Collaborative Musical Expression Through Interactive VR Scores

David Kim-Boyle

Image credit: David Kim-Boyle

• Format: oral
• Session: papers-9
• Paper PDF link
• Presence: in person
• Duration: 15
• Type: long

Abstract:

While the technical affordances of virtual reality (VR) have pro- vided new ways for artists to aestheticize immersion, spectator agency, embodiment and multi-sensory engagement, they have also opened new possibilities for composers interested in ex- ploring how interactive musical scores might become a means through which collaboration itself becomes the locus of aesthetic expression. In this paper, the author will provide an overview of an ongoing project which explores new ways of thinking about musical collaboration in VR through the 3D visualization of interactive, graphic scores adapted from works by composers Earle Brown, Christian Wolff, and Toru Takemitsu. The research demonstrates how VR can transform traditional score interpreta- tion by creating dynamic, interactive environments that enable collaborative musical expression, challenge conventional nota- tion, and offer novel ways of negotiating musical performance through networked, multi-user interactions.