèse sonore. Parmi eux les capteurs de contact (force/pression) tels que les "Force Sensing Resistors" (FSR) sont les capteurs les plus utilisés. Même si des capteurs commerciaux peuvent facilement êtres trouvés chez des détaillants en électronique, seul un nombre limité de modèles standardisés, avec des tailles, des formes et des caractéristiques électriques prédéfinies, peuvent êtres achetés. Ces limitations ont des conséquences directes sur le design de nouveaux IMN qui doivent ainsi se limiter aux offres commerciales existantes.Après divers essais utilisant des polymères souples, des textiles, et des colles, nous avons choisi de nous concentrer sur les papiers conducteurs comme matières premières pour produire des capteurs de contact sensibles et adaptables. Ces recherches de thèse se sont alors orientées vers deux directions.Premièrement, nous avons commencé par fabriquer des capteurs à partir de papiers industriels à l'origine produit pour fournir des papiers colorés, et non pour une utilisation en tant que matériau conducteur. Nous avons montré néanmoins que ce papier conducteur est un matériaux sensible et exploitable. Plusieurs prototypes de capteurs ont ainsi été fabriqués en utilisant des échantillons de quatre types de papiers industriels provenant de trois manufacturiers (ArjoWiggins (Canson), Fabriano et PASCO). Ces prototypes ont ensuite été utilisés pour le développement de divers contrôleurs gestuels. Afin de vérifier le comportement des capteurs en action, nous avons développé un banc d'essai permettant de caractériser les propriétés électriques de ces capteurs en termes de répétabilité, dérive et hystérésis, et de les comparer à ceux des capteurs commerciaux.La seconde direction consistait à rechercher comment produire de tels papiers. Des expériences de laboratoires ont permis d'évaluer réglages des processus de fabrication à privilégier et les additifs chimiques à ajouter pour optimiser la rétention et la formation d'un mélange uniforme de pigments et de fibres et la formation d'un papier rugueux, poreux et compressible mais toujours élastique. Plusieurs types de papiers ont été réalisés en faisant varier la quantité de pigments et la structure des feuilles afin d'évaluer l'influence des caractéristiques d'un papier sur sa résistance électrique. Cette recherche contribue à la promotion de solutions alternatives pour le développement de capteurs de contact. Elle montre en particulier que les papiers conducteurs et les encres conductrices sont une alternative écologique aux polymères conducteurs pour la production de capteurs de contact. Les capteurs en papiers peuvent remplacer les capteurs industriels dans de nombreuses applications. De plus, ils sont recyclables et adaptables à tous types de design. La production d'un tel papier va procurer un stock de matières premières aux chercheurs afin qu'ils produisent leurs propres capteurs et conçoivent de nouveaux IMN tels que ceux qui sont présentés dans cette thèse. De plus, mis à part leurs capacités pour le contrôle de gestes musicaux experts, les capteurs en papier ont des applications potentielles dans d'autres domaines tels qu'en médecine (monitoring de lits d'hôpitaux), sécurité et domotiques (sols et murs sensibles), emballages intelligents, etc…La recherche multidisciplinaire est un moyen susceptible de générer de nouvelles technologies. Le papier conducteur offre de nouveaux moyens de produire des IMN pour un coût modéré en plus d'un label environnemental. La musique et les arts permettent en retour d'offrir une application ludique, attirante qui à fait ses preuves afin de convaincre les industries que les papiers conducteurs ont un gros potentiel dans d'autres applications.

Since its introduction in 2008, the blockchain technology has been hailed as the one that could revolutionise many different industries. The music industry underwent several changes in the last 20 years as a consequence of phenomena such as music piracy, digital music and music streaming. Many considered the blockchain technology the solution to the many issues the music industry is facing. However, while the technology has been around for more than 10 years, and despite the enthusiasm of scholars and experts, little has been done to actually implement blockchains in the industry, especially by its biggest players. The resulting question is if and how the technology could change the music industry. This research starts by looking into previous studies on the blockchain technology, on the music industry and on the possible intersections of the two: from there the most popular suggested applications of the blockchain technology are extracted and presented in interviews to people working in the music industry. The goal of the interviews is to understand if the issues that the suggestions aimed to solve are real, and if the suggested applications are thought to be actually useful. The results are also compared with considerations from previously analysed papers, and showed a general interest in the blockchain technology and in the belief that it could help solve some issues of the music industry. At the same time, it was found that the technology is considered too young to be employed at the present time, with most people reckoning it is a technology that could have an impact in 10-15 year time.
Sedan år 2008 har man trott att Blockchain teknologin skulle kunna revolutionera många olika industrier. Exempelvis trodde man att blockchain kunde vara lösningen på många problem som musikindustrin hade. Musikindustrin har gått igenom många olika förändringar under de senaste 20 åren som en konsekvens av piratverksamhet inom musikvärden och musik streaming. Även om denna teknologi funnits i över 10 år och varit mycket uppskattad av forskare och experter, så har det inte skett så många insatser för att försöka introducera blockchain i industrin, speciellt från de stora aktörerna. Frågan är om och hur teknologin kan förändra musikindustrin. Denna forskning analyserar tidigare studier i blockchain och i musikindustri, och om det kan finnas en koppling mellan dem. De mest kända tillämpningarna av blockchain kommer att presenteras, tillsammans med intervjuer med personer som jobbar i musikindustrin. Målet med intervjuerna är att förstå om problemen som teknologin vill lösa verkligen existerar, och om dem föreslagna lösningarna verkligen kan hjälpa. Resultaten jämförts också med tidigare studier som visar intresse för blockchain teknologin och tror på att den ska hjälpa. Ibland visade det sig att denna teknologi tros vara för ung för att bli applicerad i nutid, och majoriteten tror att den kommer ha en större betydelse om 10/15 år.

This dissertation addresses the problem of the automatic discovery of structure in music from audio signals by introducing novel approaches and proposing perceptually enhanced evaluations. First, the problem of music structure analysis is reviewed from the perspectives of music information retrieval (MIR) and music perception and cognition (MPC), including a discussion of the limitations and current challenges in both disciplines. When discussing the existing methods of evaluating the outputs of algorithms that discover musical structure, a transparent open source software called mir eval, which contains implementations to these evaluations, is introduced. Then, four MIR algorithms are presented: one to compress music recordings into audible summaries, another to discover musical patterns from an audio signal, and two for the identification of the large-scale, non-overlapping segments of a musical piece. After discussing these techniques, and given the differences when perceiving the structure of music, the idea of applying more MPC-oriented approaches is considered to obtain perceptually relevant evaluations for music segmentation. A methodology to automatically obtain the most difficult tracks for machines to annotate is presented in order to include them in a design of a human study to collect multiple human annotations. To select these tracks, a novel open source framework called music structural analysis framework (MSAF) is introduced. This framework contains the most relevant music segmentation algorithms and it uses mir eval to transparently evaluate them. Moreover, MSAF makes use of the JSON annotated music specification (JAMS), a new format to contain multiple annotations for several tasks in a single file, which simplifies the dataset design and the analysis of agreement across different human references. The human study to collect additional annotations (which are stored in JAMS files) is described, where five new annotations for fifty tracks are stored. Finally, these additional annotations are analyzed, confirming the problem of having ground-truth datasets with a single annotator per track due to the high degree of disagreement among annotators for the challenging tracks. To alleviate this, these annotations are merged to produce a more robust human reference annotation. Lastly, the standard F-measure of the hit rate measure to evaluate music segmentation is analyzed when access to additional annotations is not possible, and it is shown, via multiple human studies, that precision seems more perceptually relevant than recall.