Music Psychology:
Tuesday 19th October 2021
I am most intrigued regarding the effect of music on the brain, and I am interested in ways to use the benefits of this in-game so I will begin my research with this as a starting point.
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Using the sources of research I found I will begin by understanding the effects of music on the brain.
WHERE DO I BEGIN?
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During our workshop (19th October) Adam suggested using a card method to explore different avenues regarding our topics.
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'Deep Dive Method'
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This method allows external individuals to make comments and suggestions on Music/Music Psychology and provide me with ideas that I may not have thought about. This is a great way to evaluate people's perspective of music in terms of language, context, shapes, colour etc.
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Using this method I can gather more sources for research and dive deeper into my topic in order to really pick it apart.
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Phase 2 - My Chosen Topic
During Phase 2 I will be taking my chosen topic further. Previously I evaluated and reflected on my feedback and suggestions from the class after my first presentation which has led me to choose my final topic.
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Music Psychology
HOW DO I TAKE THIS TOPIC FURTHER? (RESEARCH METHODS)
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Gather information through surveys and data based on human responses
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Visit Art Exhibitions/Museums
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Field Trips
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More visual research
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Books/Websites/Journals
DEEP DIVE METHOD
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RESPONSES
I was most intrigued regarding the responses to:
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Technology
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Movement
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Structures
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Books
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Locations
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Colour
TABLE OF SOURCES
REFLECTING ON RESPONSES AND SUGGESTIONS
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Regarding technology, I am really intrigued to look into Spatial Audio, 4D audio and VR with music. From my project last year I have some knowledge on Surround Sound and the effects of this on the user so would be great to incorporate this into my work. In addition to this, the structures and movements suggested have given me some ideas for visualising music e.g. sound waves and music sheets!
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I plan to take my research rather by understanding the Brain in more depth as I am so fascinated by the psychological effects of interacting with music.
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THE BRAIN - RESEARCH
“How does music affect your brain?’
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When music enters our brains, Dopamine is released – a ‘neurotransmitter’ that makes us feel happy.
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Research has shown that listening to music is associated to increase in immunity-boosting antibodies and other cells that prevent bacteria.
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If the music you listen to/genre aligns with your own preferences, different styles can “produce the same results”. Therefore, it doesn’t matter which genre you listen to as this does not the effect the beneficial effects of music on your brain. The most important element is the type of music your brain favours.
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Different genres are recommended for different purposes, such as upbeat songs for an energy boost and to motivate you to learn. Whereas instrumentals and more calming genres allow you to sit back and concentrate.
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Dopamine is released, we then feel rewarded, like the feelings experienced with food.
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Brain networks create expectations of ‘how music should sound’.
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Music triggers ‘anticipation’ helping recap the past and predict the future!
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Different genres have different impacts. E.g., classical music enhances release of dopamine and impacts learning and memory. Rap music stimulates emotion and motivation.
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Music triggers hormones ‘oxytocin and serotonin’ which are responsible for trust, intimacy and bonding.
Research Link:
SUMMARY
SO WHAT CAN MUSIC DO?
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Boost pro-Immunity
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Stimulate endorphins
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Assist in treatment of Depression
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Promote wellness
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Stress management
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Reduce feelings of anxiety and stress
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Evoke emotions
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Release Dopamine and make us feel happy
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Energy Boost
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Motivate you
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Trust, Intimacy and Bonding
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THE BRAIN - RESEARCH
“Your Brain on Music"​
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THE SCIENCE OF HEARING
Before learning about how the regions of the brain interact with music, I found an article and video outlining the Science of Hearing - outlining how sound/music reaches our brain circuits.
SUMMARY
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The noise source travels as vibrations (also known as waves of pressure)
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The sound enters our Ear Canal and hits the Eardrum - causing it to vibrate.
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The vibration then jerks the bone in our ear called the 'Hammer'.
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The movement of this then pushes fluid into our ear and these travel like waves.
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The hair cells which line our ears move with the fluid (named Stereocilia) and triggers a signals which then travels to the auditory Nerve. This is then interpreted as a specific sound.
Notes taken during video
“The amazing sound system in the human brain helps explain why people everywhere fill their lives with music”
THE BRAIN - RESEARCH
“The affects of Music on the Brain"​
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How are the regions of the brain affected by music?
How do the different regions interact with music?
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HOW THE BRAIN RESPONDS TO MUSIC - NOTES:
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"A popular class break down how our brains respond to music"
RANDOM FACTS
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The oldest Instrument is a 40,000 year old 'Vulture Bone Flute'.
