Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Extended instruments'

Technology plays a vital role in the creation of any form of art. In music this has been dominated by a stationary condition in which contemporary ‘academic music’ (new music created in institutions and descending from traditional European models) is in its majority still generated exclusively by a technology of more than a century ago. Additionally, the totality of sound as musical material is now commonly acknowledged, posing problems about the nature and efficiency of the already existing musical instruments and the development of new ones. The current situation in the creation of contemporary music offers a myriad of possibilities in which tools, controllers and instruments have an impact on the creation and conceptualization of music, giving rise to different aesthetic positions and creating new dilemmas in which present, past and future are in constant assessment. This thesis seeks to examine some of the concepts and ideas behind a number of my works in which instrumental sound exploration is essential for the development of the compositional process. As a result, a series of questions, systems and techniques are analyzed, investigating the relation between tools, technique, notation, composition and musical result. This text is intended as an illustration of my own choices and methods, hoping to offer an insight into my own compositional practice as a product of an exercise of self-analysis and rationalization of my current musical output.

This research dissertation presents work undertaken to develop new performance techniques and mappings for the expressive control of spatial motion using Ambisonic projection. The dissertation reviews relevant research from the fields of Spatial Sound and Extended Instruments, and establishes playability as a useful set of criteria for a reflexive project methodology and evaluation. This reflexive research systematically investigates Trevor Wishart’s taxonomy of spatial motions through the development of new hardware, software, performance techniques and spatial motion analysis.

This doctoral research explores the benefits of the Kingma System as applied to the alto and bass flute. It demonstrates each instrument's potential for the use of extended techniques and the way in which these techniques are applied to the repertoire. The research takes places within the context of my own personal practice as a recitalist and chamber musician, and is represented through recordings of a selection of the repertoire and a website for each instrument, as well as a written commentary. The discussion of repertoire focuses on case studies selected from over 75 works composed for me using these Kingma System instruments. These case studies are presented through recordings, as well as in a detailed discussion of the use of specific aspects of the instruments' capabilities, including multiphonics, microtonality, alternate fingerings, tone colour, articulation and other extended techniques. The approaches of different composers regarding the notation of these techniques within the repertoire are also explored, and the practical information arising from these case studies is presented as a reference guide for composers and performers in website form. These websites can be found at www.altoflute.co.uk and www.bassflute.co.uk, and include multimedia demonstrations, fingering charts and notational examples. Much of this information is being made available for the first time, and includes the most extensive published selection of multiphonics and trill fingerings for the alto and bass flute. This is also the first survey of extended techniques that is specifically dedicated to instruments enabled by the Kingma System.

This thesis presents practical research into sound production on instruments, working collaboratively with players, in order to build an understanding of the sounds available. I have explored the way in which instrumental technique can be extended in such a way as to function as the basis for musical material. The function of ‘figuration’ has also be brought into question, by employing seemingly primitive, residual material pushed to such a degree that it is possible to hear what happens underneath a gesture. Research in this area has been conducted by, among others, Helmut Lachenmann and Rebecca Saunders; I am drawn to the way their work highlights the tangible quality of sound. The exploration of the physicality of sound production inevitably encounters the problem that the finished work becomes a catalogue of extended techniques. My research has drawn on the work of these composers and has attempted to resolve this problem by exploring the way in which texture can suggest ‘line’ and the structural implications of sculpting self-referential material through angular and polarized divisions. This facilitates a Braille-like reading of a sound’s progress by foregrounding a non-thematic sound-surface of resonance and decay. This takes a positive and active approach to the problems of musical language, by questioning the functions and expectations put upon music. The possible solutions have been worked through in a series of works for mixed chamber ensembles, in order to investigate the palette possibilities of fusing instruments in intimate settings.

Dans cette thèse un système de synthèse sonore imitative sera présenté, applicable à la plupart des instruments de quasi-harmoniques. Le système se base sur les enregistrements d’une note unique qui représentent une version quantifiée de l'espace de timbre possible d'un instrument par rapport à sa hauteur et son intensité. Une méthode de transformation permet alors de générer des signaux sonores de valeurs continues des paramètres de contrôle d'expression qui sont perceptuellement cohérent avec ses équivalents acoustiques. Un modèle paramétrique de l'instrument se présente donc basé sur un modèle de filtre de source étendu avec des manipulations distinctes sur les harmoniques d’un signal et ses composantes résiduelles. Une procédure d'évaluation subjective sera présentée afin d’évaluer une variété de résultats de transformation par une comparaison directe avec des enregistrements non modifiés, afin de comparer la perception entre les résultats synthétiques et leurs équivalents acoustiques
Within this thesis an imitative sound synthesis system will be introduced that is applicable to most quasi-harmonic instruments. The system bases upon single-note recordings that represent a quantized version of an instrument's possible timbre space with respect to its pitch and intensity dimension. A transformation method then allows to render sound signals with continuous values of the expressive control parameters which are perceptually coherent with its acoustic equivalents. A parametric instrument model is therefore presented based on an extended source-filter model with separate manipulations of a signal’s harmonic and residual components. A subjective evaluation procedure will be shown to assess a variety of transformation results by a direct comparison with unmodified recordings to determine how perceptually close the synthesis results are regarding their respective acoustic correlates

