Student Grant Updates: Sounding the interaction of cultures: Orchestration techniques and perceptual effects

Project Updates
Written By Lena Heng & Mengqi Wang

Project Blog | Project Updates | Lena Heng and Mengqi Wang | April 12, 2022

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Sounding the interaction of cultures: Orchestration techniques and perceptual effects

Lena Heng and Mengqi Wang have also been working on their Collaborative Student Grant project, "Sounding the interaction of cultures: Orchestration techniques and perceptual effects." Compositions for a solo Chinese instrument with the Western orchestra require the composer to consider ways in which orchestration techniques might function in different ways. Heng and Wang have completed close reading and aural analysis of two works for the dizi (bamboo transverse flute) with a Western orchestra. 12 Questions on “Heavenward Questions” (2006) by ZHU Shirui, and "Chou Kong Shan" (1992) by GUO Wenjing. Their recent work was presented at the ACTOR-CIRMMT Symposium on March 30.

 
 

Le son de l'interaction des cultures : Techniques d'orchestration et effets perceptifs

Lena Heng et Mengqi Wang ont également travaillé sur leur projet de bourse de collaboration pour étudiants, « Sounding the interaction of cultures : Techniques d'orchestration et effets perceptifs » (Le son de l'interaction des cultures : Technique d'orchestration et effets perceptifs). Les compositions pour un instrument solo chinois avec l'orchestre occidental obligent le compositeur à envisager les différentes façons dont les techniques d'orchestration peuvent fonctionner. Heng et Wang ont effectué une lecture attentive et une analyse auditive de deux œuvres pour le dizi (flûte traversière en bambou) avec un orchestre occidental. 12 Questions sur « Heavenward Questions » (2006) de ZHU Shirui, et Chou Kong Shan (1992) de GUO Wenjing. Leurs travaux récents ont été présentés au Symposium ACTOR-CIRMMT le 30 mars.

Collaborative Student Project Grants: Project Updates

Collaborative Student Project Grants

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Timbral, Textural, and Rhythmic Stratification in Footwork Percussion
Jeremy Tatar & Victor Burton
Timbral, Textural, and Rhythmic Stratification in Footwork Percussion
Jeremy Tatar & Victor Burton

Footwork is a style of electronic dance music that emerged in Chicago in the late 1990s. Originally produced as the accompaniment for a distinctive mode of dance—also called footwork or footworking—Footwork is a highly kinetic genre that thrives in a liminal space of perception.

Jeremy Tatar & Victor Burton
Real-time Timbral Analysis for Musical and Visual Augmentation
Martin Daigle & Gabriel Couturier
Real-time Timbral Analysis for Musical and Visual Augmentation
Martin Daigle & Gabriel Couturier

Our project seeks to explore the capabilities of cutting-edge machine learning (ML) techniques for real-time sound analysis in the context of a new composition. Led by Martin Daigle, Pauline Patie, and Emmanuel Lacopo, the project features software such as Rodrigo Constanzo’s SP-Tools to provide real-time instrumental augmentation for the percussion and guitars. Furthermore, it will be used to control real-time interactive visual projections

Martin Daigle & Gabriel Couturier
Ulezo: Mapping Acoustic Properties to Timbre Descriptors in Zambian Luvale Drum Tuning
Jason Winikoff & Lena Heng
Ulezo: Mapping Acoustic Properties to Timbre Descriptors in Zambian Luvale Drum Tuning
Jason Winikoff & Lena Heng

Amongst Luvale communities in Zambia, drummers tune their instruments by applying ulezo (tuning paste) and heat. In addition to adjusting pitch, this two-step process dramatically impacts timbre. The purposes of this project are to (1) explore the timbral effects of tuning by analyzing audio descriptors generated in the Timbre Toolbox and (2) map these acoustic descriptors onto Luvale timbre descriptors. A data set of individual notes was obtained from field recordings of multiple dance troupes at various stages of the tuning process.

Jason Winikoff & Lena Heng
Timbrenauts: Creative explorations in timbre space
Yuval Adler & Berk Schneider
Timbrenauts: Creative explorations in timbre space
Yuval Adler & Berk Schneider

In this research-creation project we wish to use experimental designs from timbre perception research to generate data models that will inform the creation of new compositions for an atypical instrumental duo. We wish to test whether research methodologies can be adopted for use in perceptually informed orchestration/composition practice.

Yuval Adler & Berk Schneider
Speech as Timbre Models for Orchestration - a Comparative Study Between Cantonese and Québécois French
Darren Xu & Louis-Michel Tougas
Speech as Timbre Models for Orchestration - a Comparative Study Between Cantonese and Québécois French
Darren Xu & Louis-Michel Tougas

This idea arose from the participants seed idea presented during the CORE Ensemble Project 2021-2022. While one was interested in timbral imitation and emergent timbre, the other used the inflections of Cantonese language to derive musical material. The proposed project aims at combining these two ideas into one, using a more science-supported approach this time.

Darren Xu & Louis-Michel Tougas
Sounding the interaction of cultures: Orchestration techniques and perceptual effects
Lena Heng & Mengqi Wang
Sounding the interaction of cultures: Orchestration techniques and perceptual effects
Lena Heng & Mengqi Wang

Compositions for a solo Chinese instrument with the Western orchestra require the composer to consider ways in which orchestration techniques might function in different ways so as to either bring out the solo instrument or to have it blend with the orchestra.

Lena Heng & Mengqi Wang
An investigation of choral blending through soundfield capture, acoustic evaluation, and perceptual analysis methods
Ying-Ying Zhang & Jithin Thilakan
An investigation of choral blending through soundfield capture, acoustic evaluation, and perceptual analysis methods
Ying-Ying Zhang & Jithin Thilakan

By exploring the relationship between spatial distance and choral blend, this project aims to be the initial step in creating a body of research within ACTOR to evaluate choral blend from the perspectives of both singers and listeners.The results of these studies could be compared in order to understand similarities and differences between two types of sectional performers.

Ying-Ying Zhang & Jithin Thilakan
Masque de Fer
Martin Daigle & Gabriel Couturier
Masque de Fer
Martin Daigle & Gabriel Couturier

Our research-creation project aims to integrate acoustic drums and various electronics in a semi-structured unconventional composition process. The bottom-up approach will allow both parties to be curious and create a novel piece featuring new timbres and new orchestration applications for the drum kit with electronics. The tools used for this research creation are standard drum kit, microphones, percussion sampling pads, and computer with Max MSP.

Martin Daigle & Gabriel Couturier
Lena Heng & Mengqi Wang
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Student Grant Updates: An investigation of choral blending through soundfield capture, acoustic evaluation, and perceptual analysis methods
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