Musical Musings from Bibliography Project

One of my favorite activities in my mind is to think of possibilities for different things.  I'm not great at figuring out how to make possibilities into reality, but that's okay; it's an area I know I need to grow in.  We recently did an annotated bibliography for our course and all of my sources dealt with music and VR.  

Let me tell you, there's not much out there.

Compared to other disciplines, anyway.

And that's frustrating in some ways, but really exciting in other ways (because that means there's a whole lot of untapped potential out there)!  One of the articles I read talked about using headgear to help conductors gain experience in ensemble conducting.  During conducting classes in undergrad, there is a limit on how much "stick time" a student gets with the ensemble.  Practicing in front of a mirror or in front of only a few musicians does not really prepare you for standing in front of 45-60 people and conducting a piece of music.  You need to give cues to different sections and provide direction for a variety of musical elements (dynamics, tempo, style, etc.), all without having your head buried in the score.  One of the biggest things every student conductor must work on is giving appropriate eye contact.  This particular study had the students wear headgear that could track their eye movements and they were able to practice conducting a virtual ensemble with educational cues in the environment.  For example, at the time the clarinets entered the music, a red box would pop up, directing the student to look in that direction to give a cue.  The headgear was programmed in such a way to track at what time the student looked in the direction of the clarinets and was able to provide feedback on whether or not the student looked at the section at the right time.  

Studies like this are useful, but I don't find the results to be compelling because no one is testing on a larger scale.  Several of the sources I found had great ideas but only sampled a few students.  One particular study sampled only four students and they were all women ages 21-30.  This is a good reminder for me to try to widen my test groups if I end up doing research in any of these areas.  The results do lead us to more studies; however, and that's where I think this particular study on VRLE's and conductors shines.  It shows where the research can go and opens up a world of possibilities for musicians and music educators.  My perception of music education in general (regarding VR or any online tech for that matter) is that most folks think it can't be done or it's too hard to do, so very few want to explore it.  I'm ready to push through that way of thinking and challenge musicians to see a world, albeit a virtual one, full of opportunities.

Cool links (will try to keep adding to this or create a different post):

Virtual Learning Environments for Conductors

https://doi.org/10.1177/1057083717697962

Conducting a Virtual Orchestra

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.73.3108&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Gamification and Music History (for 9-11 year olds)

http://edure.org/EduReJournalVol1N1/EduRe_V1_I1_P1.pdf

Music Therapy and Avatars

doi:10.15845/voices.v14il.722

Simulating Performance and Audition Experiences

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00025

Virtual World helps Performance Anxiety

https://www-sciandmed-com.eres.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/mppa/journalviewer.aspx?issue=1210&article=2113&action=1

Google Glass could replace Sheet Music

https://www.theverge.com/2013/10/27/5034818/cornell-professor-cynthia-turner-mixes-google-glass-and-classical-music

First Music Composition Performed with Google Glass

https://www.music.uga.edu/news-and-events/first-music-composition-performed-google-glass-premiere-nov-12

Conductrix is Guitar Hero for Conductors

https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/9a3ab7/conductrix-is-like-guitar-hero-for-conducting

The Abstract French Horn

Well, it's really starting to feel more intuitive creating items in OpenSim.  We created several items together as a class, including a URL (mine linked to a body percussion video on YouTube) and a slide show.  We were then given creative freedom to build anything we wanted for twenty minutes.

This activity was so much fun!  It allowed me to have a time constraint, so I had to be conscientious of how intricate (or not) my item would be.  I decided to make a French Horn since every time I open the build box, I see the cone and it reminds me of my horn bell.  I was able to make an abstract version and it looked pretty neat, despite my limited building abilities in the virtual world.  This experience allowed me to gain more confidence; I can successfully experiment with building items without fear or feeling like I need to have a jobaid to build something worthwhile.


We also discussed our final project and got to take a walk through a gorgeous project on Hawaiian language. This all got me thinking about collaboration...not with my upcoming project, but in regards to collaboration between disciplines in higher education.  Most of my research for utilizing VR has been music oriented.  One article I found talked about having students perform on stage using pre-recorded distractions to mimic an authentic performance or audience environment.  This is something I think is really needed in the music community, and I've blogged about it before.  If various stages could be built in a virtual environment, performers could gain experience in different settings.  This takes time and lots of work.  I wonder how often different departments collaborate with each other for things like this?  For example, acoustical engineering students could use a virtual world to design a theater or mimic the design of pre-existing theaters.  Then the music students could use those designs as their performance environment.

