Music Software Research Articles

MOTIVATION OF STUDENTS 'TRAINING WITH THE USE OF MODERN COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES IN THE DISCIPLINE STUDY "CHORUS DIRGIZATION"

The article focuses on the necessity of introducing innovative approaches, methods, forms and means of training using informational and musical computer technologies into the educational process. The analysis of the main researches and publications on the given problem was made and the positive influence of training motivation on the quality of the professional training of future teachers of musical art is highlighted. It is shown that the use of modern computer technologies, synthesizer, multimedia and special musical software contribute to activation of future music teachers in the study of the discipline «Choir conducting». The article deals with the interdisciplinary connections of choral conducting with informational computer technologies, analysis of the concepts of «note editor», «note-program», «Musical Instruments Digital Interface (MIDI)», «music computer technologies». In choir art motivation is a cognitive interest of students to the specialty of music teacher as the organizer and leader of the choir, promotes the desire to actively study and improve themselves, to seek new ways for self-realization. An important internal factor is the personal mood of students for a qualitative result in training, self-improvement of methodological competence, improvement of pedagogical skills and purposefulness for further musical and pedagogical activity. Also effective is the application of innovative teaching aids, which include multimedia (educational videos, audio players, choral music recordings, electronic boards, hardware) as well software and methodological support for computer technologies (electronic textbooks, manuals, electronic libraries, electronic courses; professional music programs and computer programs-notebooks; tasks for independent work of students; tests).

La formación en TIC de los pedagogos de música. Análisis de la situación en las Enseñanzas Superiores de Música

La incorporación de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) a la enseñanza en los conservatorios de música es, a día de hoy, muy escasa y desigual. Independientemente de otros factores, uno de los motivos puede ser la falta de formación del profesorado en esta materia; sin embargo, sobre este tema existe todavía muy poca información. Por ello, este informe ofrece una panorámica sobre la formación en TIC que reciben actualmente los futuros pedagogos de música durante sus estudios en el conservatorio superior. Para ello se ha llevado a cabo un extenso análisis de contenido de los planes de estudio de Pedagogía Musical y guías docentes de catorce centros repartidos por todo el territorio español. Los resultados revelan que, en general, los contenidos tecnológicos se centran en el manejo de software musical pero la formación en TIC para la educación es bastante deficitaria y existen grandes diferencias entre los distintos centros.

Learning to rock: The role of prior experience and explicit instruction on learning and transfer in a music videogame

For a moment in time, music-based videogames were tremendously popular, yet we know little about how and when knowledge learned from these games can transfer to other music tasks. This paper presents a study of transfer from the game Rock Band to within-game and non-game musical tasks. Thirty-four undergraduates with low to moderate prior Rock Band experience participated in the study. For initial instruction, they were randomly assigned to either a Drill condition, using the built-in training feature of the videogame, or a teacher-led Lesson condition which focused on strategic and procedural knowledge of drumming techniques. Non-game transfer tasks included: (1) drumming along with music sequencing software (GarageBand), (2) a call and response task, and (3) a task where participants commented on the technique of other drummers. Results showed that prior experience with Rock Band was a significant predictor for the GarageBand transfer tasks but not for the call and response or commenting tasks. Both instructional conditions performed equally well on Rock Band tasks, but those in the Lesson condition performed better on commenting tasks, as well as on GarageBand tasks after controlling for Rock Band skill. These findings replicate and extend prior research on the ability of game play experience to transfer to non-game musical tasks, while adding the finding that traditional lessons can effectively augment in-game learning experiences.

Effectiveness and motivation towards the use of video tutorials when learning how to use music software / Efectividad y motivación hacia el uso de videotutoriales para el aprendizaje de un software musical

The objective of this study is to highlight the potential of video tutorials for learning how to use music editing software as well as students’ perceptions of their use. The project has been developed within a flipped-classroom approach, in which students studied with two types of resources: video tutorials and printed tutorials created ad hoc. Using a quantitative study with a quasi-experimental design, students participating in the project (n = 48) were divided into an experimental group (video tutorials) and a control group (printed tutorials) in order to evaluate the resource used according to: (1) academic results achieved; (2) students’ independence; (3) time spent completing tasks; (4) motivation generated by the resource. The resource used did not result in an improvement of academic performance in those students who used video tutorials. However, there has been an improvement in time invested in the production of scores, students’ autonomy in relation to the teacher and motivation towards the resource used.