A substantial body of research points to the benefits of fitting hearing instruments that provides extended high frequency amplification. Most published research were done on adults or in controlled laboratory settings. It is therefore necessary for peadiatric audiologists to critically assess the effects that this extended high frequency amplification has on the individual child fitted with hearing instruments. A quantitative research method was selected to explore the possible correlations between extended high frequency amplification and the influence this extended high frequency amplification has on speech recognition and functional performance in children with mild to severe sensory neural hearing loss. A quasiexperimental design was selected. This design accommodated a one-group (single-system) pre-test versus post-test design. Baseline assessments were done and all participants were subjected to pre- and post-intervention assessments. Six participants were fitted with hearing instruments which provided extended high frequency amplification. A baseline assessment was done with current hearing instruments after which participants were assessed with the hearing instruments with extended high frequency amplification. Aided audiological assessments were done without the extended high frequencies after which participants were evaluated with the added high frequencies. Speech recognition testing and functional performance questionnaires were used to compare the outcomes obtained with and without the extended high frequency amplification. A t-test was used for hypothesis testing to determine if extended range amplification increased speech recognition abilities and functional performance, and if these increases were statistically significant. Results were varied where some participants performed better and some performed worse with the added extended range amplification during speech recognition testing and functional performances observed at home. These varied results were statistically insignificant. However, statistically significant evidence was obtained to indicate that extended high frequency amplification increased the functional performance observed at school. The study concluded that the paediatric audiologist should know the effect fitting hearing instruments capable of extended high frequency amplification have on speech recognition abilities and functional performances. Fitting hearing instruments with extended high frequency amplification should however be done with caution because not all children benefited from extended bandwidth amplification. This underlines the importance of following a strict evidence-based approach that incorporates objective and subjective assessment approaches. This will provide the paediatric audiologist with real world evidence of the success of the amplification strategy that is followed.
Dissertation (MCommunication Pathology)--University of Pretoria, 2012.
Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
Unrestricted

Arnold Schoenberg's String Quartet No. 1, Op. 7 stands out as being the first chamber music piece to use a vast number and variety of extended string techniques within one composition. This paper examines a brief history of extended string techniques in chamber music, analyses the unique ways in which Schoenberg applied extended string techniques to manipulate motives in his Op. 7 quartet, and ultimately shows that Schoenberg's use of extended string techniques influenced future composers to employ even more extended techniques and special effects in their own twentieth-century chamber music.

This thesis presents a recording of seven jazz compositions as performed in the author’s Master’s Recital on March 24, 2012. One of the compositions is my own, and four others are my own arrangements. The present paper includes scores of the original compositions and arrangements as well as program notes that offer historical background, summaries of the form, and observations on performance practice for each selection. I have sought to explore systematically explore the multiple roles of the double bass as a functional, supportive, and melodic instrument in a jazz piano trio. The seven compositions present the full range of challenges the double bassist must face in a small group setting. I explore different approaches and musical concepts that enable a high level of improvised music performance, without disregarding its ties to tradition.

Trataremos de posturas composicionais e interpretativas que abordam a questão da fisicalidade presente na atuação instrumental, em situações nas quais as potencialidades do conjunto executante - instrumento são levadas a situações limite. Isso se dará levando-se em consideração as seguintes variáveis: características intrínsecas do instrumento; interação do intérprete com o instrumento; elementos mecânicos de interferência nessa relação. Serão abordadas, especialmente, obras dos compositores Helmut Lachenmann, Iannis Xenakis, Brian Ferneyhough, Aaron Cassidy e Simon Steen-Andersen. Também será abordada a produção artística do autor do trabalho.
In this work we deal with music, both from the composition as well as from the performance viewpoints, in which the potentials of the relationship between performer and musical instrument are taken to limit situations. This is done with an analysis of the following elements: specific and intrinsic characteristics of an instrument; interaction between performer and instrument; mechanical elements of interference in this relationship. We will approach, specially, works of Helmut Lachenmann, Iannis Xenakis, Brian Ferneyhough, Aaron Cassidy and Simon Steen-Andersen. Recent musical pieces of the author of this work will also be mentioned.

