Fwd: Wanted: experienced musicians for testing an experimental electronic musical instrument

sean@clatterbox.net.au wrote: To: jinto83@yahoo.com
Subject: Wanted: experienced musicians for testing an experimental electronic musical instrument
Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2006 12:06:07 +1100
From: sean@clatterbox.net.au

The following text is an invitation from researchers at the University of Western Sydney.

This text can also be viewed on the clatterbox website:
http://www.clatterbox.net.au/more.php?id=159_0_1_0_M

--

Hello

My name is George Khut, I am a research assistant working with Dr Garth Paine and Ian Stevenson at the University of Western Sydney, MARCS Auditory Laboratories in Bankstown.

I am writing to ask if you would be prepared to volunteer your extensive musical experience by participating in stage two of our Thummer Mapping research project.

The test will take approximately 90 minutes and will take place at our studio in Building 9 at the UWS Bankstown campus* (Milpera) between Monday January 8th to Friday January 12th. An amount of $25 dollars is available to cover travel expenses to and/or from the studio.

The Thummer Mapping Project (ThuMP), is a research partnership between the UWS, Research Partnerships Program and the electronic musical instrument development company Thumtronics Ltd http://www.thummer.com ThuMP seeks to model playability in the Thummmer, a novel, new electronic instrument.

// The Research Question:

In general electronic musical instruments have not achieved the multimodal degrees of control that a skilled musician brings to bear when playing an acoustic instrument. The ThuMP project will develop a new electronic musical instrument based on a thorough re-evaluation of the performer�s relationship with the performance interface (instrument).

The research is being conducted in two stages. The first stage identified, quantified and categorised the perceived control gestures employed by musicians from the performer�s perspective, for a number of classes of musical instruments (flute, violin and concertina).

The second stage, for which we are seeking your participation, will be testing a series of controller mapping schemes for the Thummer, based on findings from the first stage. The aim of this test is to assess the relative playability of the different mapping schemes according to the amount of time it takes experienced musicians to approximate a series of electronic sound textures using the Thummer interface.

During the test you will receive an introduction to the Thummer instrument and its various controllers: joys sticks, tilt sensor, pressure sensitive keys etc. This introduction will last approximately forty-five minutes, during which you will be learning a series of control gestures and how these gestures relate to aspects of sound produced by the different mapping schemes. The second half of the test will last approximately 30 minutes. You will be asked to match as closely as possible, a series of pre-recorded electronic sound textures, based on your understanding of the mapping schemes introduced in the first part of the test.

// Terms and Conditions:

Your participation in the ThuMP research programme is entirely voluntary; names are not attached to the interview material, just a code for our records. Only group results will be reported so there will be no tracing of results to individuals beyond the video recordings of your test session, which will be held in a secure location at the MARCS Research Laboratories at UWS. The results will be reported nationally and internationally in academic journals, conference papers, and the local media and will contribute to the development of a new electronic instrument.

If you have questions about any aspect of the research project or process please contact the research leader, Ian Stevenson at the MARCS Research Laboratories, University of Western Sydney on Mobile 0407 135 475 or e-mail i.stevenson@uws.edu.au.

// Dates and Times:

We are looking for volunteers to come into our Bankstown studio* (Milpera) for a single 90 minute session.

If you would like to participate in this research could you please email or text me the dates and time-slots (in order of preference) that would best suit your availability during this time.

Monday 8th January: 11:00 - 12:30
Monday 8th January: 1:30 - 3:00
Monday 8th January: 4:00 - 5:30

Tuesday 9th January: 11:00 - 12:30
Tuesday 9th January: 1:30 - 3:00
Tuesday 9th January: 4:00 - 5:30

Wednesday 10th January: 11:00 - 12:30
Wednesday 10th January: 1:30 - 3:00
Wednesday 10th January: 4:00 - 5:30

Friday 12th January: 11:00 - 12:30
Friday 12th January: 1:30 - 3:00
Friday 12th January: 4:00 - 5:30

Thanks for your time, and have a great Christmas and New Year break. I look forward to meeting with you soon.

Yours sincerely

George Khut
research Assistant
Thummer Mapping Project (ThuMP)
Room 9.24, Bankstown Campus
Locked Bag 1797, SOUTH PENRITH DC NSW 1797
Tel: 9772 6326 Mobile 0417 566 425

NOTE: This study has been approved by the University of Western Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee. If you have any complaints or reservations about the ethical conduct of this research, you may contact the Ethics Committee through the Research Ethics Officers (tel: 02 4570 1136). Any issues you raise will be treated in confidence and investigated fully, and you will be informed of the outcome.

* For information on how to get to the Bankstown campus, visit:
http://marcs.uws.edu.au/about/getting_here.htm

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