Creating improvisations on chord progressions using suffix trees

Technology nowadays takes an increasing part of “creativity” in live music software such as the OMax-ImproteK-Djazz improvisation environment. Specifically, Djazz implements techniques for indexing and creating improvisations using a given chord progression. It relies on a database that we call a dictionary, storing musical sequences (audio or MIDI) associated with known chord changes. We define an improvisation on a given chord progression x as a sequence obtained by concatenating musical phrases identified with factors of x that can be found in the dictionary. Given a query sequence x and a dictionary D, we present an algorithm that finds an improvisation on x with respect to D. We use the suffix tree data structure to index D and then produce a graph formulation of the problem in order to find a suitable improvisation in linear time, with respect to the length of x.

Computer-based music feature analysis mirrors human perception and can be used to measure individual music preference

This paper explores the measurement of individual music feature preference using human- and computer-rated music excerpts. In the first of two studies, we correlated human ratings of song excerpts with computer-extracted music features and found good accordance, as well as similar criterion validity with preference for musical styles (the MUSIC model, mean r = 0.88). In a second online study (N = 2118), using PCA and Procrustes analysis, we found that measured music preference showed the same established three-component structure from previous research (Arousal, Valence, Depth), regardless of whether the music pieces were rated by humans or the ESSENTIA music analysis software. Our results suggest that computer-extracted music features can be used to assess individual music preference.

Orchestration Practice in Steinberg Dorico Software Program

The aim of this work is to study creative and technological facilities of Dorico music notation software from Steinberg.Research methodology. Analytical and comparative researching methods are used.Results. The article is concerned with the practice of using new music notation software Dorico for orchestration of clavier into symphonic orchestral score.The real process of preparing some songs for live concert with symphonic orchestra was reviewed and analysed. For the first time this music was written for voice and piano with help of other software. After that the files were imported to Dorico as MusicXML. Then parts of winds, brass, strings, drums and percussion instruments were added. Music content from clavier was selected with advanced filtered possibilities Dorico and copied into target parts. Such operation was permanently repeated until all extrapolation of required material was made. Then the score content was deeply edited with power opportunities of Dorico. For advanced music transformation MIDI keyboard was used. The sound was monitored with help of VST module Halion Symphonic Orchestra. The new music software Dorico as a part of modern composer technology is really useful notation solution. Despite some insignificant shortcomings and high cost, this is a powerful composer’s creative tool for professional work with sheet music.Novelty. The paper presents an attempt to analyse some methods of clavier instrumentation for symphonic orchestra with help of innovative music notation software Dorico from Steinberg. The practical significance. This work can be of interest to composers, arrangers, musicologists.

Electroacoustic Music Linked with Information Processing Research in Japan

This paper describes the electroacoustic music history of Japan since the late 1980s. This new music was originally created by traditional contemporary music composers. However, after the 1970s, the digital computer took over the primary role of the tape recorder for use in electroacoustic music, and composers could not keep up with the technological progress. Instead, composers of a younger generation who studied computer music in Europe began to emerge in the 1990s. They were quite active, and collaboration with music researchers in the computer science field established a long-lasting community. The iconic event for Japan was the International Computer Music Conference, held in 1993 at Waseda University, Tokyo. This was successfully done in cooperation with the Kunitachi College of Music. After experiencing several such events, many researchers shifted their focus to music information processing research, while other musicians lost their interest in artistic computer music research. In the twenty-first century, individual composers are experiencing better and more convenient electroacoustic environments, including hardware and music software facilities. They are very active, and their interests range widely from pure electroacoustic music to multimedia sound art. However, an unified organisation has not yet been established for electroacoustic music, and this prevents Japan from achieving mutual understanding among composers.

Creative improvisation with a reflexive musical bot

ABSTRACTThis paper discusses improvisatory musical interactions between a musician and a machine. The focus is on duet performances, in which a human pianist and the Controlling Interactive Music (CIM) software system both perform on mechanized pianos. It also discusses improvisatory behaviours, using reflexive strategies in machines, and describes interfaces for musical communication and control between human and machine performers. Results are derived from trials with six expert improvising musicians using CIM. Analysis reveals that creative partnerships are fostered by several factors. The reflexive generative system provides aesthetic cohesion by ensuring that generated material has a direct relationship to that played by the musician. The interaction design relies on musical communication through performance as the primary mechanism for feedback and control. It can be shown that his approach to musical human-machine improvisation allows technical concerns to fall away from the musician's awareness and attention to shift to the musical dialogue within the duet.

Методика використання технічних засобів та програмного забезпечення процесі фахової підготовки майбутніх артистів-вокалістів

The article is devoted to the basics of the methodology of the use of technical tools and software in the process of professional training of future bachelors of musical art - artists-vocalists in artistic institutions of higher education. The main terms of use of technical means and software are offered in the course of professional training of future bachelors of music art - artists-singers in higher education institutions. Also, the article defines the terms of use of software in the process of mastering the future artists-singers of the course «Pop singing» in the process of training in the specialty «Music Art». The research outlines the main methodological recommendations for using the features of the direction of the microphone and the equalizer of the mixing console for individual classes on pop singing in the process of professional training of future pop singers. The emphasis is placed on the importance of using in the process of professional training for future bachelors of musical art software for recording rehearsal work. The conclusion is made on the necessity and importance of further improvement of curricula and educational and professional programs of the specialty «Musical art» in order to deepen the practical and technical component of the process of professional training, in particular, in the specialty «Pop Singing».

