Evaluating the Audience's Perception of Real-time Gestural Control and Mapping Mechanisms in Electroacoustic Vocal Performance

Jiayue Cecilia Wu, Madeline Huberth, Yoo Hsiu Yeh, and Matt Wright

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

Abstract:

This paper presents an empirical evaluation of a digital music instrument (DMI) for electroacoustic vocal performance, the Tibetan Singing Prayer Wheel (TSPW). Specifically, we study audience preference for the way it maps horizontal spinning gestures to vocal processing parameters. We filmed six songs with the singer using the TSPW, and created two alternative soundtracks for each song: one desynchronized, and one with the mapping inverted. Participants viewed all six songs with either the original or desynchronized soundtrack (Experiment 1), or either the original or inverted-mapping soundtrack (Experiment 2). Participants were asked several questions via questionnaire after each song. Overall, they reported higher engagement and preference for the original versions, suggesting that audiences of the TSPW prefer more highly synchronized performances, as well as more intuitive mappings, though level of perceived expression of the performer only significantly differed in Experiment 1. Further, we believe that our experimental methods contribute to how DMIs can be evaluated from the audience's (a recently noted underrepresented stakeholder) perspective.

Citation:

Jiayue Cecilia Wu, Madeline Huberth, Yoo Hsiu Yeh, and Matt Wright. 2016. Evaluating the Audience's Perception of Real-time Gestural Control and Mapping Mechanisms in Electroacoustic Vocal Performance. Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1176143

BibTeX Entry:

  @inproceedings{Wu2016,
 abstract = {This paper presents an empirical evaluation of a digital music
instrument (DMI) for electroacoustic vocal performance, the Tibetan Singing
Prayer Wheel (TSPW). Specifically, we study audience preference for the way it
maps horizontal spinning gestures to vocal processing parameters. We filmed six
songs with the singer using the TSPW, and created two alternative soundtracks for
each song: one desynchronized, and one with the mapping inverted. Participants
viewed all six songs with either the original or desynchronized soundtrack
(Experiment 1), or either the original or inverted-mapping soundtrack (Experiment
2). Participants were asked several questions via questionnaire after each song.
Overall, they reported higher engagement and preference for the original
versions, suggesting that audiences of the TSPW prefer more highly synchronized
performances, as well as more intuitive mappings, though level of perceived
expression of the performer only significantly differed in Experiment 1. Further,
we believe that our experimental methods contribute to how DMIs can be evaluated
from the audience's (a recently noted underrepresented stakeholder)
perspective.},
 address = {Brisbane, Australia},
 author = {Jiayue Cecilia Wu and Madeline Huberth and Yoo Hsiu Yeh and Matt Wright},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 doi = {10.5281/zenodo.1176143},
 isbn = {978-1-925455-13-7},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 pages = {206--211},
 publisher = {Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University},
 title = {Evaluating the Audience's Perception of Real-time Gestural Control and Mapping Mechanisms in Electroacoustic Vocal Performance},
 track = {Papers},
 url = {http://www.nime.org/proceedings/2016/nime2016_paper0042.pdf},
 year = {2016}
}