Random Thoughts on VR Education and Music Auditions

This week, our class readings stimulated a lot of conversations at home about learning in the virtual world.  My husband and I are both musicians, and so I use him as a sounding board a lot of times to hash out my ideas.  We were just discussing how a virtual world can offer safe havens for performance anxiety because you can "hide" behind your avatar.  You don't need to worry about what your outfit looks like or if you are sweating, no need to hide shaking hands or worry if your gender matters to the listener.  I can't tell you how many times I have been told that I need to play my horn more like a man, or that the listener can tell I'm a woman from how I play.  It would be interesting to test that theory out behind a gender neutral, non-human or opposite gender avatar to see if visual cues make a difference to the listening ear.  We talked about how a student could make several recordings that people could listen to and wondered what it would sound like to perform through the microphone live on SL.

My husband and I also talked about the "cool factor,"  i.e. Someone who has a striking appearance or personality is sometimes deemed to be better at their craft than the shy or "non-attractive" person based on criteria that has nothing to do with the crafter's ability.  I am so intrigued now by this possibility to reduce bias in learning environments. 

Having a certain amount of anonymity might improve the boldness in a timid performer...or any performer for that matter.

I used to perform professionally on the French horn.  I took several auditions for groups I desperately wanted to perform with, but each time, my nerves got the best of me and I was never able to perform at my personal best.  The best way to get over performance anxiety is to practice taking auditions, but practicing in front of others never really impacted me in the same way as the real life audition.  I keep wondering if a virtual world can be utilized to practice performance anxiety.  Different stages or rooms could be used to mimic the environment, and actual listeners could enter and provide feedback on your playing.  Holding competitions for excerpts in a virtual environment could increase the anxious feeling.  

I imagine developing something where your avatar is invited into the excerpt competition several months prior to the competition.  You receive a list, just like you would in an audition.  Your avatar arrives the day of the competition in the virtual environment and has to get a number, just like an actual audition and wait around for your turn to come around.  There are real people listening and providing feedback (and awarding a prize or two).  It could even be divided into rounds like an actual audition.  There has to be some sort of incentive and investment to mimic the anxiety the performer feels.  These types of events could be used in different college music studios to encourage auditioning and practice it without the students having to pay a fee to travel to real life auditions.  I welcome any thoughts about this.  Maybe this can eventually turn into my Master's final project...it's something I think would be welcomed within the music community, anyway (if it's successful).

Second Life Discoveries: Week Two and the Scavenger Hunt

Second Life Thought for the Week:  Learning through play is an excellent way to engage in course material.

This week in Second Life, we had to participate in a Scavenger Hunt by visiting various Sims and learn how to teleport and locate various objects by exploring our surroundings.  The assignment said we should plan on spending at least an hour on this activity.  I had quite a bit of fun with this assignment, and spent a great deal of time exploring.  In this assignment, we had to take screen shots of ourselves to prove we had been to certain areas (just like in a real life scavenger hunt).  While some of the areas listed as options were no longer activated, there was enough to do to gain a really great appreciation for the various ways Second Life can be used.

As I visited places, I really tried to be immersed in the environment.  I tried to feel like I was the Second Life character and behave as I would in real life (minus flying and riding on top of crocodiles).  I imagined the screen shots as taking photos and sending them as postcards to friends with blips about the adventures I had.  I submitted the assignment in this style.  In real life, I would need to dress appropriately for each place I visited, so I made sure that I was wearing long sleeves in cold places at night, cooler clothing for hot climates, and modest clothing for visiting places like a cathedral.  While these things weren't suggested in my assignment, it allowed me to better appreciate my environments.  Because I am so interested in applying what I'm learning to future courses, I want the full experience of what is available to me.

I have to remark upon three experiences I had while visiting different environments.  First, I really wanted to experience roller coasters in Second Life, but the destination suggested was no longer active.  So, I hunted around until I found something I thought was suitable.  I actually had to do a few actions (sit in the roller coaster, type in the chat bar to start the roller coaster) in order to ride.  I thought it was broken at first because I was paused at the top, until I realized that the roller coaster car was getting ready to shoot straight down in order to have enough momentum to go around the entire ride.  It was pretty neat!  I wonder how long it took to design?!