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We are born with Neurons that we don't need and by the age of 8, our brains remove unnecessary Neurons - this is why it's easier to teach kids a language or music at a young age!
SUMMARY
Different regions of the brain interact with music in different ways. The 'Putamen' which I colour coded in orange and is located in the middle of our brain is the region that process rhythm and regulates body rhythm which results in our physical reaction/movement to music! In addition to this the Amygdala (which I read about previously) has a strong link to evoking emotions. This region processes and triggers emotions and determines our emotional reaction to sound. I find this really interesting because it makes me wonder if we can manipulate the emotions of individuals through music and If so, why is this not taken advantage of?
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There is also a strong connection between Music and Memory. The hippocampus processes and retrieves memories - when listening to music, it's repetitive nature triggers and activates both short and long term memories. I like the idea of triggering memory - maybe have the player gradually memorise and learn a specific action through the use of repetitive sound?
WHAT HAVE I LEARNED?
From this research I have a better understanding of the affects on the brain but specifically the regions that interact with music and what they're used for. Regarding what I've learned as of yet, I am most intrigued in the emotional effect of music, specifically looking at the effect of the Amygdala in terms of determining our enjoyment of music, our reaction and triggering emotions. I think this is a fun way to manipulate listeners and it's interesting to learn the
psychological effect of enjoying a piece of music rather than just saying it was a good song!
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HOW COULD I USE THIS? (Ideas highlighted green)
During this research phase I'd love to go down lots of different routes but in terms of the brain, I'd like to further my idea of manipulation and link this to Sound Design too. For example, how do composers create a piece of music with a specific narrative in mind? How do they compose for a game, film or other media? Taking into consideration creating tension, evoking emotion or achieving suspense etc.
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I've found an article to assist my research into stimulating feelings of emotion through music which involves the effect it has on creating a sense of unity and empathy which I found interesting.
MUSIC AND EMOTIONS - RESEARCH
“Music stimulates emotions through specific brain circuits”​
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How are emotions simulated through music?
The different roles of Music.
Unique effects of music.
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NOTES (Things that interest me highlighted in green)
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Music strongly evokes feelings and “effects social activities and interactions”.
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Music stimulates emotions through specific brain circuits and regions – referring to my previous poster and an analysis of the regions of the brain.
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Important use of Music involves evoking, experiencing, and regulating emotions. Children can show emotional responses to music and can be used in child-parent bonding!
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The release of Dopamine when listening to music is not as involved when listening to ‘fearful music’ such as during a horror film, it doesn’t evoke the same feeling of pleasure that an upbeat song would.
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Regions of the brain are connected and result in the feelings of love and joy, which is why music has such a strong effect on social activity. For example, music is used for social bonding – religious services, hymns, national anthem, and dancing. At an event like a football game, people are focused and share emotional experiences. Music creates a shared sense of movement and community. (E.g. concerts)
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Music simulates social interaction – whether this is people dancing together, listening, or making music, they are experiencing music together. “This increases cooperation, decreases conflict, and increases empathy”. The result of this can also need to coordinated movements, such as tapping and rhythmic clapping. This article states it increases trust and cooperation which is why it’s especially useful with children, to build trust between the child and the parent.
Research Link:
https://jonlieffmd.com/blog/music-stimulates-emotions-through-specific-brain-circuits
SHARED EXPERIENCES
I like the idea of a shared experience through music which are evident in situations such as singing hymns in Church, singing the national anthem at a football game or even as simple as dancing together in a club. These are examples of shared experiences through enjoyment of music. I love that music can bring us together and make us all feel the same sense of community, love and joy.
EXAMPLES OF SHARED EXPERIENCES
I made a mood-board of different shared experiences that were brought to my attention including dancing in a club environment, concerts and even synchronised swimming. There's an element of trust and community in all of these examples.
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HOW?
During synchronised swimming, each dancer relies on each other in hopes that they appear on time and perform to the best of their ability. They have to take into consideration the correct rhythm and movement, and ensure this is matched through their teammates.
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A concert is a great example of a shared experience through music. Each guest has come to support the performer and a sense of community is created while doing so. This is through singing in unity and contagious body movement e.g. dancing together.
PRIMARY RESEARCH
Over the course of a few days I will be gathering some primary research regarding the idea of shared experiences and emotional contagion. This will include my own photos/videos of shared experiences during concerts, football games and gigs.
CONCERTS/FESTIVALS
Examples of crowds singing together, dancing and enjoying the music in a shared setting:
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Justin Bieber - British Summer Time Festival
Charlie Puth - Summer Time Ball
Analysis
In both scenarios the crowd is singing in unison and move with the same rhythm - these are examples of coordinated movements such as rhythmic clapping.
