Bounce and Cadence Symposium

Music students spend a large portion of their education in practice rooms and rehearsal spaces. Ensuring that these spaces are acoustically conducive to effective learning should be one of the top priorities of music education institutions. In this paper I aim to analyze the level to which various institutions have examined their own facilities, the local, regional, or national regulations on acoustic treatment in work environments, and whether or not these institutions are abiding by these regulations. If these regulations are being met, is that doing enough in setting students up for success in their musical studies?  To put this analysis into practice, I will be gathering the opinions of the students and faculty that make regular use of the music education spaces on the University of Lethbridge campus. I will also be analyzing various music rehearsal spaces on campus for their acoustic properties and their average decibel peaks during use. With this information, I will compare my findings to any regulations on noise levels in the workplace that the governments of Lethbridge, Alberta, and Canada have set in place to see if our facilities hold up to them. Once my analysis of the University of Lethbridge is complete, I will be able to compare my findings to the limited academic writings sourced from post-secondary institutions in Europe and North America.

Keywords: acoustics, sound treatment, music education, music facility, hearing damage, musician’s health

The purpose of this research is intended to elaborate on the study of Cymatics, often referenced as a subset of modal vibrational phenomena. Through application of Cymatic Theory, resonant properties of sound can communicate across mediums, and vibrations become visualized. As a method of acoustical practice, these visualizations emanate sequences of symmetry and pattern that are otherwise unnoticeable to the human eye. So then, how can these synesthetic principles be applied to performance?

This research seeks to unveil the cross sections between the auditory and visual perception of experimental performance through an ethnomusicological perspective. Using immersive audio-visual display, audience members are invited into a gallery world of sonic and ocular deprivation. During the display surveyors can interact with the gallery as both the spectator and active participator in performance; therefore, dictating the response controls of the room. Positioned at the focal point of this study, a cymatic apparatus also known as a ‘Chladni Plate.’ The metal sheath of this device hovers above an electroacoustic transducer, drilled and fixed to move along the diaphragm through a solid metal node. The controllers of the loudspeaker are directly triggered by a MIDI Controller which provide a visual image in response to different MIDI-Audio controls.

The focus of this study is directed at mapping memorable audience experiences using sound visualizers without the presence of acoustic information… Rather, auditory perception of this installation will be masked through the application of sound-proof headphones and overlapping static pink or white noise-only then can the viewer interact with the full protentional of the room and the medium. Upon completion of the display, the individual is gifted the opportunity to document one final photographic image that was shaped or formed by the Chladni Plate. The results of this study explore the trends gathered from visual photographs captured, while dissecting the listener’s relationship to music and genre. By identifying the individual listening biases, audience members can explore their motivation in choosing visual mediums providing insight to our subjective listening positionalities and preferences.

Keywords: Cymatics, Audio-Visual Display, Experimental Performance, Sensory Deprivation, Multisensory, Media, Sound Art, Synesthesia, Listening Positionality, Genre Bias

MIDI has become a staple of our music industry, changing the way that many artists create and interact with their music. But equally just as important as the medium, are the tools in which you implement to create with it. The standard controller when it comes to creating music is undoubtedly the MIDI keyboard. Its versatile nature allows you to create music in a variety of different and easy ways. But is it the only option for musicians? In this research I would like to focus attention towards University of Lethbridge musicians and get their personal opinions on the topic. The study will take place over the course of the 2025 winter semester and will employ a number of surveys and interviews to not only gauge the general interest and awareness on the topic, but their personal preference and opinions (both positive and negative) between the standard MIDI keyboard controller and alternative MIDI instrument controller options.

Keywords: Music, MIDI, instrument controllers, accessibility, technology

The guitar has long symbolized musical creativity and adaptability, evolving from its acoustic origins to the electrified transformations of the 20th century. Despite these advancements, the integration of cutting-edge hardware and software into a unified system remains an open challenge. This paper addresses the question: What technologies could be used to modernize the guitar, and how can they contribute to a comprehensive toolkit for hardware and software enhancements? By exploring the latest innovations in guitar technology—including hardware developments, computational modeling, and interdisciplinary applications—this study proposes a comprehensive toolkit for modernizing the instrument. The toolkit aims to enhance the guitar's versatility across diverse musical and multimedia contexts, bridging the gap between tradition and innovation.

