Concerts of the Future: Designing an interactive musical experience in VR

Ciaran Frame

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

Abstract:

This paper examines the creation and development of "Concerts of the Future," a Virtual Reality music experience that bridges the gap between music listening and active participation. Collaboratively developed with a chamber ensemble over eight months, the narrative-driven experience places participants alongside a live ensemble, enabling them to perform with a unique gestural instrument in a VR concert setting regardless of musical experience. Reflecting on previous work in the VR and interactive music field, the paper outlines key design decisions that were made in the development of the work over a period of 8 months, including a pilot presentation with participants. The paper discusses the implications of stylised VR design and the use of theatrical elements outside the digital environment to make music more accessible. It highlights the potential of VR in transforming the traditional roles of composer, performer, and listener, thus expanding the scope of participatory musical experiences.

Citation:

Ciaran Frame. 2024. Concerts of the Future: Designing an interactive musical experience in VR. Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.13904880

BibTeX Entry:

  @article{nime2024_53,
 abstract = {This paper examines the creation and development of "Concerts of the Future," a Virtual Reality music experience that bridges the gap between music listening and active participation. Collaboratively developed with a chamber ensemble over eight months, the narrative-driven experience places participants alongside a live ensemble, enabling them to perform with a unique gestural instrument in a VR concert setting regardless of musical experience. Reflecting on previous work in the VR and interactive music field, the paper outlines key design decisions that were made in the development of the work over a period of 8 months, including a pilot presentation with participants. The paper discusses the implications of stylised VR design and the use of theatrical elements outside the digital environment to make music more accessible. It highlights the potential of VR in transforming the traditional roles of composer, performer, and listener, thus expanding the scope of participatory musical experiences.},
 address = {Utrecht, Netherlands},
 articleno = {53},
 author = {Ciaran Frame},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 doi = {10.5281/zenodo.13904880},
 editor = {S M Astrid Bin and Courtney N. Reed},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 month = {September},
 numpages = {8},
 pages = {359--366},
 presentation-video = {https://youtu.be/0Gu9NWEACxQ?si=OLDcbzRt38erFRzV},
 title = {Concerts of the Future: Designing an interactive musical experience in VR},
 track = {Papers},
 url = {http://nime.org/proceedings/2024/nime2024_53.pdf},
 year = {2024}
}