Felt design : inclusive practices for movement-based musical instruments

The expression of the moving body not only exists in music interaction and performance but also diversifies the practice of music-making. The majority of instrumental practice centers around the hearing culture, limiting communities with diverse abilities to access music creativity and performance. However, integrating body movements and kinesthetic expression increases inclusion and participation beyond the hearing culture. In this thesis, we incorporate wearable interfaces into digital musical instrument design to develop more inclusive instrumental practice and to create opportunities for bodily felt experiences through movement-based interactions. This research practice considers designing for, and from, the felt experience of the moving body in musical interaction. We refer to body-centric design methodologies from movement-based interaction and somaesthetics by applying these practices into the design of two movement-based musical instruments and one wearable vibrotactile interface. The thesis addresses the research questions about techniques to develop design practices for new musical instruments that highlight the felt and subjective experience of the moving body. The first project delves into an unexplored area in gestural interaction between nuanced musical interactions and expressive full-body movements by developing Bodyharp. The instrument provides an extensive opportunity to investigate the relationship between dance- and music-related movements, the performer roles of a musician and a mover, and the agency between an instrument and a body. It also emerges inclusive applications of movement-based design in music. In the second project, we create inclusive listening and performance contexts for increased accessibility and diversity across abilities. Felt Sound creates a listening experience for d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) as well as hearing communities through shared performance experiences. We develop Touch, Listen, (Re)Act to bring this instrument into a co-design and performative setting to collaborate with a Deaf dancer, resulting in a shared language and mapping across music, movement, sign, and dance expressions. This research contributes to the fields of embodied HCI, music interaction, and movement-based design. First, we present the design framework and principles of Borrowed Gestures by studying the unexplored area between nuanced music-related gestures and larger dance-like body movements, rethinking the musical instrument as an extension of the body. We further develop a series of new digital musical instruments from body-based interfaces and physical laptop instruments to accessible, tangible, and tactile interfaces. Not only the design practice but also the co-design studies behind these musical instruments show their inclusive applications in working with diverse hearing communities. These efforts toward designing for social accessibility unfold some of the important practices that increase the active participation of DHH artists in music.

Keywords: Humanities and Sciences.
Music.
Advisor: Chafe Chris
Wang Ge
Alessandrini Patricia
Serafin Stefania