INTRODUCTION: Clinical guidelines, as products of research, are increasingly used to raise the quality of care delivery in acute hospital NHS Trusts. However, their use is impeded by many organizational and individual barriers and understanding of psychological barriers is underexplored. This study aimed to explore ‘intention’ as a psychological explanation of health professionals’ research utilisation behaviour using an extended Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) social cognitive model. METHODOLOGY: The ‘care round checklist’ was identified, in collaboration with practice partners, as a suitable guideline behaviour to evaluate. A theory-driven questionnaire was developed and utilized to measure nurses’ and Health Care Assistants’ (HCAs’) intentions. Inferential statistical tests were used to establish differences in nurses’ and HCAs’ intentional behaviour and the predictive value of the TPB model. RESULTS 270 questionnaires were returned from 24 wards. The TPB model explained a modest level of intention; 20% of nurses’ and 24% of HCAs’ care round intentions. Nurses’ attitudes and perceived control best predicted intentions, whilst HCAs’ intentions were predicted by attitude and practice habit. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The TPB model lacked sophistication to sufficiently explain intentional guideline behaviour, within a complex guideline behaviour, though role differences were significant. Further variables could add to the predictive value of intention. Future work should acknowledge limitations in the TPB model in explaining intention. Clinically, role differences should be recognized in the future implementation of care rounds.

Detta arbete visar en möjlig väg för skapandet av en utökad norm/lagprövning genom att öka lagrådets befogenheter samt självständighet, där den lagstiftande församlingen samt den dömande och uttolkande myndigheten får en tydligare gräns än tidigare, där lagprövning står i fokus. Detta görs utifrån svensk rättstradition, där tidigare lagar omarbetats samt omplacerats utifrån traditionell rättsutredning. Lagrådet har givits en egen personalbudget vilket tidigare låg under Högsta domstolen samt ett eget kapitel i Kungörelse (1974:152) om beslutad ny regeringsform - RF. Lagrådets befogenheter och sammansättning har utökats samt deras tillsättning har överförts från politisk tillsättning till domarnämnden vilket omfattas av flera grupper från samhället, inte bara av politiker. Dessa sammanlagda åtgärder ger ett ökat tryck på parter att göra rätt från början i ett lagarbete, men det ger också möjlighet till att i efterhand granska och omarbeta fel som visat sig på vägen i ett konkret arbete. Detta systematiska sätt att arbeta ger en ökad öppenhet samt rättssäkerhet kring lagskapande och granskande arbete på ett ekonomiskt fördelaktigt sätt.
This work shows a possible path for the inception of an expanded norm / law review by increasing the powers for Council of law and its independence, where the legislative government and the judging law reviewing parts will have a clearer boundary than before, where legal reviewing is in focus. This is done on the basis of Swedish legal tradition, where previous laws have been revised and repositioned based on traditional legal reviewing method. The law council has been given its own staff budget, which was previously under the Supreme Court, and it has been given a separate chapter in The (1974:152) Instrument of government- RF. The council's powers and composition have been expanding and their appointment has been transferred from political appointment to the judicial committee, which is covered by several groups from society, not just by politicians. These aggregated measures give a total increase in pressure on parties to do right from the start, but also give the opportunity to retrospectively review and rework errors that have proven themselves in court’s rulings. This systematic way of working provides increased transparency and legal certainty of reviewing and creating of new law in a positive economic way.

Ontarians are producing more waste per capita than previous generations and consuming more bottled water. Using the product policy quadrangle developed by Oosternhuis (1996), the research examines four components of Ontario bottled water packaging policy— policy objectives, policy instruments, product groups and actors. Interviews with Ontario experts reveal stakeholder communication and Extended Producer Responsibility can promote packaging minimization. There was no agreement about whether Ontario has a waste policy framework to support bottled water waste reduction, reuse and recycling. Stakeholders did agree that a policy framework can help to promote packaging minimization. The discussion will examine the following: various concepts to support zero waste, eco-labelling, policy objectives, enforcement, use of language, focus on financial obligations, deposit-return systems, refillable containers, bottle standardization, waste minimization, how waste is measured, an evaluation of the waste hierarchy, reporting waste reduction and reuse, learning from history and alternative methods of encouraging the consumption of municipal water. The research recommends these changes be implemented with the development of the new Waste Diversion Act. The research recommends that Ontario implement Integrated Product Policy and Extended Producer Responsibility to support packaging minimization.

