The Singing Tree:
William D. Oliver, John Yu, Eric Métois · 1997
This paper descrlws the design of the Singing Tree, a novel interactive musical intertlce which responds to vocai rnput with real-time aurai and visuai feedback.A participant interacts with the Singing Tree by singing into a micmphone.The participant's voice is anaiyr.edfcwseveral characteristic parameters.These parameters are then inteqmted and drive a music generation engine and a video which are played back m d-time.Several design spedcations and cxmstraints dictated the &veiopment of the Singing Tree.'l'heSinging Tree is used both as a pemonal interactive expaience ancl at the same timeias~of aiargermorhatd interactive experience caliedthe BrainOpera lEesumiaudvisuai feedbackisused actively to lead the participant to an established goai, providinga reward-orientedrelationshipbetweenthe sounds one makes and the synthesized music one hears.It is an interestingmusicai intention experiencefor both amateur and professional singers.The system softwate is fiexible, allowing new goais, new music, or new video to be -~-Y.The Singing Tree has been a particularly successful interactiveexpwimw at exhibitionswitit the BrainOperam New Yti U.S.A.; Linz, AustiriwCopenhagen,Denmariu Tokyo, Japan, and West Paim Beach, U.S.A.This pajwr wiii outiine our thoughts on the artistic and technical de9ignmethodologyof the Singing Tree.