Music Learning Based on Computer Software

In order to better develop and improve students’ music learning, the authors proposed the method of music learning based on computer software. It is still a new field to use computer music software to assist teaching. Hereby, we conducted an in-depth analysis on the computer-enabled music learning and the music learning status in secondary schools, obtaining the specific analytical data. Survey data shows that students have many cognitive problems in the current music classroom, and yet teachers have not found a reasonable countermeasure to them. Against this background, the introduction of computer music software to music learning is a new trial that can not only cultivate the students’ initiatives of music learning, but also enhance their abilities to learn music. Therefore, it is concluded that the computer software based music learning is of great significance to improving the current music learning modes and means.

The Giver: A Case Study of The Impact of Remote Music Collaboration Software on Music Production Process

The development of Web 2.0 combined with the emergence of innovative software platforms has helped remote music collaboration undergo a phase of significant growth in the last five years. My practice-led research responds to the question of how working with remote music collaboration software (RMCS) impacts on the production process. The discussion and the sound recording accompanied by this paper concern one example of my collaborative practice using Ohm Studio software. I created a popular music piece titled “The Giver” with creative contributors located on three continents. My analysis shows that RMCS offers music producers innovative ways to network and develop a project with the input of globally crowdsourced participants. The resulting sound recording exemplifies an RMCS-based process that led to changes in production workflow, facilitated learning, generated new creative relationships, and, ultimately, helped to achieve the desired musical outcomes.

Music without Musicians ... but with Scientists, Technicians and Computer Companies

In the early days of music technologies the collaboration between musicians, scientists, technicians and equipment producers was very close. How did this collaboration develop? Why did scientific, business, and musical agendas converge towards a common goal? Was there a mutual exchange of skills and expertise? To answer these questions this article will consider a case study in early computer music. It will examine the career of the Italian cellist and composer Pietro Grossi (1917–2002), who explored computer music with the support of mainframe manufacturers, industrial R&D, and scientific institutions. During the 1970s, Grossi became an eager programmer and achieved a first-hand experience of computer music, writing several software packages. Grossi was interested in avant-garde music as an opportunity to make ‘music without musicians’. He aimed at a music composed and performed by machines, and eventually, he achieved this result with his music software. However, to accomplish it, Grossi could not be a lonely pioneer; he had to become a member, albeit an atypical one, of the Italian computing community of the time. Grossi’s story, thus, can tell us much about the collaborative efforts stimulated by the use of early computer technologies in sound research, and how these efforts developed at the intersection of science, art and industry.

The views of music education teaching candidates in the field of music technology usage

Problem Statement Music Technology that has been progressing continious, contributes to music studies significantly with hi-tech hardwares and softwares. Having benefits of such technological capabilities in music education process is quiet possible through strengthening of technical background, good teaching of softwares and use by effective manner. Purpose of Study In this sudy, questions in line with expectations in the educational process have been asked and opinions were assessed about music teachers’s knowledge on the use of technology in music education, how they can use the technology, how they were open to innovation and development. Methods Screening model has been used in this qualitative research, literature search was conducted and a survey prepared by the researcher was applied to music teacher candidates. Findings and Results It is seen that the students stated at the result of research data analysis, 67,2 % of students provided convenience to themselves during music software educations, 13,1 % of students did not provided convenience to themselves during music software educations, 9,7 % of students have provided partial convenience to themselves during music software educations. Conclusions and Recommendations Considering demographic information, it is seen that most of the students (80,3 % ) have come from Fine Arts High School which are at the position of source for universities which provide music education. It is seen that the 63,9 % of the students have studied music note software education, 14,8 of the students have studied arrange software education in these institutions. For the purpose of extending music technology education to the ground, developing technical substructure of these high schools for Music Technologies education (Laboratory – software) and field teachers, course programs will be beneficial. In addition, in universities which give music education, strengthening the courses for music technology in terms of physical substructure and increasing the opportunities will provide teaching this education as more common and powerful. Keywords: Music technologies, computer based music education, music education.

The MUSOS (MUsic SOftware System) Toolkit: A computer-based, open source application for testing memory for melodies.

