Perceptual Learning and the Emergence of Performer-Instrument Interactions with Digital Music Systems
Adnan Marquez-Borbon · eScholarship (California Digital Library) · 2018
The relationship between human and computers within the area of HCI has shifted from being represented by cognitive, information-processing approaches to more recent situated and embodied perspectives.This matter has analogously developed within interactive digital musical system research.However, the nature of this interaction, while commonly drawing upon J.J. Gibson's theory of affordances for analysis, often fails to characterize the emergent relationship between performer and musical system.This has led to regard affordances as mere design features, as well as taking for granted the skillful contributions of the performer.Interactions in this manner are represented as static.In this paper, I present the findings of a long-term phenomenological research study describing the evolving nature of performer-instrument interactions.I resort to E.J.Gibson's perceptual learning approach to frame the experiences of performers, both individually and socially, as they learned to play a new digital musical instrument, the Pulley Synth.I argue that the nature of such interactions is grounded on learning and that the changing perception of the system contributes to the process of enskilment.In this view, more than being an acquisition of conceptual knowledge of the instrument's operation, learning suggests a holistic behavioral change towards the system in which musical and sonic possibilities of the entire performer-instrument-environment ecology are explored and enacted. Proceedings of A Body of Knowledge -Embodied Cognition and the Arts conference CTSA UCI 8-10 Dec 2016I conclude that perceptual learning is significant within the context of HCI and musical technology, given that current design and performance practices with interactive digital music systems remain influenced by established musical practices (for example, Classical music).If one of the aims of this domain is the development of new musical interactions and practices, the ability to overcome the influence of musical traditions and to perceive new sonic possibilities must be considered in both the design and instrumental learning processes.