Connecting Free Improvisation Performance and Drumming Gestures Through Digital Wearables.

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Musical Instrument Design
• Wearable Technology

Background:

• Professional improvising musicians face challenges integrating electronic music production into their performances due to physical limitations of commercial interfaces.
• Existing interfaces often restrict movement and do not align with the idiosyncratic gesture vocabularies developed by high-level improvisers.
• There is a need for digital musical instruments that support, rather than disrupt, established improvisational techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a modular wearable MIDI interface, the Track It, Zip It (TIZI) vest, tailored to the specific needs of professional improvising musicians.
• To seamlessly integrate innovative on-body sensors with an improviser's gesture vocabulary for enhanced electronic sound control.
• To provide design recommendations for creating performer-centric interfaces through an interdisciplinary, collaborative process.

Main Methods:

• Concept development based on professional improviser Jim Black's ideal instrument, embodied gestures, and performance constraints.
• Design and prototyping of the TIZI digital vest incorporating two novel on-body sensors.
• Evaluation through performance testing with Jim Black, a novice improviser's public performance, and sensor response measurements.

Main Results:

• The TIZI vest, featuring integrated on-body sensors, demonstrated potential for controlling electronic sounds in alignment with improvisational gestures.
• Prototype testing provided insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the wearable interface for musical performance.
• The iterative design process, centered on a world-class improviser, yielded valuable data for future interface development.

Conclusions:

• The TIZI vest represents a significant step towards creating wearable interfaces that enhance, rather than hinder, the expressive capabilities of improvising musicians.
• The interdisciplinary design approach, involving close collaboration with performers, is crucial for developing effective and adaptable musical interfaces.
• Future work includes developing a wireless TIZI vest for a female body, expanding accessibility and performance possibilities.