Historically, the evolution of the guitar emphasized mechanical and analog improvements, such as refined wood craftsmanship, magnetic pickups, and tube amplifiers. Recently, advancements in digital signal processing, machine learning, and interactive systems have introduced groundbreaking possibilities. These include real-time amplifier distortion modeling, hexaphonic pickups for isolating individual string signals, and guitar-to-MIDI systems that enable seamless integration with digital workflows. Hexaphonic pickups, in particular, present novel applications such as spatial audio and polyphonic effects by capturing independent outputs for each string.

This proposal synthesizes current advancements and identifies gaps in the technological landscape, outlining a comprehensive strategy for the guitar's modernization. By leveraging innovations in hardware, software, and creative applications, this study envisions a future where the guitar transcends its traditional boundaries, offering unprecedented opportunities for musical and multimedia expression.

Keywords: Guitar, Open-Source, MIDI, Immersive and Technology

Sampling has become a prominent musical instrument ever since its rising popularity in the early 20th century. With the use of taking older creations to design a new composition, looping and splicing audio clips have changed perspectives on how to approach a song’s creation. In this case, sampling an older work and its specific sound or chorus can induce ideas on the creative listener to re-contextualize that work into a different genre. These aspects arise the question, how does sampling change our understanding of originality in music, and what does this mean for who owns the music? Harmony itself has had a history of inspiring others to create related to what they have heard or expanding on these ideas further. Sampling originality, while in the eyes of some seems hypocritical, the ideas one creates subconsciously has always had to originate from previous experiences. I argue that the creative composer or producer has never been deemed original. The subconscious carries much information day-by-day and ideas that occur are more than likely creative decisions that have been previously thought of. While this has always been the case, consciously deriving other’s works into one’s own has become a prominent trait in the 20th and 21st century. This tradition has sprung many legal problems whilst creating a juxtaposition with the music industry by inditing a new creative practice that would preserve historical recordings, create new genres, and build techniques on modern production. With certain legal exceptions, many popular songs today have been deemed original with these methods despite the sampling of an older hit being involved. Many pay homage to these legal acceptances so that we are able to enjoy, be inspired by, and sample previous original work from around the world.

Keywords: Sampling, Originality, Legality, Music, Cultural Appropriation

I will choose from a specific group of artists to demonstrate and acquire opinion-based research where participants are presented with a set of musical material and are then with consent from the participants subjected to a screening of the BBC Documentary of Burning Sun Scandal, to expose elements of government corroboration with the entertainment industry within South Korea. The intended impact of my research survey is to provide concrete language and experiences, to provide more context to connect with emerging arts of different cultures. Herein K-pop lies a historical and political embodiment of globalizing musicality's impact on communities transnationally, and is not a singular genre, but a universal musical experience that shows the effects of post-modernity and individual Musical Identity.

Keywords: Transnationalism, Hallyu, Cultural Modernity, Cultural Hybridity, Musical Identity, Propaganda, Politics, Socioeconomics, Sociology, Korean Popular Music

AI has become a commonplace discussion among those working in the arts. Many view this as a useful tool and many view it as detrimental to the music industry. There are many pros and cons to the use of AI in the sense that many now have access to music and the process of creating it as well as the potential loss of jobs in an already brutal, and tight-knit industry. When DAWS became commonplace some of the veterans of the industry believed that it was a sort of cheat code and some argue that AI is like a new tool for musicians to use. Does AI take away the human integrity behind the beautiful form of art we call music? For this experiment, I will put this to the test by providing participants three audio files. One mixed by me, an aspiring Audio Engineer, one mixed by a professional audio engineer, and finally one mixed by AI. T goal of this experiment is to find out if people can use critical listening to discern the two.

The participants of this experiment will range widely from Digital Audio Arts majors, who have trained ears and know what to look for in a mix, and the average consumer of audio, with no experience with critical listening. This experiment will be conducted using one of my own songs, this will prevent people from recognizing the song in the first place, as well as provide a neutral starting point for the experiment. As mentioned above, the participant of the experiment will listen to three versions of the song, my mix, a professional mix, and an AI mix. They will not know which is which. After they listen to all three songs, they will be asked to fill out a survey. This survey will consist of numerous questions including picking apart various elements of the song and telling me which of these elements they felt were mixed the best. For example, they will be asked which guitar sounded the best out of all three songs, and they will tell me. After answering numerous questions in regards to individual aspects of the mix, and critically analyzing the mix, I will then ask them to tell me which song was mixed by me, which was mixed by a professional, and which was mixed by AI. Finally, they will pick which song overall sounds the best.

