Suspended Circles: Soma Designing a Musical Instrument

Title of the Paper

Suspended Circles: Soma Designing a Musical Instrument

Paper Information

• Field of Study: Human-Computer Interaction Design and Music Technology
• Keywords: Music and Movement Interaction, Digital Musical Instruments (DMIs), Dalcroze Eurhythmics, Soma Design, First-Person Perspective

Research Background and Problem

• What problems or challenges did the authors identify?

  • The design of Digital Musical Instruments (DMIs) increasingly focuses on body- and movement-centered interaction, but challenges remain in effectively integrating bodily experience with musical interaction.
  • The form and sonic characteristics of an instrument directly influence how musicians interact with it, yet many current digital instrument designs may fail to fully consider the role of bodily experience in constructing musical meaning.
  • Existing interaction design methods or research in music technology lack in-depth exploration of the integration of music and movement, as well as a design perspective based on first-person bodily experience.

• Why is this problem important?

  • Music is inherently related to the body and movement. In-depth research and practice on how musical meaning can be constructed through bodily perception and interaction can expand the applications of music technology and deepen our understanding of the integration between the human body and technology.
  • Designing based on bodily experience not only enhances the experience of using instruments but also brings new insights and methodologies to the field of interaction design.

• Research Motivation and Related Work

  • The authors drew on the concepts of embodied phenomenology and Dalcroze Eurhythmics to conduct a design exploration centered on the idea of "music as movement."
  • By integrating body-centered design theories (e.g., soma design methods) and starting from first-person bodily experience, they attempted to design a large-scale digital musical instrument.

Solution

• What methods or solutions did the authors propose?

  • The authors proposed and implemented a soma design method to create a digital musical instrument called "Suspended Circles," which centers on the interaction between music and movement.
  • Through training in Dalcroze Eurhythmics, the designers sensitized their own bodily experiences, using these experiences to generate experiential qualities (e.g., rhythm and repetition) that guided the instrument's design.

• What is innovative about this solution?

  • The combination of embodied music cognition theories with soma design represents a novel approach to exploring the deep relationship between music and movement through design.
  • Using Dalcroze Eurhythmics as a tool for exploring musical perception and movement practice introduces a new perspective to the field of interaction design.
  • Emphasizing experiential reflection from a first-person perspective ensures that the design originates from intrinsic bodily sensitivity.

• What are the implementation steps and key technologies used?

  1. Bodily Sensitization: The authors participated in Dalcroze Eurhythmics courses and flute training to develop design inspiration and experiential qualities (e.g., rhythm and repetition).
  2. Material Exploration: Low-fidelity prototypes were created using a mix of conductive and non-conductive materials, such as sponges and conductive wires, combined with gait interaction tests to explore the tactile and movement experiences of the materials.
  3. Sensor Design and Sound Mapping: Conductive materials were integrated with Bela boards and Pure Data for audio processing, exploring the interaction between touch and sound.
  4. Instrument Construction: The "Suspended Circles" instrument was designed and built, featuring suspended wooden rings covered with conductive materials to create tactile sound interactions.
  5. User Testing: Two groups of musicians (those with Dalcroze training and those with other musical backgrounds) were invited to interact with the instrument, and their behaviors and feedback were recorded.

Research Outcomes

• What specific outcomes were achieved?

  • The "Suspended Circles" instrument was successfully designed and built, enabling deep interaction between the body and movement in a large-scale digital musical instrument.
  • Experimental observations revealed two distinct interaction styles: participants with Dalcroze backgrounds focused on bodily movements, creating ritualistic interactions, while those without Dalcroze backgrounds focused on sound exploration, using bodily bending to layer sounds through interaction with the instrument.
  • The instrument facilitated diverse environments for constructing musical meaning, ranging from a focus on the body to a focus on sound, inspiring interaction and creative experiences.

• What advantages does it have compared to existing solutions?

  • The integration of spatial presence and bodily interaction transforms the instrument from merely a tool into a dynamic object that extends sensitivity to music and movement.
  • The large-scale interface design supports full-body engagement and multi-scale interaction, from fine motor skills to expansive movements.
  • The highly reflective design process ensures strong experiential coherence in the instrument's design.

• What were the experimental or evaluation results?

  • Participants with Dalcroze backgrounds primarily focused on bodily and emotional expression, perceiving the instrument as a ritualistic object, while non-Dalcroze participants focused on sound exploration, adapting their bodies to the instrument.
  • The experiment revealed secondary alignment between interaction styles and participants' musical backgrounds.

• Limitations and Future Directions

  • The experimental nature of the instrument's design limits its adaptability for long-term use, requiring further development to meet the needs of everyday musical practice.
  • Future directions include improving the instrument's stability and maintainability, exploring systematic adoption in daily music education, and expanding its adaptability to different musical training backgrounds and cultural contexts.