Emotive Motion: analysis of expressive timing and body movement in the performance of an expert violinist

John Stoecker

Matt Wright

Sheena Chandran

Overview:

Goals/Hypotheses Data Collection Data Analysis Anticipated Results

Goals observe the variation of joint kinematics using

the common violin bowing techniques legato Marcato Spiccato Ricochet pizzicato

Goals (cont.)

use sonification to show how timing of violinist’s motion corresponds to the temporal evolution of the music

Background: Timing and Tempo Each note has a duration A beat is when you’d tap your foot Tempo is the rate of beats (“beats per minute”) A tempo curve is the tempo as a function of time

speeding up and slowing down Deviation: note slightly earlier or later than

expected Expressive timing: tempo curves, deviation,

etc., are important elements of musical expression

Hypothesis One

The greater the magnitude of the “expression” (the greater a section’s deviation from the metronomic standard), the larger the non-musical body movement

Hypothesis Two

The periodicity of various body parts will relate to the periodicity of differing levels of the music (such as note, beat, measure, phrase, and section)

Data collection Using:

An 8 camera 3-D motion capture system

A force plate A gazillion reflective

markers (thanks, Erin!)

A famous violinist A pair of hot shorts

Data collection (cont.) We gathered force

plate and motion capture data of: Bowing techniques 8 performances of

J.S. Bach’s Chaconne (the fourth and final movement of Bach’s second Partita)

Data collection (cont.) Emotions:

Normal Angry Trepidation Mournful Playful Searching No Emotion Least Motion

Performance Video In this clip you will

see Barry Shiffman, the second violinist for the St. Lawrence String Quartet perform an excerpt of J.S. Bach’s Chaconne joyfully.

QuickTime™ and aDV/DVCPRO - NTSC decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Data Analysis

Programs Used:

Matlab

Audacity

PureData

MaxMSP

From Note Duration to Tempo Note “duration” = time between this note’s

beginning and the next note’s beginning. (“Inter-onset interval”)

If every eighth note is 400ms, then in a minute there would be 60 sec / 0.4 sec = 150 eighth notes.

This means 75 BPM (since an eighth note is half of a beat)

Results and Sonification

Hypothesis One: the greater a section’s deviation from the metronomic standard, the larger the non-musical body movement

Hypothesis Two: the periodicity of various body parts will relate to the periodicity if differing time levels of the music (such as note, beat, measure, and phrase)

Acknowledgments

Prof. Jonathan Berger

Erin Butler

Sarah Emerson

Dr. Amy Ladd

Jonathan Norton

Dr. Jessica Rose Agramonte

Barry Shiffman

Kingsley Willis

Any Questions?