Keywords: AI, Generative, AI Music, ChatGPT, Music Industry

While often unnoticed, a sense of depth within music is a critical aspect of one’s listening experience. It provides context; something we can relate to audibly and a way for our minds to form a visual connection to the sounds we are hearing. In short, a wide sense of depth may invoke feelings of a large and encompassing space whereas a more intimate setting may reflect a smaller area. Therefore, the ways space, ambience, and atmosphere are created during the production of a piece of music can brighten and bring a song to life. Live spaces can be recorded to capture their natural characteristics, artificial reverbs can emulate these spaces, and convolution reverbs can take responses from real environments and mimic them. Because of the multitude of ways in which ambiance can be added, in what ways does each benefit an audience’s preferences and immersion? How can opinions form and develop based on the type of reverberation, and how do the opinions of experienced music makers differ from the general public? Preference, while highly variable from person to person, opinions can still point towards more concrete trends within the minds of those who both understand reverb and those who do not. Can certain spaces appear inferior to the artificial doppelganger? The complexities of human perception cannot be understated, as one’s own experiences and personality can contribute to the overall enjoyment of a piece. Therefore, the data collected during this experiment cannot be taken as concrete evidence but rather as a conduit for possible trends seen in musical preference.

Keywords: reverb, immersion, perception, space, digital

Constraints are often seen as a frustration, an interruption to the ease of whatever task we must complete, and because of this we prefer to avoid them. However, when approached from a different point of view, constraints become a tool that may be used to foster “outside of the box” thinking and ultimately result in the creation of music that is more creative. Writing by Bruce Adolphe is used to gain an understanding of how the brain processes new compositions. Then, research by Scott Barry Kaufman and Carolyn Gregoire is used to explore creativity through the lens of neuroscience and psychology. This is then applied to the work of Feiwel Kupferberg, who provides us with information on how constraints are overcome. Finally, research by David M. Bashwiner, et al, is applied to analyze creative practices through an in-depth scientific lens. All of this information is then used to hopefully make sense of the mystery that is creativity, and its relation to constraints.

Keywords: Music, Constraints, Neuroscience, Creativity, Creation

Daws are one of the most essential pieces when it comes to creating a film composition, but for an emerging film composer looking for a DAW to use can be overwhelming, how do they know what to pick? Therefore, exploring the structure of the most common DAWs that film what qualifies as a well-rounded DAW for a composer. To analyze this concept more going to the minds of famous film composers such as Hans Zimmer, Ludwig Gorranson, and John Williams we can dissect their composition and study the workflow they use in their different DAWs. By exploring the workflows of established composers and understanding how they utilize DAWs to bring their compositions to life, emerging composers can make better decisions about the DAW that best suits their needs and personal workflow preferences. Ultimately, the right DAW should inspire creativity while meeting the demands of composing for film. DAWs help speed up the workflow of the composers. It's important to understand how this happens and why we need to know what DAW is most useful altogether. One of the main reasons why DAWs are important to understand inside and out is because of the fact that when a director gives a composer a task it will most likely need to be done in a certain time frame so understanding your DAW inside and out is essential.

Keywords: Film-score, synchronization, orchestration, cinematic, Digital Audio Workstation

I will compose a nostalgic music piece in the genre of chillsynth, using the Korg Minilogue and Arturia Mini V3 synthesizers, along with Ableton as my digital audio workstation. My goal is to evoke a strong sense of nostalgia and emotion through the composition by focusing on dreamy pad sounds, airy lead melodies, and a mellow bassline. The piece will also include a simple snare and kick drum pattern to provide rhythm without overpowering the atmospheric elements. The harmonic progression of the pads will blend with a melodic lead to create a nostalgic and immersive experience. Chillsynth, a subgenre of synth-wave, is known for its warm and emotional sound, often bringing listeners a sense of longing and reminiscence. Unlike traditional synth-wave, which leans into energetic, retro-futuristic aesthetics, chillsynth focuses on more relaxed, ambient textures. By using reverb, delay, and modulation effects, I will enhance the space and depth of the composition, making it feel distant yet familiar. To gain insight into the emotional connection people have with nostalgic music, I will interview popular chillsynth artists to understand their creative process and how they craft melodies that resonate with listeners. Many chillsynth producers emphasize the importance of evoking personal memories through sound design, drawing from both their own experiences and cinematic influences. These interviews will provide valuable perspectives on why nostalgia is such a powerful emotion in music. Nostalgia is more than just remembering the past, it is an emotional experience that transports people to different times and places, real or imagined. Through this composition, I hope to craft a soundscape that takes listeners on a journey, allowing them to feel that nostalgic pull that makes chillsynth and synth-wave so impactful.