Despite numerous innovative studies, rates of replication in the field of music psychology are extremely low (Frieler et al., 2013). Two key methodological challenges affecting researchers wishing to administer and reproduce studies in music cognition are the difficulty of measuring musical responses, particularly when conducting free-recall studies, and access to a reliable set of novel stimuli unrestricted by copyright or licensing issues. In this article, we propose a solution for these challenges in computer-based administration. We present a computer-based application for testing memory for melodies. Created using the software Max/MSP (Cycling '74, 2014a), the MUSOS (Music Software System) Toolkit uses a simple modular framework configurable for testing common paradigms such as recall, old-new recognition, and stem completion. The program is accompanied by a stimulus set of 156 novel, copyright-free melodies, in audio and Max/MSP file formats. Two pilot tests were conducted to establish the properties of the accompanying stimulus set that are relevant to music cognition and general memory research. By using this software, a researcher without specialist musical training may administer and accurately measure responses from common paradigms used in the study of memory for music.

An Analysis of Melody Composition Process and Product by Different Music Making Tools

본 연구는 음악소프트웨어 프로그램이 초등학생의 음악창작 과정과 결과에 미치는 영향을 탐색하였다. 연구는 대전 소재 초등학교 4학년 학생 10명을 대상으로, 건반악기와 소프트웨어를 사용하여 음악창작을 하고 그 과정과 결과를 비교분석하였다. 연구 결과 창작과정 범주 중 기보여부, 탐색 방식, 친숙한 선율 사용 등에서 창작도구 간 차이를 보였고, 창작결과 범주에서는 리듬패턴 사용에서 차이를 보였다. 특히 많은 학생들이 Music pro를 사용했을 때 가락 만들기-듣기의 과정을 반복하였다. 이와 같은 연구결과는 음악창작에서 테크놀로지의 활용, 특히 음악능력 하위집단에서 테크노로지의 유용함을 보여주는 것이라 할 수 있다.The development of computer technology and MIDI software has a lot of influence on music education. Especially students can make music composition more easily and efficiently than before. Like this, there are much of research about the effects of technology. But the comparative study of non-technological music compositions and technological music compositions is not yet carried out. So this study analysed melody composition process and product. 4th grade students made melodies by different tools : keyboard and music software program, music pro 4.0. As a results, They showed some meaningful differences in exploration behaviors, rhythmic features. And students felt more comfortable and interested in music pro composition than keyboard composition.

The warm, rich sound of valve guitar amplifiers

Practical solid state diodes and transistors have made glass valve technology nearly obsolete. Nevertheless, valves survive largely because electric guitar players much prefer the sound of valve amplifiers to the sound of transistor amplifiers. This paper discusses the introductory-level physics behind that preference. Overdriving an amplifier adds harmonics to an input sound. While a moderately overdriven valve amplifier produces strong even harmonics that enhance a sound, an overdriven transistor amplifier creates strong odd harmonics that can cause dissonance. The functioning of a triode valve explains its creation of even and odd harmonics. Music production software enables the examination of both the wave shape and the harmonic content of amplified sounds.

Educational affordances and learning design in music software development

Although music software has become increasingly affordable and widely adopted in today’s classrooms, concerns have been raised about a lack of consideration for users’ needs during the software development process. This paper examines intra- and inter-sectoral communication pertaining to software development and music education to shed light on the improvement of the educational affordances for music software in classroom teaching and learning. Semi-structured interviews with music software developers (n = 3) and music teachers (n = 15) are used to gain insights into how to enhance the educational affordances of music software. The findings of this study fill a gap in the literature by detailing the knowledge exchange required to effectively develop music education software. Improving the synergy between the knowledge bases of software development and music education could enhance novel educational affordances, providing music teachers with the opportunity to develop new, pedagogically sound music teaching and learning activities.

Assobio a Játo de Heitor Villa-Lobos: propuesta de reedición e interpretación

The work, Assobio a Játo (W493) was written by Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos in 1950 for flute and cello. It includes surprising and spontaneous rhythmic and melodic elements, which make it a reference point for Brazilian musical nationalism for the twentieth century. Given that the first and only publication of this work is in score format, this investigation proposes the re-edition of the work based on published references, while taking into account the nationalistic style of Villa-Lobos as well as different interpretations of the work. Using music notation software and a basic editing manual, the result of this investigation helped obtain parts of the work, ensuring easy reading, studying and interpretation for the academic music community. Thanks to its circulation, this work maybe an example of the use of music publishing tools applied to the transcription and edition of sheet music

Software-Based Scoring and Sound Design

This article explores the creative function of virtual instruments, sequencers, loops, and software-based synthesizers to introduce basic scoring and sound design concepts for visual media in an introductory music technology course. Using digital audio workstations with user-focused and configurable options, novice composers can hone a broad range of creative mixing skills supported by guided instruction, structured listening activities, and a discovery-based learning environment. Music production software affords many creative options to introduce soundtrack creation and granular synthesis for all levels with three curricular options listed here.