by stefanie.weber -

#01 Critical Evaluation of a thesis

(Disclaimer: For this Blog-Post ChatGPT was used to find translations from German to English and for synonyms and languagetool.org to check my grammar)

Title: Musikalische Darstellungsprinzipien in Tanzfilmen: Am Beispiel der Filme mit Fred Astaire und Ginger Rogers
Author: Veronika Stöber

Date: Vienna, 2013
Institution: University of Vienna
Study Degree: Diplomstudium Musikwissenschaft
Source: https://permalink.obvsg.at/AC10766476

Abstract

(This abstract was translated with the help of deepl.com)

This thesis deals with the principles of musical representation in dance films and approaches the subject by looking at various aspects, such as the use of leitmotifs, quotations or the translation of texts into song and instrumental music. As a basis for further examination of the musical sections of the films Top Hat and Follow the Fleet, an analysis of the content is first carried out on the basis of the characters, plot structures and scenery. This shows that the differences between the two films are primarily plot-related. This is followed by the musical analysis, which, after describing the forms of the arrangements, is primarily dedicated to the realization and further processing of the various motifs. Although singing is also used as an expression of language in the films analyzed, rhythm as an expression of dance is at the heart of the development of the musical themes. It is the most important representational principle in both films and finds it’s way into all of the areas worked on.

1. Level of Design

The thesis is methodically structured, with a clear design focused on comparative analysis. It integrates detailed sections on film narrative, musical arrangements, and theoretical perspectives, each supported by visual aids like charts and tables for clarity. This structure exemplifies a well-thought-out design level.

2. Degree of Innovation

The thesis innovatively approaches the intersection of musicology and film studies, particularly by analyzing the music in dance films from a cinematic and musically structural perspective. This approach is unique and provides an insightful contribution to the study of film music, as it diverges from more typical narrative-focused or purely musical analyses.

3. Independence

The thesis reflects a high degree of independence, showcasing Stöber’s initiative in analyzing specific films and her decision to emphasize auditory analysis due to the lack of accessible scores. This choice demonstrates her adaptability and willingness to employ unique methods.

4. Outline and Structure

The structure is coherent, beginning with an introduction to the dance film genre, moving through film narratives and musical analysis, and concluding with findings. Each section logically progresses into the next, which aids the reader in understanding complex analytical processes.

5. Degree of communication

The communication is effective and clear, especially in conveying analytical findings in both music and film. Stöber’s language is accessible yet technical, making the analysis understandable for readers familiar with music or film studies without sacrificing depth.

6. Scope of the work

The scope is thorough, as the thesis examines the music’s interaction with narrative elements, the history of RKO productions, and character analysis across two films. This comprehensive approach provides a rich context that supports her conclusions.

7. Orthography and Accuracy

The orthography and grammatical accuracy appear strong, with professional language and technical terms used correctly throughout the text. There is clear attention to detail in citations and references, contributing to the thesis’s credibility.

8. Literature

The literature review is extensive, referencing significant works on American musicals, RKO history, and film music theory. This thorough selection enhances the thesis’s academic rigor by situating it within established scholarship, though it might benefit from including more recent analyzes to balance classic and contemporary perspectives.

I specifically picked Veronika Stöber’s thesis for this blog entry and research, because of it’s detailed exploration of how music structures and enhances dance within film, a foundation that closely parallels the role of camera movement. By analyzing how music shapes narrative and complements choreography, this thesis provides a framework for understanding how another core visual element—camera movement—can be used to amplify emotion, emphasize motion, and contribute to storytelling in dance films.

by ingrid.hjelm-hansen -

Findings from User Tests

I recently conducted user tests on my technical prototype. The prototype does not yet work exactly as I vision my final product, but I find it important to involve users at an early stage. I wanted to test the core idea and get valuable feedback for further development of the concept. 

I chose to conduct the user tests with people I interviewed in my research phase. They are women in the age range 23 to 26 and went to music lessons for 1-3 years as children. They have been playing different instruments such as piano, guitar, drums and the clarinet, but never for a long period of time. To learn more about their musical background, read my blog post from January: Key Findings from Interviews. 

User test 1

Successful melodies: 4

Observations

  • Wants to test all the buttons before starting the game
  • Tries to sing the melody outload right away after hearing it
  • Points with her fingers on the buttons
  • Uses time to think before trying
  • Improved skills after every try
  • Gets frustrated when failing, but always wants to try again
  • Missing a replay button, to hear the melody again without needing to play it

Playing when looking at the serial monitor (printed notes): much easier, higher level of success. Wants to retry every time she fails. 

