MAES:TRO
Ekaterina Ivanova, Lulu Wang, Yihe Fu, Jeffrey Gadzala · 2014
Conductors use their entire bodies to communicate with an orchestra to guide musicians through a piece of music. Currently, novice conductors learn basic conducting techniques through solo practice, which lacks factors that exist in a live orchestra rehearsal. We propose MAES:TRO: a conducting practice room that provides an immersive rehearsal experience and utilizes hand gestures, body orientation, and eye-gaze directions to directly alter a musical score. With the use of auditory/visual feedback and a report of incorrect beat, tempo, and instrumental emphasis, conductors are able to self-reflect and improve basic techniques. Our user testing of a low-fidelity prototype showed the system's potential to improve the effectiveness of novice conductor's solo practice.