Conducting Collective Instruments : A Case Study

Josep Comajuncosas, and Enric Guaus

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

Abstract

According to the tradition, music ensembles are usually lead by a conductor who is the responsible to coordinate and guide the group under a specific musical criteria. Similarly, computer ensembles resort to a conductor to keep the synchronization and structural coordination of the performance, often with the assistance of software. Achieving integration and coherence in a networked performance, however, can be challenging in certain scenarios. This is the case for configurations with a high degree of mutual interdependence and shared control. This paper focuses on the design strategies for developing a software based conductor assistant for collective instruments. We propose a novel conductor dimension space representation for collective instruments, which takes into account both its social and structural features. We present a case study of a collective instrument implementing a software conductor. Finally, we discuss the implications of human and machine conduction schemes in the context of the proposed dimension space.

Citation

Josep Comajuncosas, and Enric Guaus. 2014. Conducting Collective Instruments : A Case Study. Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1178736

BibTeX Entry

@inproceedings{jcomajuncosas2014,
 abstract = {According to the tradition, music ensembles are usually lead by a conductor who is the responsible to coordinate and guide the group under a specific musical criteria. Similarly, computer ensembles resort to a conductor to keep the synchronization and structural coordination of the performance, often with the assistance of software. Achieving integration and coherence in a networked performance, however, can be challenging in certain scenarios. This is the case for configurations with a high degree of mutual interdependence and shared control. This paper focuses on the design strategies for developing a software based conductor assistant for collective instruments. We propose a novel conductor dimension space representation for collective instruments, which takes into account both its social and structural features. We present a case study of a collective instrument implementing a software conductor. Finally, we discuss the implications of human and machine conduction schemes in the context of the proposed dimension space.},
 address = {London, United Kingdom},
 author = {Josep Comajuncosas and Enric Guaus},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 doi = {10.5281/zenodo.1178736},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 month = {June},
 pages = {513--516},
 publisher = {Goldsmiths, University of London},
 title = {Conducting Collective Instruments : A Case Study},
 url = {http://www.nime.org/proceedings/2014/nime2014_448.pdf},
 year = {2014}
}