General feedback

  • Thought it was very fun to play
  • Felt competitive, did not want to quit
  • Found it very annoying to fail
  • In the beginning, she did not understand that every melody was not necessarily containing all the tones.
  • Low quality speaker makes it hard to separate the tones. Suggests using Max 8 instead of the piezo buzzer. 
  • The “incorrect melody”-sound is similar to some of the melody tones. This could be distracting and confusing. 
  • After successfully playing a melody, the next one plays right away. This was too fast for her to prepare for listening again.
  • If I want to upgrade the product and make it even harder, it could be an idea to also implement different rhythms in the melody. Another option is to make the melodies longer (more than four tones). Nevertheless, she states that it was already complicated enough for her. 

User test 2

Successful melodies: 1

Observations

  • Wants to start right away, before I am finished with the explanation
  • States that she is terrible, does not know anything about music theory
  • Struggles, but learns quickly
  • Notices that she is playing the melody wrong, but struggles to point out what the problem is
  • Decides to give up after numerous attempts on the second melody

Playing when looking at the serial monitor (printed notes): easier, but still needs to think a lot and use multiple attempts to succeed. 

General feedback

  • Said it was very fun, would love to play with it all the time as a child. 
  • Very nice way to train your ear. 
  • Thought it would be easier with a higher quality speaker. 
  • Suggested implementing an orange light for better feedback. It would make it easier to understand the number of wrong notes.  
  • Wanted to try again every time she failed, but it was easy to get stuck on one melody and become annoyed. 
  • Hard to hear what is wrong. 
  • Missed a replay button. 
  • Suggested writing the name of the tones on the buttons. Thinks it would be easier to understand the connections. 
  • Suggested removing the resistors to get brighter LED lights.

Conclusion

In general, it was very helpful to test my concept in such an early stage. Their positive feedback motives me to develop the idea further in the future, and their critique made it clear what changes I should make. I already did some adjustments: 

  • Changed the pitch on some of the tones
  • Increased delay between feedback and new melodies
  • Removed resistors from the breadboard
  • Adjusted the printed messages to the serial monitor
by ingrid.hjelm-hansen -

Development of Technical Prototype

Over the past few weeks, I have been developing a technical prototype. I explored various options considering the available equipment and project timeline. After many iterations and debugging, I created a functional prototype ready for user testing. 

The prototype is a simplification of my concept. It can be used to illustrate the main functionalities, but does not work exactly how I vision my finished product. I chose to follow the advice of making a low effort prototype with high indented impact on learning outcome. 

Main components: 

  • Random melodies generated out of four tones (C, D, E, F)
  • Four buttons for user input (C, D, E, F)
  • Green LED light for positive feedback
  • Red LED light for negative feedback
  • Piezo buzzer playing melodies, user input and feedback sounds

How does it work?

Instead of using a microphone for user input, I decided to work with buttons. A piezo buzzer (speaker) plays a random melody composed of four tones, and the user can use buttons to replicate the melody. In my programmed prototype, I used the tones C3, D3, E3, and F3. Each melody consists of four tones, which is always a random combination of the above. The buttons represent one tone each:

Yellow button: C3
Green button: D3
Blue button: E3
Black button: F3

Operation flow

  1. Melody playback: The speaker plays a random melody consisting of four tones.

  2. User interaction: After the melody finishes, the user can replicate it by pressing the corresponding buttons.

  3. Feedback mechanism:

Correct replication: A short positive sound is played, and the green LED lights up, signaling success. A new random melody then follows.

Incorrect replication: A negative sound is played, and the red LED lights up. The same melody is repeated until the user successfully replicates it. 

Code written in Arduino IDE:

by ingrid.hjelm-hansen -

Concept Definition and Aim

After some guidance last week, I have worked with defining my concept. To figure out what I want the final product to offer, I started by writing my visions down on paper. My concept is the result of all my research so far, and I want it to be a working solution for my defined problem statement.

Firstly, it is important that the gadget is fun and simple. Based on the results from my research, it should not become an element of stress. I want it to compliment normal music lessons, but I would not want it to be controlled by any teacher. The music students can be recommended to use the gadget, but not forced in any way. The results will not be the same if they are not motivated on their own.

It will not be possible to share or save scores. However, there will be integrated feedback after each sequence. The users can see if their mimic was correct or not. Due to motivational purposes, I want the focus to be on positive feedback. The gadget will tell when melodies are played wrong, but the goal is to motivate users to try again.

