Exploring Real-Time Interfaces With Sensory Percussion

Graham Lazorchak; Emily Wang

Image credit: Graham Lazorchak; Emily Wang

• oral
• Paper PDF link
• Presence: in person
• Duration: 13
• Type: medium
• Session: Creative Coding

Abstract:

Synchronous feedback, such as a teacher’s spoken comments while students play, is important for music education. The ephemeral nature of sound makes this feedback critically important, yet difficult to communicate. In response, we present VESPer, a library integrating EVANS Hybrid Sensory Percussion with Unity to create real-time interfaces for percussionists, and etudes showcasing different designs for synchronous feedback. We provide a preliminary exploration of VESPer’s role in percussion practice through qualitative case studies by the first author. We discuss considerations for relevance and legibility in visualizations of synchronous formative feedback, and in turn, scaffold the use of real-time interactivity to give percussionists deeper insights when practicing.