Integrating state-of-the-art sensory and display technologies with 3D computer graphics, extended reality (XR) affords capabilities to create enhanced human experiences by merging virtual elements with the real world. To better understand how Sound and Music Computing (SMC) can benefit from the capabilities of XR, this thesis presents novel research on the de- sign of musical experiences in extended reality (MusE-XR). Integrating XR with research on computer assisted musical instrument tutoring (CAMIT) as well as New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME), I explore the MusE-XR design space to contribute to a better understanding of the capabilities of XR for SMC. The first area of focus in this thesis is the application of XR technologies to CAMIT enabling extended reality enhanced musical instrument learning (XREMIL). A common approach in CAMIT is the automatic assessment of musical performance. Generally, these systems focus on the aural quality of the performance, but emerging XR related sensory technologies afford the development of systems to assess playing technique. Employing these technologies, the first contribution in this thesis is a CAMIT system for the automatic assessment of pianist hand posture using depth data. Hand posture assessment is performed through an applied computer vision (CV) and machine learning (ML) pipeline to classify a pianist’s hands captured by a depth camera into one of three posture classes. Assessment results from the system are intended to be integrated into a CAMIT interface to deliver feedback to students regarding their hand posture. One method to present the feedback is through real-time visual feedback (RTVF) displayed on a standard 2D computer display, but this method is limited by a need for the student to constantly shift focus between the instrument and the display. XR affords new methods to potentially address this limitation through capabilities to directly augment a musical instrument with RTVF by overlaying 3D virtual objects on the instrument. Due to limited research evaluating effectiveness of this approach, it is unclear how the added cognitive demands of RTVF in virtual environments (VEs) affect the learning process. To fill this gap, the second major contribution of this thesis is the first known user study evaluating the effectiveness of XREMIL. Results of the study show that an XR environment with RTVF improves participant performance during training, but may lead to decreased improvement after the training. On the other hand,interviews with participants indicate that the XR environment increased their confidence leading them to feel more engaged during training. In addition to enhancing CAMIT, the second area of focus in this thesis is the application of XR to NIME enabling virtual environments for musical expression (VEME). Development of VEME requires a workflow that integrates XR development tools with existing sound design tools. This presents numerous technical challenges, especially to novice XR developers. To simplify this process and facilitate VEME development, the third major contribution of this thesis is an open source toolkit, called OSC-XR. OSC-XR makes VEME development more accessible by providing developers with readily available Open Sound Control (OSC) virtual controllers. I present three new VEMEs, developed with OSC-XR, to identify affordances and guidelines for VEME design. The insights gained through these studies exploring the application of XR to musical learning and performance, lead to new affordances and guidelines for the design of effective and engaging MusE-XR.
Graduate

Faz parte desta Tese um ficheiro audio, pode ser consultado na Biblioteca Mário Sottomayor Cardia.
Esta dissertação pretende, através da composição de uma obra instrumental para órgão de tubos e electroacústica, propor e desenvolver um método de composição. A proposta e desenvolvimento assentam na análise de repertório. A escolha do repertório baseia-se em todas abordagens que sejam inovadoras na busca de outros sons. Essas inovações são mecânicas, técnicas interpretativas do instrumento e abordagens diferentes na composição. Todos esses elementos são gravados e usados para transformação sonora. É intuito deste trabalho interligar as duas práticas; a música instrumental para órgão de tubos com recurso a técnicas estendidas, e a música electroacústica baseada nos sons produzidos pelo instrumento. O instrumento usado é o órgão de tubos histórico da Igreja Paroquial da N.ª S.ra da Ajuda, construído no séc. XVIII pelo organeiro António Xavier Machado e Cerveira
The goal of this dissertation is to propose and develop a method for composition, through the creation of instrumental music for pipe organ and electroacoustics. This proposal and development is based in the repertoire analysis. The choice of the repertoire is based upon all the innovating approaches regarding sound. These innovations can be mechanic, instrument techniques and other composition approaches. All of these elements are recorded and used for sound transformation. The aim of this work is to merge the two practices; the instrumental music for pipe organ with extended techniques, and electroacoustic music based upon the instrument sounds. The instrument that was used is the historical pipe organ of the Parish of Our Lady of Help, built in the XVIII century by António Xavier Machado e Cerveira

Mainstream orientations to conflict management neglect to account for the long-term impact of emotional satisfaction during interpersonal interactions. Thus, this paper proposes a new approach to conflict management, the “Multi-Dimensional Orientation” (MDO), which builds upon prior notions of conflict management by incorporating affective and instrumental elements of conflict. The MDO suggests that people's short- and long-term relationship quality can be enhanced if their affective and instrumental needs during conflict situations are satisfied. To test hypotheses derived from the MDO, survey participants reported on a recent interpersonal conflict and their relationship quality with the other disputant during the reported conflict. Analyses revealed a positive relationship between the extent to which disputants' affective and instrumental needs were satisfied during the conflict and their assessments of their working and post-conflict relationship quality with one another. Affective satisfaction showed to be the more powerful predictor of long-term relationship satisfaction in general, although characteristics of the participants influenced affect's predictive power. In particular, gender differences emerged, showing that affective and instrumental satisfaction relate to long-term relationship quality for females, while for males long-term relationship quality relates only to instrumental satisfaction.