When making my first sketches and paper prototype, I visioned the product to only contain one big button. When developing the concept further, I figured that I should implement some additional buttons. I want it to look simple and easy to understand, but also include all essential functionalities. It should be possible to pause the sound, as well as replaying it. It would also be reasonable to enable a skip button, one for returning to the past sound and one for skipping to the next one. In addition, I will of course add buttons to control the sound level. All the buttons should follow standard patterns and communicate actions clearly.

To define the objective in a clear manner, I composed an aim and the intented user group.

Aim

Inspire and encourage musicians to improvise and play by ear.

The product can be used as:

  1. An education tool to compliment classical training
  2. A fun game for sharing musical exploration with friends

User group

Curious musicians in all ages and levels.

by ingrid.hjelm-hansen -

Concept Idea: Mimic Box

The next step in my design process is to develop a concept. In this phase, I find it particularly challenging not to have anyone to spar with. Nevertheless, it is helpful to sketch ideas and discuss them with myself.   

I started making scribbles of a music exploration park with instrument installations, performance spaces and music trails. However, I was not too inspirated to develop this concept further. I searched the web for existing products and tried to think of new inventions. After looking back at my old notes, I finally ideated a concept that motivates me. 

I want to make a small portable music gadget that could make a big difference for individuals. The gadget will in this article be referred as the Mimic Box.

Message to user: “Be a Parrot”.

What

The mimic box will encourage musicians to play by ear. It will play random melody snippets, and the users are supposed to mimic the sounds they hear, without any help from musical notation. It will work for a wide variety of instruments, such as piano, violin, trumpet, and even vocal.  

Why

The tool will help musicians to free themselves from rules and music sheets. They will develop a trained ear for music, and intentionally get inspiration to jam and improvise more. My research throughout the winter semester shows that in many cases, musical notation seems scary and music lessons becomes serious too quickly. It is important to stay playful and experimental to feel a pure joy for music. 

In addition, the tool will invite to social interaction and co-playing. It may be used as a competition-based game, which creates a community within the music field. 

How

  1. User pushes button
    – Box starts playing a random melody
    – LED ring lights up on every tone
    – Melody ends
  2. User pushes button
    – Box starts recording
  3. User mimic melody
  4. User pushes button
    – Recording ends
  5. Feedback! (Green, yellow or red color)

The given feedback will be based on how well the user mimicked the melody.

by leonie.dunke -

15 | Singing Aid

During my exploration of digitalisation in theatre, I noticed that I was not making progress and had difficulties in developing concrete solutions. In our other project „Projection Mapping“, where we create stage visualisations, our group places great emphasis on real-time visualisation and audio reactivity. Therefore, my thoughts often revolved around sound, music, audio, and real-time feedback. This made me aware of an issue in my everyday life that, while not directly related to theatre, is still artistically relevant.

At the beginning of the semester, I decided to join a choir and start singing again. I quickly realised that little remained of my past choral experience and my voice was equally rusty. During rehearsals, I had great difficulty hearing myself to determine if I was hitting the notes and the rhythm, especially in four-part singing. It is enormously difficult to hit the correct note precisely after a long break. I often wished to receive direct feedback during rehearsal to understand if my self-perception matched the actual singing and to adjust the pitch immediately.

I have developed a small prototype of how I envision such assistance. Initially, it was important to determine which aspects make up singing and where direct feedback is useful:

  • Pitch
  • Beat rhythm
  • Melodic rhythm
  • Volume
  • Emphasis, pronunciation

For the prototype, I focused on feedback regarding pitch and melodic rhythm.

Idea

My idea is based on a small device that provides direct feedback through vibration about correct and incorrect intonation. If sung too high or too low, it gives corresponding vibration feedback. An extension of this tool could also relay the rhythm of the piece through vibration feedback.

Concept

The tool consists of a small microphone and a vibration motor. This device can be clipped near the mouth on one’s clothing, capturing the individual’s singing and vibrating if sung incorrectly.

Another type of silent feedback could be sending a small light signal. With this approach, it would be possible to connect a small type of clip with the microphone that can be attached to the music score. This too would signal errors by lighting up if the singing is too high or too low.

Since analysing mistakes after rehearsal is also crucial, an AR app would be a possible implementation to display errors directly on the music score. If the score is also available digitally, this could be directly entered in the app. This allows for preparation for the next rehearsal.

by ingrid.hjelm-hansen -

Music jamming as a participatory design method

A case study with disabled musicians. Teodoro Dannemann.

I will use this blog post to write about an article published at the NIME conferences. In 2023, Teodoro Dannemann from Centre for Digital Music on Queen Mary University of London did a case study with disabled musicians. As a part of the course Interaction Design 1, I will discuss my thoughts about his article. 

