30 August - 1 September 2023
Edinburgh Napier University, United Kingdom

Embodied Sound in the Virtual

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Keynote Speakers

 

Emma Young

Emma Young

R&D Engineer at BBC

An overview of recent work at BBC Research and Development, exploring interactive audio and immersive music experiences

Wednesday 30th August, 10 am – Lindsay Stuart Lecture Theatre (Level 2)

Biography

Emma Young defines and explores future media experiences at BBC R&D, to inform and support technology innovation and business strategy. Before joining the BBC in 2018, Emma worked in innovation and digital consultancy roles; and prior to shifting focus to a career in tech in 2008, she studied Audio Engineering at the SAE Institute in Sydney and worked in a broad range of production environments including Film, Games, Live TV, Theatre and Live Music. Emma sits on the Steering Committee of the Audio Mostly conference and on the Industry Advisory Board at Lancaster University’s School of Computing and Communications. Her research and production interests include VR, AR, Spatial Audio and Metaverse-related technologies; Virtual Production and AI. Passionate about Diversity and Inclusion in the broadcast industry, Emma leads the staff network ‘BBC Women in STEM’ (WiSTEM) as Chair of the Board; and is highly active in outreach, both at the BBC and in the wider industry.

 

Sandra Paulett

Sandra Pauletto

Associate Professor at KTH

Unplanned - Designing sound for sustainability and wellbeing

Thursday 31st August, 12 pm – Lindsay Stuart Lecture Theatre (Level 2)

Abstract
Sustainability concerns have rapidly increased in recent years. While on the one hand we are pushed to take personal responsibility and change ingrained behaviours, on the other we are given little opportunity to easily grasp what is really happening in our close environment and how we feel towards it, as data and information about consumption, waste or resource savings are often difficult to understand, invisible or inaccessible.
In this talk, I will discuss how, through a research journey starting from interests in science, technology, music, cinema, I came to focus on the relationship between sound, sustainability and wellbeing. I’ll discuss several sonic interaction designs I developed over the years that utilise sound as the medium to develop a more embodied understanding of sustainability and wellbeing, as well as participatory sound design workshop methods developed within the Sound for Energy project. Since this research journey has been all but linear, I will also highlight some of the many unplanned twists and turns in the hope that my personal experience might be of use to those among us who, like me, are interested in interdisciplinarity and unlikely connections.

Biography
Sandra Pauletto is Associate Professor in media technology and Docent in sound and music computing at the Department of Media Technology and Interaction Design at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden. Her main research interests relate to sound and music computing, media production, sound design creative process, often in connection with sustainability and health. Currently she is the primary investigator of the Sound for Energy Project (https://soundforenergy.net) funded by the Swedish Energy Agency, which aims to develop sonic interaction design research to support energy efficiency. She also leads the project Personalizing Sonic Interactions funded by the Swedish research council, and is the Swedish PI for the EU MSCA Doctoral Network Lullabyte (https://lullabyte.de). Additionally, Sandra is Associate Director for Mobility for the Digital Futures research centre (https://www.digitalfutures.kth.se).  

 steve benford

Steve Benford

Professor of Computer Science & EPSRC Dream Fellow, Faculty of Science

Glitching the Body

Thursday 31st August, 5:30 pm – Lindsay Stuart Lecture Theatre (Level 2)

Abstract
Musicians often seek out the glitches in music technologies as a source of inspiration, innovation and improvisation. They also often talk of their bodies as if they were instruments. A focus on bodily interaction with digital technologies during embodied musicking leads me to consider how musicians might glitch their own bodies. I will reflect on a series of artist-led projects that pushed the boundaries of embodied interaction to reveal strategies for glitching the body such as sensory misalignment, surrendering control and uncomfortable interactions. I will consider how emerging methods such as soma design enable us to defamiliarisie bodily experience and help design technologies that reveal the musical glitches in our own bodies.
 

Biography
Steve Benford is the Dunford Professor of Computer Science at the University of Nottingham where he co-founded the Mixed Reality Laboratory. His research explores artistic applications of digital technologies through performance-led methods that engage artists in creating, touring and studying unique interactive experiences. In turn, these have inspired fresh perspectives on interaction such as trajectories and uncomfortable interactions. He directs the EPSRC-funded Horizon Centre for Doctoral Training and the University's newly founded Cobot Maker Space that is exploring human interaction with robots. He was previously an EPSRC Dream Fellow. He is also a keen musician.

Chris Jacquin, Ali Gillies and Pete Sparkes

Drake Music Scotland

Equivalence: Towards a fully accessible instrument

Friday 1st September, 12:00 pm – Lindsay Stuart Lecture Theatre (Level 2)

Biographies

Chris is a composer and musician from Edinburgh, Scotland. He composes and performs using an instrument called The Brain, which uses brainwave technology, Brainfingers, in addition to Ableton Live and PreSonus’ Notion. A founding member of Drake Music Scotland’s Digital Orchestra, he has also worked with the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and the Hebrides Ensemble.

Ali is a freelance multi-instrumentalist and studio-based composer based in Edinburgh. He holds a BA(Hons) and an MMus from Newcastle University. As an Associate Musician, he runs 1:1 sessions, and works with the Digital Orchestra and Equilibrium ensembles. He also helps deliver technology training sessions to other charities and organisations. His current interest lies in finding new ways for musicians with disabilities to engage with a wide variety of music software to practice, compose and perform their music.

Pete was appointed as Artistic Director in December 2009. He joined the team at Drake Music Scotland as a freelance associate musician in 2005, leading projects in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Stirling. In 2007 he was appointed as Education & Training Officer and spent a busy few years training teachers and musicians to use music technology in a variety of different settings. He is completely convinced that making music is fun, good for us in many ways, and we should be doing more of it – all of us! He was Education Officer of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra from 2002-2005. As a freelance project leader, he has led creative projects with many different participant groups for various organisations including: Drake Music Scotland, Scottish Book Trust, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Artlink Central, and Jessie’s Fund.