Second, Paris 1900 (one of our scavenger destinations) was by far my very favorite.  I loved the feeling I got when my character walked into the Notre Dame Cathedral.  Everything about it, from its vastness from my character's perspective to the stained glass windows, made me feel like I was actually there.  I decided to fly up to gain a better perspective, something I can't do in real life but enhances my learning experience in the virtual environment.  While I was floating in the air, something caught my eye...the organ!!!!!  My initial reaction was, "Wow, they even thought to put in the organ.  How genius!"And then, I realized that I could sit at the organ.  "Ha!" I thought. "This will make a great picture."

  Then...wait for it...I could actually play the organ.  When I did, a choir started to sing along.  It's amazing how I actually felt joy inside a virtual world.  I was elated by my discovery and the wheels in my mind just about went crazy thinking about all of the ways I could use music in SL.  I wish I could adequately convey my feelings about this discovery; let's just say I was jumping up and down with excitement like a child on Christmas day.

Third, I had a clothing malfunction in the castle at Avilion Grove.  I tried to mix and match some formal wear that was available for free.  When I tried to swap off the top, my character ended up topless for a good five minutes while my husband and I cracked up trying to figure out how to put a new shirt on her.  While content like this doesn't bother me, I could see some parents being worried about how their teens will use the Sims.  It'll be interesting to see what types of parental controls are available (if any) or if schools have the ability to create an environment that all parents would feel comfortable allowing their child to participate.  I know from experience (regardless of whether or not it's right or wrong or being overprotective) that my parents, who are very strict in their media allowances, would have had a problem with me or my siblings using this game when we were young.    Just as a side note, there were instruments to play in Avilion Grove, as well.  You could sit at the piano as the performer, or you could choose to stand as the vocal performer.  You could also play the harp.  Each instrument had options of which song you could play.  Pretty neat!

I had so much fun playing and learning this week.  I cannot wait to see how we are able to push into these virtual environments to provide amazing learning experiences for students.

Second Life Discoveries: Week One

Week 1 and what I've discovered: Second Life has quite the learning curve.

Log in 1:

Well, I logged into Second Life the night before our class was supposed to work so I could get a little handle on how to move around and pick my character out.  Boy, is it different than playing the video games I'm accustomed to.  I picked the only geeky looking brunette I could find so she'd at least look somewhat like me.  While I poked around, I figured out that I could really customize my character, but I could not, for the life of me, figure out how to change the outfit or add more clothes to my inventory.  I'm currently wearing a skirt and jeans and it looks ridiculous.  

Log in 2: 

I decided to scrap my attempt at altering my character and went back to the original.  For some reason, I now have three different folders of the same character and I can't figure out how to delete them.  Looks like I need to spend some more time watching the tutorials and poking around.

Log in 3:  

Okay, I cannot use Second Life on my laptop.  It's just not functioning quickly enough.  I need an upgrade for my laptop, but I actually need to save up some money to get the one I want, but I digress.  I installed Second Life on my husband's gaming computer and things are working so much better now.  I can actually walk around without freezing and the clothing modification isn't being so ridiculous...though, I still cannot figure out how to add clothes to my inventory.  I finally figured out how to walk using my wasd keys, but I wish there was an easy way to change the camera angle (There probably is, but I've not found it yet).  I guess you can't jump, either.  I was kind of expecting this whole thing to be an educational version of World of Warcraft (shadow priest ftw).  I'm really worried that using this with a group of high school students may take too much time to teach them how to use.  Maybe they will be more tech savvy than me.

Log in 4:  

I feel like I can navigate in Second Life well enough now that I won't be completely lost in class.  While the tutorials were helpful, it was easier to just make mistakes in the program and learn from them.  I figured out how to save destinations and found our COE location.  I saved it to make it easier to find from now on.  I also figured out how to search for places and did a random tutorial in a learning environment that had me follow different paths and do various tasks.  This was super helpful, and I feel like I'm at least getting the hang of things.  Thank goodness for flying or it would take forever to find anything.

Class Log in:  

I am so glad that I spent time before class snooping around and figuring out how to navigate.  I felt like I could at least keep up and I was even able to put items on without a lot of trouble.  I'm excited to participate in the scavenger hunt assignment next week, and it should be very beneficial to learning how to get around this virtual world.