I chose Dannemanns article because it has a certain relevance to my design and research topic. The aim of the study is to explore the possibility to design new or modified instruments, focusing on a character of disability. The researchers went through three stages to fulfill the needs of musicians with different disabilities: 

  1. A semi-structured music jam session and subsequent analysis

Undergraduate students, researchers and lecturers assisted to arrange jam sessions for four children from the Teletón rehabilitation center (hereafter referred to as the performers). The performers got the opportunity to choose which instrument to play, and worked in teams together with coordinators. Some of the coordinators worked as tempo leaders, and some as normal musicians. The performers actions were observed and recorded. 

In the beginning of the session, each group created a musical score based on a template (see picture below). The performers were welcome to freely create their own unique notation language. The group started the jam based on their home-made score. After a while, the tempo leaders initiated improvisation for ten minutes.

In the end of each round, the facilitator talked to the group to learn what they liked about the jam, what problems they faced, and their overall interaction experience. Then, teams were told to make a slightly more complicated score and start jamming again. This process was repeated three times. 

  1. Obtain individual performers profiles from the data collected

Each group of coordinators discussed the obtained data. Based on the results, they created profiles for each performer comprising the four dimensions: (1) movements and embodiment, (2) musical preferences, (3) difficulties, and (4) capabilities. This helped them organize the collected data and get an overview of the needs of each performer.

  1. Prototype music instruments

A team of designers got the task to elaborate a proposal of one or two instruments for each performer. They based the prototypes on the data gathered in each individual performer profile. The instruments needed to take into account not just the specific needs of each performer and their musical and performance styles, but they also had to be feasible in terms of time (around two months for construction) and budget constraints. Each team got feedback from coordinators and tutors, and iterated the prototypes up to the final delivery event. Each performer was handed their corresponding instrument and got one hour to explore its possibilities. In the end, all participants of the project gathered for a final jam session with additional instruments. 

In the end of the written article, final results are being discussed. They describe two cases of designed instruments, corresponding to two very different performers. The first of the two performers ended up getting a digital cello that could be played with one arm, and a 3D-printed prosthetic forearm. The performer showed a special interest for the prosthesis. However, it was found that the forearm socket needed more fine tuning for them to be able to exert more pressure against the cello. The other performer received a one-handed flute. Even though the performer was really excited about the idea, they were most interested in using the flute to make all sorts of unusual sounds and effects. So, the team ended up making a special „magic flute“. This flute was set up for the performer to easily change how it sounds using a computer, so they could try out different sounds. The design team also put together a simple guide to help the performer get started with fun activities. This would help them focus better on specific tasks and get into a rhythm.

My thoughts

I find the study meaningful and inspiring. It pertains to such an important topic, and the results are effective. I think the article communicated the research and outcomes in an organized manner. Each step in the study is described thoroughly, and the author evaluate how the steps could have been possibly done different. Dannemann is aware of weaknesses in the study, but I also noted down some concerns.  

Firstly, I think the performers should have been involved more in the prototyping phase. This is mentioned by the author in the paragraph: FINAL REMARKS: A CRITICAL REFLECTION. Based on the feedback the performers gave in the delivery event, it becomes clear that there should have been conducted user tests in an earlier stage. Especially concerning the prosthetic forearm that needed more fine tuning. If they tested the prototype iteratively on the real end-user, the prothesis could have worked properly against the cello. Each person with disabilities is different, so it is crucial to involve the designated end-user in an early stage. 

I am also curious about the instrument’s limitations. Does a one arm flute offer the same possibilities as a normal flute? It is designed for such a small user group, and I imagine how difficult it is to create it without any other limitations. It would be interesting to read more about every instrument they made and how they differ from the standards. 

Reference

Dannemann, T. (2023). Music jamming as a participatory design method. A case study with disabled musicians. Centre for Digital Music, Queen Mary University of London. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://core.ac.uk/download/567597778.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwilpbWjpeKFAxWp4gIHHVSDDEwQFnoECBUQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1JJvVU71_5dazv_tB-4NSt

by ingrid.hjelm-hansen -

First Prototypes

In the first lecture of our course Design & Research 2, we were instructed to develop 1-3 prototypes within a three-day timeframe. These prototypes were expected to be „quick and dirty“, yet still relevant to our chosen topic. Initially, I thought this would be challenging and time-consuming. However, it turned out to be both fun and helpful. 

I began by brainstorming ideas. Because I am still in the early stages of the design process, I found it hard to already envision potential solutions. Setting a four-minute timer, I began writing down any ideas that came to mind on post-it notes. Under time pressure, my brain generated numerous concepts. I then collected these ideas and proceeded to sketch out various concepts. 

