Where Do I Go?: A Game-Based Exploration of Failure and Playfulness as Musical Expression

Zeynep Özcan, and Mya Gordon

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

Abstract

This paper introduces Where Do I Go?, an interactive NIME practice that utilizes the Impostor Phenomenon (IP) as a conceptual framework to investigate failure and playfulness in music performance. The project integrates game mechanics, glitch aesthetics, and audience participation within a grid-based game structure, enabling audience members to direct the performer’s movements and choices in real time. The paper first outlines the conceptual motivations for the interface and examines the relationship between the Impostor Phenomenon and performance practice. It then situates the work within related research and artistic traditions, demonstrating how using game design and glitches can turn mistakes into creativity. The technical implementation is described, including game design, scoring mechanics, hardware configuration, software pipeline, and the adaptive sound engine. The discussion addresses the artistic implications of this approach, acknowledges current limitations, and proposes future directions for expanding the performance framework. This work seeks to encourage broader dialogue about vulnerability, creativity, and community-building within NIME and related fields.

Citation

Zeynep Özcan, and Mya Gordon. 2026. Where Do I Go?: A Game-Based Exploration of Failure and Playfulness as Musical Expression. Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.20784248 [PDF]

BibTeX Entry

@inproceedings{nime2026_82,
 abstract = {This paper introduces Where Do I Go?, an interactive NIME practice that utilizes the Impostor Phenomenon (IP) as a conceptual framework to investigate failure and playfulness in music performance. The project integrates game mechanics, glitch aesthetics, and audience participation within a grid-based game structure, enabling audience members to direct the performer’s movements and choices in real time. The paper first outlines the conceptual motivations for the interface and examines the relationship between the Impostor Phenomenon and performance practice. It then situates the work within related research and artistic traditions, demonstrating how using game design and glitches can turn mistakes into creativity. The technical implementation is described, including game design, scoring mechanics, hardware configuration, software pipeline, and the adaptive sound engine. The discussion addresses the artistic implications of this approach, acknowledges current limitations, and proposes future directions for expanding the performance framework. This work seeks to encourage broader dialogue about vulnerability, creativity, and community-building within NIME and related fields.},
 address = {London, United Kingdom},
 articleno = {82},
 author = {Zeynep Özcan and Mya Gordon},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 doi = {10.5281/zenodo.20784248},
 editor = {Benedict Gaster and João Tragtenberg and Anna Xambó and Tom Mitchell},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 month = {June},
 note = {},
 numpages = {6},
 pages = {693--698},
 presentation-video = {https://youtu.be/4K4VeViRScM},
 title = {Where Do I Go?: A Game-Based Exploration of Failure and Playfulness as Musical Expression},
 track = {Paper},
 url = {http://nime.org/proceedings/2026/nime2026_82.pdf},
 year = {2026}
}