Dissertação de Mestrado em Direito apresentada à Faculdade de Direito
A criminalidade organizada transnacional é uma ameaça global, quer ao nível económico, financeiro, social ou cultural. É preciso conhecer este fenómeno, as suas características e o seu âmbito de incidência de forma a ser possível projectar um combate eficaz. Um dos melhores ataques ao crime organizado passa justamente pela criação e implementação de um eficaz modelo de perda dos instrumentos e produtos do crime. No segundo capítulo debruçar-nos-emos sobre os diferentes tipos de confisco existentes, explorar a Directiva 2014/42/UE, que instituiu o confisco ampliado como regra mínima no domínio da criminalidade particularmente grave com dimensão transfronteiriça, e no funcionamento deste instrumento nos ordenamentos internos de alguns Estados Membros.A criminalidade organizada transnacional é uma ameaça global, quer ao nível económico, financeiro, social ou cultural. É preciso conhecer este fenómeno, as suas características e o seu âmbito de incidência de forma a ser possível projectar um combate eficaz. Um dos melhores ataques ao crime organizado passa justamente pela criação e implementação de um eficaz modelo de perda dos instrumentos e produtos do crime. No segundo capítulo debruçar-nos-emos sobre os diferentes tipos de confisco existentes, explorar a Directiva 2014/42/UE, que instituiu o confisco ampliado como regra mínima no domínio da criminalidade particularmente grave com dimensão transfronteiriça, e no funcionamento deste instrumento nos ordenamentos internos de alguns Estados Membros.A criminalidade organizada transnacional é uma ameaça global, quer ao nível económico, financeiro, social ou cultural. É preciso conhecer este fenómeno, as suas características e o seu âmbito de incidência de forma a ser possível projectar um combate eficaz. Um dos melhores ataques ao crime organizado passa justamente pela criação e implementação de um eficaz modelo de perda dos instrumentos e produtos do crime. No segundo capítulo debruçar-nos-emos sobre os diferentes tipos de confisco existentes, explorar a Directiva 2014/42/UE, que instituiu o confisco ampliado como regra mínima no domínio da criminalidade particularmente grave com dimensão transfronteiriça, e no funcionamento deste instrumento nos ordenamentos internos de alguns Estados Membros.
Transnational organized crime is a global threat that endangers our economic, financial, social and cultural systems. In order to be able to devise an effective combat strategy, it is imperative to understand this phenomenon, its characteristics and its scope of incidence. One of the best combat strategies involves the creation and implementation of an effective confiscation model of instrumentalities and proceeds of crime. In the second chapter, we will focus on the different types of confiscation and will examine Directive 2014/42/EU, which introduced extended confiscation as a minimum rule in the domain of particularly serious crime with cross-border dimensions, as well as the adoption of this legal instrument in the domestic legal order of some Member States.Transnational organized crime is a global threat that endangers our economic, financial, social and cultural systems. In order to be able to devise an effective combat strategy, it is imperative to understand this phenomenon, its characteristics and its scope of incidence. One of the best combat strategies involves the creation and implementation of an effective confiscation model of instrumentalities and proceeds of crime. In the second chapter, we will focus on the different types of confiscation and will examine Directive 2014/42/EU, which introduced extended confiscation as a minimum rule in the domain of particularly serious crime with cross-border dimensions, as well as the adoption of this legal instrument in the domestic legal order of some Member States.Transnational organized crime is a global threat that endangers our economic, financial, social and cultural systems. In order to be able to devise an effective combat strategy, it is imperative to understand this phenomenon, its characteristics and its scope of incidence. One of the best combat strategies involves the creation and implementation of an effective confiscation model of instrumentalities and proceeds of crime. In the second chapter, we will focus on the different types of confiscation and will examine Directive 2014/42/EU, which introduced extended confiscation as a minimum rule in the domain of particularly serious crime with cross-border dimensions, as well as the adoption of this legal instrument in the domestic legal order of some Member States.