Research in Sound and Music Computing at INESC Porto: Preliminary results and challenges Carlos Guedes FEUP/INESC Porto Ciência 2010, 5 de Julho de 2010

Sound and Music INESC Porto Research group at the Telecommunciations and Multimedia Unit Started in mid-2007 Initiated by Fabien Gouyon and Carlos Guedes Research teams composed of graduate students at FEUP and research grant holders Interests: Machine Listening, MIR, Interactive Music Systems, Generative Music

INESC Porto Mission: Develop a solid SMC research group at INESC Porto and put Porto in the international map of the field Efforts so far: –Network with other local institutions (UCP/CITAR, ESMAE-IPP, Casa da Música) –Artist residencies –Several funded and non-funded projects undergoing in collaboration with other international institutions –Organization of SMC 2009

INESC Porto: Why? Interdisciplinary field Combines scientific, technological, artistic methodologies Aims at understanding and modeling the whole sound and music communication chain through computational approaches Sound and music are omnipresent and important aspects of all cultures Rooted in biology of every human being Core occupation of our technological society

INESC Porto: Why?

INESC Porto: Projects

INESC Porto: Projects Kinetic procedural music (INESC Porto, UT Austin, UNL/FCSH, YDreams, Casa da Música ): – Automatic music generation using gestural controllers (gamepads, iPhone, cameras, custom-built controllers, etc.) –Goal: Creation of a generative music toolbox for MaxMSP/Pd for live performance, interactive installations, music for games, etc. –Focus: real-time adaptability of generative algorithms Composing through listening: “here´s a music I like, help me compose something alike”

INESC Porto: Projects Real-time human skeleton extraction for music control Two examples: Generation of drumming styles based on data sets

INESC Porto: Projects /

INESC Porto: Projects

What have we learned so far?

INESC Porto The real challenge: Turning S M C into SMC

INESC Porto: Challenges “Find us a researcher (in Portugal) in his/her 20s that has acquired a balanced knowledge in sound, music and computing to work on these projects.”

How do we solve this?

Two aspects to consider Aspect 1: Higher education is structured differently in Music and in Science/Engineering –The higher education system in Portugal produces fine young researchers in Science and Engineering –The same does not happen in music, especially in areas related to artistic practice (performance, composition). Artistic practice as research or research as artistic practice (perhaps an even more interesting concept) are still foreign concepts to us

Two aspects to consider Aspect 1I: Little cross-pollination between areas of knowledge in higher education –“School” culture as opposed to “University” culture – “Interdepartmental” cultures are sometimes hard to create within schools –Absolute lack of “double-major degree” culture, even though Bologna stimulates the creation of double- major degrees

Solutions? Implement a research culture in music and art education: Stimulate interdisciplinarity: –Create double-major degrees –Create interdisciplinary programs (from 1 st to 3 rd cycle) –Promote and stimulate the University Culture

Thank you!