This research aims to discover an effective way to record the unique sound of a steel band. The steel band consist of a different instrument and sound all derived from an oil steel drum. This research focuses on the seemingly hard instrument of this family to capture digitally, the six bass steel pan. I will be using a mixture of both qualitative and quantitative research methods to hopefully reach a successful outcome. The methods involve gathering the experience of other professionals versed in recording and playing this unique instrument. As well as my practical experience that will occur through the experimentation of micing techniques gathered through my experience in school and from said professionals mentioned before. As this research is not complete, I currently cannot speak on the outcome, but I can speak on the expected outcome. This outcome is to find a technique or different techniques that will essentially capture the sound of this steel pan in a way that allows its essence to be captured when being played by itself or with an ensemble. With its varying range, there may be several techniques that work depending on the setting, whether ensemble/ live or solos and it is also dependent on the player as well, whether heavy handed or not. With so many factors however, I may also deduce that the sound captured may be subjective, but I hope that may not be the case. The outcome could create a big change in the steel band world. Not only will this give light to the six bass, a neglected instrument but give more ideas for its use now that it can be heard. It could also reduce the wear and tear of the instrument as in most cases, it is played harder to be heard.

This research proposes an empirical analysis that will identify the key factors while evaluating the impact of various instruments in the songwriting process. While singing music has a target audience, knowing which instruments to use when writing a song is paramount because this greatly enhances the writer's ability to compose pieces that are enjoyable for the listener. Such information would be useful to professionals and people who practice music. Understanding this would help musicians who want to polish their creative processes and create music that has maximum impact with a bright variety of constituents. It looks at the effective ways how songs are created, the relationship that exists between songwriting and the musical instruments used, and provides recommendations that would help the musicians make better decisions during song composition.

The current study employs both qualitative and quantitative approaches, collecting data through questionnaires conducted among two groups of respondents, which are musicians (students of DAA and professionals) and non-musicians (general public). Moreover, peer reviewed research articles and books, including Grove Music Online, are also employed to substantiate the research findings. During this analysis, participants’ preferences and reasoning are used to examine their thoughts on the creative process using diverse instruments, and the literature is then used to analyze these qualitative data and compare it to other research on the same subject.

The central goal of this study is to enhance the understanding of the interaction between the songwriter and the selected instruments, and more so, between the creators and the audience. In doing so, the study attempts to focus on how musical engagement is shaped by the instruments so that the previously highlighted gap in the literature can be closed. Integrating all the specifics, the research question for this study is formulated: Which instrument is the most effective in terms of listener response and why does it inspire the songwriter?

The understanding of creative success is discussed within the context of the drills and societal fabric. The expectation is that the findings will highlight the differences between nonmusicians and musicians and illuminate the social and perceptual dynamics present in those categories.

Keywords: Songwriters, Instruments, Composition, Engagement, Composition

High-resolution audio formats are becoming the desired norm for music and audio playback, though this is an understandable change in audio as higher resolution should produce better quality audio. However, is it worth it when you as a listener may not perceive the difference between a WAV1 or FLAC2 and a compressed MP33 that Spotify already uses? By having subjects listen to these audio formats within a controlled environment, I want to determine whether it is worth the additional download space for wav and FLAC. I specifically add in the size comparison as wav and FLAC are around 10x larger than that of an MP3 from Spotify, so having hundreds of songs downloaded at the lossless level would begin to hamper storage and increase listeners' storage requirements on their respective devices. Through methods developed by Mark Walderp and Richard King in their respective research papers, I want to test people's perception of sound by testing the two file formats back-to-back against people trained in audio engineering or audiophiles4 versus non-musicians and casual listeners. I also want to advance on some methods brought up in Walderps paper “Native High-Resolution versus Red Book Standard Audio: A Perceptual Discrimination Survey,” in which a non-standard playback method was used, in contrast, I will have a standard controlled method for listening as well as in a controlled environment. Through a series of questions and pieces at both 192kHz and MP3 qualities, I hope to get a similar outcome to that of Walderp and King as will be discussed later in the paper.

