Emotive Motion: analysis of expressive timing and body movement in the performance of an expert violinist
John Stoecker
Matt Wright
Sheena Chandran
Overview:
Goals/Hypotheses Data Collection Data Analysis Anticipated Results
Goals observe the variation of joint kinematics using
the common violin bowing techniques legato Marcato Spiccato Ricochet pizzicato
Goals (cont.)
use sonification to show how timing of violinist’s motion corresponds to the temporal evolution of the music
Background: Timing and Tempo Each note has a duration A beat is when you’d tap your foot Tempo is the rate of beats (“beats per minute”) A tempo curve is the tempo as a function of time
speeding up and slowing down Deviation: note slightly earlier or later than
expected Expressive timing: tempo curves, deviation,
etc., are important elements of musical expression
Hypothesis One
The greater the magnitude of the “expression” (the greater a section’s deviation from the metronomic standard), the larger the non-musical body movement
Hypothesis Two
The periodicity of various body parts will relate to the periodicity of differing levels of the music (such as note, beat, measure, phrase, and section)
Data collection Using:
An 8 camera 3-D motion capture system
A force plate A gazillion reflective
markers (thanks, Erin!)
A famous violinist A pair of hot shorts
Data collection (cont.) We gathered force
plate and motion capture data of: Bowing techniques 8 performances of
J.S. Bach’s Chaconne (the fourth and final movement of Bach’s second Partita)
Data collection (cont.) Emotions:
Normal Angry Trepidation Mournful Playful Searching No Emotion Least Motion
Performance Video In this clip you will
see Barry Shiffman, the second violinist for the St. Lawrence String Quartet perform an excerpt of J.S. Bach’s Chaconne joyfully.
QuickTime™ and aDV/DVCPRO - NTSC decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Data Analysis
Programs Used:
Matlab
Audacity
PureData
MaxMSP
From Note Duration to Tempo Note “duration” = time between this note’s
beginning and the next note’s beginning. (“Inter-onset interval”)
If every eighth note is 400ms, then in a minute there would be 60 sec / 0.4 sec = 150 eighth notes.
This means 75 BPM (since an eighth note is half of a beat)
Results and Sonification
Hypothesis One: the greater a section’s deviation from the metronomic standard, the larger the non-musical body movement
Hypothesis Two: the periodicity of various body parts will relate to the periodicity if differing time levels of the music (such as note, beat, measure, and phrase)
Acknowledgments
Prof. Jonathan Berger
Erin Butler
Sarah Emerson
Dr. Amy Ladd
Jonathan Norton
Dr. Jessica Rose Agramonte
Barry Shiffman
Kingsley Willis
Any Questions?