BodyMusic: a novel framework design for body-driven music composition

ABSTRACT

This paper presents the design and development of a novel framework for interactive body-driven music composition. This framework consists of three layers and we call the resulting system, BodyMusic. BodyMusic acts as a cyber instrument that enables both musicians and music laypersons to interactively and intuitively control and compose the tonality and the melody of the music through body motions without real musical instruments. This work is an innovative approach that enables users to dynamically generate music through their body motions and gestures without chronic learning and training. BodyMusic can be used in entertainment and can also be used for music education in primary schools. Music theories are embedded in the design so that melody flow and musical expressions including the pitch, rhythm and volume of the melody can be varied in real time.

REFERENCES

• 1: Horace H. S. Ip , Young Hay , Alex C. C. Tang, Body-Brush: a body-driven interface for visual aesthetics, Proceedings of the tenth ACM international conference on Multimedia, December 01-06, 2002, Juan-les-Pins, France [doi>10.1145/641007.641144]
• 2: Ip, H. S., Young, H., and Tang, A. Body Brush: Generating Virtual 3D Painting through Body Motion. SIGGRAPH 2003: Emerging Technologies, 2003.
• 3: Loh, K. A Handbook of Music Theory Grade 6--8, Malaysia: Rhythm MP SDN. BHD., 1993, 3--13.
• 4: Mulder, A., and Fels, S. Sound Sculpting: Manipulating Sound through Virtual Sculpting. In Proceedings of the Western Computer Graphics Symposium, Canada, August 1998, 15--23.
• 5: Diana Young, The Hyperbow controller: real-time dynamics measurement of violin performance, Proceedings of the 2002 conference on New interfaces for musical expression, May 24-26, 2002, Dublin, Ireland

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  D. Software
  D.4 OPERATING SYSTEMS
      D.4.7 Organization and Design
          Subjects: Interactive systems

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.5 Sound and Music Computing

  J. Computer Applications
  J.5 ARTS AND HUMANITIES
      Subjects: Performing arts (e.g., dance, music)

General Terms:
Design, Human Factors, Theory

Keywords:
BodyMusic, automated music composition and generation, human-computer interface, interactive music system