Keywords: Audiophile, Format, File type, Lossless, Streaming

The importance of immersive audio, sometimes referred to as spatial audio, in connection with electronic dance music (EDM) is examined in this study. Immersion audio introduces a
significant shift in the way that people listen to music by providing a three-dimensional auditory experience that goes beyond conventional stereo sound. Although immersive audio has drawn interest in a number of fields, including virtual reality, film, and music, its use in EDM is still relatively unexplored. By examining two important questions—the effect of immersive audio on the EDM listener's experience and the technological difficulties in creating immersive EDM music—this study seeks to close that gap. A mixed-methods approach is used, combining qualitative interviews with EDM producers with immersive audio experience with quantitative listener surveys. Fans and EDM producers will be among the participants, and they will hear EDM music in stereo and immersive formats. The goal of this methodology is to fully capture the immersive audio experience of EDM. According to the study's findings, immersive audio greatly improves the listener's experience by producing a more captivating and engrossing soundscape. The intricacy of audio spatialization and the requirement for specialized equipment are two examples of the technological difficulties noted. By highlighting the possibilities for immersive audio in music production and offering useful implications for EDM producers, these insights advance the fields of audio engineering and music technology. By investigating immersive audio in different musical genres and improving the methods for producing immersive audio experiences, future studies could build on these findings.

Keywords: Immersive Audio, Electronic Dance Music (EDM), Emotional Impact, Binaural, Music Production.

Music connects and resonates with listeners around the world in the way it arises emotions across diverse listeners. Yet, the ways in which individuals respond to music can be highly variable and influenced by cultural background, personal experiences, and individual psychological factors. This research proposes an investigation into whether composers and artists can utilize psychological and neurological principles to intentionally design music that evokes a broadly emotional response, particularly within a Western cultural framework. By analyzing the neurological basis of emotional responses to music, assessing case studies of widely acclaimed Western music, and conducting experimental studies with participants from diverse Western cultural contexts, this research seeks to uncover the potential for creating music with significant emotional appeal. The study will explore both the cognitive mechanisms that underpin emotional responses and the cultural factors that contribute to variation within the Western musical experience. The findings are expected to provide practical guidelines for artists seeking to enhance the emotional impact of their compositions while acknowledging the inherent limitations posed by individual variability.

Keywords: Emotional music, Psychology of music, Music perception, Effects of Music, Cognitive music

Electronic music has increased in popularity since its combination with acoustic instruments because it became more accessible to instrumental composers, performers and audiences. Even though new composers are experimenting with a variety of acoustic instruments combined with electronics, the tuba isn’t utilized very often. Why is there not much music written for tuba and interactive music? What would writing a new piece for tuba and interactive music add to the literature? To answer these questions, I will be conducting a literature review to explore influential works and composers in this area. Then I will interview informed professionals that work here at the University of Lethbridge; Paul Sanden, Arlan Shultz, Nick Sullivan, Josh Davies and Georg Bonn who were selected for their experience in electronic music. After exploring current practices, techniques, and attitudes, I will write my own composition that is designed for one performer with an interactive element. I expect to find that there are not many compositions because there are not many performers trained in both tuba performance and audio processing techniques. The tuba is a new classical instrument and an even newer solo instrument meaning many composers are still exploring the tuba's sonic possibilities. Electronic music is also a new recent development from the 1960’s, therefore the combination of tuba and electronics is vastly unexplored. As technology advances, the line between composer and performer becomes blurred making it increasingly important for composers to collaborate with performers to understand their individual needs when designing for this new type of performance. Performances are important for composers because they expose audiences to their work, but technological advancements can make it difficult to perform older works in their original form. Detailed composer notes outlining the sound world created by the electronic component can make sure older works are easy to recreate and study by future generations.

Keywords: Interactive music, Liveness, Tuba Composition, Music Technology and Performance