Frontiers in Musical Interactive System Design & Aesthetics

Though it has been claimed that “Musical interface construction proceeds as more art than science, and possibly this is the only way that it can be done” (Cook 2001), the role of engineering in interface design and construction is equally major, albeit sometimes neglected (Medeiros & Wanderley 2014). Given the unique physical and cognitive requirements of musical performances, it is essential that performers have access to responsive and reliable interfaces, many times including innovative engineering solutions (Hollinger & Wanderley, 2015).

In this talk I will discuss ways to address these complementary claims, building upon several examples of musical interfaces developed at the IDMIL, McGill University, including tools to help prototype musical interfaces (Malloch et al. 2014; Calegario et al. 2017).  

Dr. Marcelo M. Wanderley runs the Input Devices and Musical Interaction Laboratory (IDMIL) at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology (CIRMMT) at McGill University. He is also a researcher at INRIA Lille, which is the Institut National de Recherche en informative automatique, a European center specializing in human computer interaction.