Using this method results in the creation of low-fidelity concepts without extensive contemplation. I might not end up using any of the concepts, but it was a great way to start the creative thinking. 

PROTOTYPES

I ended up creating prototypes out of two different ideas: 

Multiplayer Keyboard

This concept is inspired by the observation that many musicians experience a lack of social aspect in their practice. They often end up prioritizing team sports such as football over solo instruments, drawn to the motivational aspects of teamwork. Playing in a band or orchestra is an option, but this idea aims to facilitate collaborative piano playing among friends. Whether with two or four players, the proposed product would enable the creation of harmonious melodies and the exploration of various tones and melodies with friends. 

Improvisation Motivator

During my research, I observed benefits of improvisation in music. Musicians in all ages can struggle with motivation and to find joy in playing their instruments. It typically becomes overly rigid and challenging, leading to decrease of self-esteem in music. With this proposed concept, the aim is to make music practice more fun and playful. The product contains a built-in metronome and a speaker capable of playing various chords and drumbeats. Intentionally, the improvisation motivator should lower the threshold for solo improvisation practice. Traditional music sheets can be limiting, hindering users from learning in a more enjoyable and interactive manner. To utilize this product, users would simply press the blue button located on the top, enabling them to play over self-selected chords and beats. This approach makes it easier for individuals to experiment with the right tones and create new melodies on their own. 

by ingrid.hjelm-hansen -

User Interface in Music Education

Black dots on five horizontal lines translates to music. Different types of music notes and symbols might scare newcomers at first glance. Especially children with low attention span struggle to concentrate and understand the meaning of the different dots. I would like to explore different user interface methods in music teaching, including the use of colors and symbols. I will research approaches to make it easier for children to understand the concept of pitch and rhythm. The goal is to simply make music education more user friendly to newcomers.

Existing solutions

I am clearly not the first person wanting to solve this challenge. There are a lot of existing solutions on the market, trying to teach people music in a fun and simple way. 

One competitor and inspirational source is YouTube tutorials in general. Without showing any music notation at all, the videos show how to play songs such as “River Flows in You” and “All of Me” on piano. The number of views prove that they are considerably popular, so I want to find out why people prefer them over traditional sheet music. Is it easier to follow? More fun? More efficient? And is it possible to transform them into an analog format?

Another existing solution is completely new on the market. In October 2023, the language learning application Duolingo released their own music course. It is focused mainly on piano, and the users learn music notation through the courses from a beginner’s level. The format is similar to their language courses, and colors are used to make it easier for the users to remember the different musical notes. In general, the course is well structured and easy to follow. 

Several other music teaching apps has been on the market for over ten years, and the market is still growing. There are clearly a lot of different ways to learn music, but can it really compete with traditional sheet music? I hope to figure that out. 

Personal motivation and design relevance

In my early primary school years, I was struggling with music theory and notation myself. I have played the trumpet since I was 6 years and started doing piano lessons in fifth grade. I have developed a love for music, but also experienced some difficulties along the way. I personally know how hard it could be to pay attention in piano lessons, as well as knowing which major to play in when 3 sharp notes are listed. 

As a designer, I enjoy facilitating good user experiences. Based on my own background, I am motivated by the idea of making music education more accessible and user friendly. Design is all about understanding people and approach the users’ needs, and I aim to do so through the research of different user interfaces in music education. 

Expected challenges

Working alone on such a big project will certainly lead to different challenges. Here are some of the ones I am already expecting:

As a foreigner, it might be difficult to get in touch with potential users or area experts. I think qualitative interviews would be great for my research, but it requires that I find the right people. 

It could also be challenging to be innovative and broaden my thinking, as there are already a lot of different existing solutions on the market. On the other hand, it could also be a challenge to scope the project, because I find so many parts of the concept interesting. 

Upcoming steps

  • Analyze existing solutions
    • What do they offer?
    • Why do they work or why do they not?
    • What is good and what can be done different?
  • Look into other interesting disciplines
    • Are there concepts from other disciplines that could inspire?
  • Read more research articles related to the topic
    • Collect interesting findings and use it further in my research
  • Talk to people with relevant experience
    • Gather primary research from people with real experiences
      • People that have attended music lessons or gained musical skills in another way
  • Start experimenting with symbols and colors
    • Get my ideas down on the paper
    • Potentially testing out different interfaces on relevant users

Relevant institutions

Institutt for musikk NTNU – Norwegian University of Science and Technology: https://www.ntnu.no/musikk

Trondheim Kulturskole: https://www.kulturskolentrondheim.no/no

Music learning platform Musicca: https://www.musicca.com

Duolingo music course: https://blog.duolingo.com/music-course/