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Connecting Free Improvisation Performance and Drumming Gestures Through Digital Wearables.

ABSTRACT: High-level improvising musicians master idiosyncratic gesture vocabularies that allow them to express themselves in unique ways. The full use of such vocabularies is nevertheless challenged when improvisers incorporate electronics in their performances. To control electronic sounds and effects, they typically use commercial interfaces whose physicality is likely to limit their freedom of movement. Based on Jim Black's descriptions of his ideal digital musical instrument, embodied improvisation gestures, and stage performance constraints, we develop the concept of a modular wearable MIDI interface to closely meet the needs of professional improvisers, rather than proposing a new generic instrument that would require substantial practice to adapt improvisational techniques already acquired. Our research draws upon different bodies of knowledge, from theoretical principles on collaboration and embodiment to wearable interface design, in order to create a digital vest called Track It, Zip It (TIZI) that features two innovative on-body sensors. Allowing for sound control, these sensors are seamlessly integrated with Black's improvisational gesture vocabulary. We then detail the design process of three TIZI prototypes structured by the outcomes of a performance test with Black, a public performance by a novice improviser during the 2017 International Guthman Musical Instrument Competition, and measurements of sensor responses. After commenting on the strengths and weaknesses of the final TIZI prototype, we discuss how our interdisciplinary and collective process involving a world-class improviser at the very center of the design process can provide recommendations to designers who wish to create interfaces better adapted to high-level performers. Finally, we present our goals for the future creation of a wireless version of the vest for a female body based on Diana Policarpo's artistic vision.

SUBMITTER: Pras A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8071876 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Playing music in ensemble requires enhanced sensorimotor coordination and the non-verbal communication of musicians that need to coordinate their actions precisely with those of others. As shown in our previous studies on guitar duets, and also on a guitar quartet, intra- and inter-brain synchronization plays an essential role during such interaction. At the same time, sensorimotor coordination as an essential part of this interaction requires being in sync with the auditory signals coming from the played instruments. In this study, using acoustic recordings of guitar playing and electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings of brain activity from guitarists playing in duet, we aimed to explore whether the musicians' brain activity synchronized with instrument sounds produced during guitar playing. To do so, we established an analytical method based on phase synchronization between time-frequency transformed guitar signals and raw EEG signals. Given phase synchronization, or coupling between guitar and brain signals, we constructed so-called extended hyper-brain networks comprising all possible interactions between two guitars and two brains. Applying a graph-theoretical approach to these networks assessed across time, we present dynamic changes of coupling strengths or dynamic orchestration of brains and instruments during free guitar improvisation for the first time. We also show that these dynamic network topology changes are oscillatory in nature and are characterized by specific spectral peaks, indicating the temporal structure in the synchronization patterns between guitars and brains. Moreover, extended hyper-brain networks exhibit specific modular organization varying in time, and binding each time, different parts of the network into the modules, which were mostly heterogeneous (i.e., comprising signals from different instruments and brains or parts of them). This suggests that the method capturing synchronization between instruments and brains when playing music provides crucial information about the underlying mechanisms. We conclude that this method may be an indispensable tool in the investigation of social interaction, music therapy, and rehabilitation dynamics.

Project description:BackgroundSince the outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan in December 2019, lifestyle has been changing to an online-based learning and working environment rather than on-site, and improvisation training is no exception. However, no research compares the efficacy of online versus on-site training. Although we believed that the most effective way to learn improvisation is an on-site format, it is important to explore how format differences can affect learners.MethodWe offer three types of training such as on-site training (n = 6) (Consisting of 1 female with age ≥40 and <50, and 5 males with ages ≥20 and <50), hybrid training (Instructor participates from online and learners participate on-site) (n = 120) (Consisting of 55 female with age ≥15 and <20, and 65 males with ages ≥15 and <50), and online training (n = 20) (Consisting of 4 female with age ≥20 and <30, and 16 males with ages ≥20 and <50) We collected pretest, test, and posttest data by using the Kansei Analyzer, a simplified electroencephalograph (EEG) and Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire.ResultsAll formats of training displayed an increase in vigor and a decrease in depression, confusion, tension, anger, and fatigue. The online training displayed better results than the on-site training. Regardless of the format, all training displayed an increase in stress during the activities and a decrease in stress after the activity without changes in other indexes. Additionally, on-site training displayed an increase in sleepiness and stress during the activities. Some participants were tested twice but no significant differences were found between the initial results and the secondary results.ConclusionIn this study, we found evidence that online improvisation can lead to the prevention of depressive symptoms and can function as a method for the reduction of stress in conjunction with the increase of individual vigor. However, a future study is required due to the low number of participants and the absence of POMS data for the on-site training. Any future studies should account for these factors while examining other data such as blood pressure, blood sugar, and pulse.

Project description:Cognitive impairment is prevalent but still poorly diagnosed in hemodialysis adults, mainly because of the impracticality of current tools. This study examined whether remotely monitoring mobility performance can help identifying digital measures of cognitive impairment in hemodialysis patients. Sixty-nine diabetes mellitus hemodialysis patients (age = 64.1±8.1years, body mass index = 31.7±7.6kg/m2) were recruited. According to the Mini-Mental State Exam, 44 (64%) were determined as cognitive-intact, and 25 (36%) as cognitive-impaired. Mobility performance, including cumulated posture duration (sitting, lying, standing, and walking), daily walking performance (step and unbroken walking bout), as well as postural-transition (daily number and average duration), were measured using a validated pendant-sensor for a continuous period of 24-hour during a non-dialysis day. Motor capacity was quantified by assessing standing balance and gait performance under single-task and dual-task conditions. No between-group difference was observed for the motor capacity. However, the mobility performance was different between groups. The cognitive-impaired group spent significantly higher percentage of time in sitting and lying (Cohens effect size d = 0.78, p = 0.005) but took significantly less daily steps (d = 0.69, p = 0.015) than the cognitive-intact group. The largest effect of reduction in number of postural-transition was observed in walk-to-sit transition (d = 0.65, p = 0.020). Regression models based on demographics, addition of daily walking performance, and addition of other mobility performance metrics, led to area-under-curves of 0.76, 0.78, and 0.93, respectively, for discriminating cognitive-impaired cases. This study suggests that mobility performance metrics could be served as potential digital biomarkers of cognitive impairment among hemodialysis patients. It also highlights the additional value of measuring cumulated posture duration and postural-transition to improve the detection of cognitive impairment. Future studies need to examine potential benefits of mobility performance metrics for early diagnosis of cognitive impairment/dementia and timely intervention.

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Connecting Free Improvisation Performance and Drumming Gestures Through Digital Wearables.

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