Sile O'Modhrain - Once more, with feeling: Revisiting the role of touch in performer-instrument interaction
In this talk, I wish to consider again the nature of the physical coupling between a player and an instrument, and to revisit the role that our tactile and haptic senses play in shaping the dynamic exchange of energy at the point of contact between the player’s body and the playing mechanism. I will argue that it is incumbent upon the designer of a digital musical instrument to develop an understanding of this coupling and that, moreover, the definition of this dynamic coupling itself should be considered as an integral part of the process of instrument design.
Sile O'Modhrain earned a BA in music from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and a licentiate in piano teaching from Trinity College London. She holds an MS in music technology from the University of York, York, England, and a Ph.D. in computer-based music theory from Stanford University.
Professor O'Modhrain has worked as a researcher and faculty member, both here and abroad, at the prestigious MIT Media Lab, Media Lab Europe, and at the Sonic Arts Research Center at Queen's University of Belfast. She has also worked for BBC Radio as an audio engineer and program producer. Her research focus is on haptics–touch and gesture–and its relationship to music performance and on the development of new interfaces for technology-enhanced instruments that extend the boundaries of musical expression. Also impressive is her combination of experience in many areas related to audio, psychoacoustics, computer music, cognition, and gestural control of music. She is internationally known and respected in her field, as evidenced by her record of scholarly accomplishment in well-regarded journals and as a frequent speaker at international conferences.