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HOW DID I FEEL?
I remember feeling overwhelmed by the community feel, everyone felt happy and grateful to be there. Specifically during Charlie Puth's performance I felt much more emotional as the crowd were swaying their flashlights as he sung a soft ballad. The emotional effect of this song was already powerful in itself but seeing everyone come together made it even more special.
FOOTBALL/SPORT EVENTS
Liverpool vs Fulham
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Crowd singing 'You'll Never Walk Alone' before the game to show support.
Analysis
This was one of my first games at Anfield and I remember the atmosphere during 'You'll Never Walk Alone' was incredible. Football fans have created a community through sport and singing in unison before and during matches is a way to encourage and motivate players.
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This is an example of a much larger shared experience and to think thousands of people are present in the same stadium at once, singing together in support of their team gives me goosebumps thinking about it! It's not something you see on a daily basis. Shared experiences have been destroyed through the use of social media.
Crowd singing to celebrate goal:
GIGS
Pat at Bedford Esquires
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Analysis
Recently I went to watch one of my friends perform his first Gig as an upcoming artist! It was amazing to witness an audience of people waiting for him to perform and the reaction when he performed filled me with pride. Although this was a small gig compared to performances I have been to in the past, it was much more intimate and still had that same feel of a shared experience. There was still a sense of community and this was present through coordinated movement amongst the crowd as well as everyone singing in response to his songs.
SUMMARY
To conclude shared experiences, I have learned how experiences involving music can build intimacy and a sense of community between us. I think this is a really interesting topic to take forward and focus more on how this can be used to gain back what we have lost through social media e.g. lack of interaction and social activity. This can also be linked to cooperative games where the outcome depends on the communication between a team rather than single player gameplay.
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With reference to the article I analysed above, It also focuses on the structure of music and dives a bit deeper into emotional contagion.
MUSIC AND EMOTIONS - RESEARCH
Tension
Emotional Contagion
Does music have to be just audio based?
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The structure of music can have different emotional effects! As I learned previously in my research, composers can intentionally arrange music to manipulate the way the listener feels. There are multiple factors that can result in an increase or decrease in both enjoyment and tension. Such as dissonance, consonance, volume and pace. This can affect the Amygdala and result in you feeling a particular way.
For many years now I have been playing the piano, and I’ve always said there are specific chords that I prefer to others. When composing music (in the few cases that I’ve had to) I begin with these chords because I know I like them best. During my research I found that certain chord patterns can have this effect on people and increase the release of dopamine – therefore increasing pleasure and enjoyment.
Emotional contagion – does music have to just be audio based?
Studies show that our judgement on a musical performance can be based on both sight and sound. As a part of their investigation, they had both trained and untrained musicians observe performances and found that the quality of the performance depended on how the musician presented themselves, how they moved and what they appear like rather than their sound.
I found this very interesting because I remember piano gradings and having to present myself in a certain way as I walked in and during my performances. The invigilator would sit beside me as I played, focusing on my posture, the way I moved to the music and the placement of my hands.
An example of emotional contagion is during a horror film. The fearful music will play and both visual and auditory circuits will affect your reaction. “A fearful sound is heard, and the visual centre immediately scans for fearful images as well”.
REFLECTION & SUMMARY
What have I learned so far?
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The affects of music on specific brain regions
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How these regions interact with music
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How music simulates emotions
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Shared experiences, building bonds and trust through sound
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Throughout my research the term 'manipulation' has been repeated. Looking at my studies into the brain and how different music can evoke different feelings, moods and emotions I am determined to learn more about how musicians, composers and writers create music with a specific intention in mind. Whether this is for games, film or other media - how does a sound designer reflect the tone or narrative through sound?
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I am interested in understanding how composers intentionally evoke particular emotions in the listener, involving the specific factors and how they are adjusted. With little knowledge on Music Theory, I'd like to expand my knowledge in this area.
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SOUND DESIGN - RESEARCH
“How to project emotions through music: choosing the key”​
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This article is based on music theory and understanding the ways in which different emotions can be evoked through different keys, scales and tones.
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Musical Patterns that hold emotional power:​
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Choosing the key – Identify the right key to suggest the emotional effect needed
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Setting the tempo – Tempo can affect emotional reaction. Composers can choose a suitable tempo for their composition.
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Harmony and Melody
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Modulation
Research Link:
When composing music, it’s suggested to understand the effect you want, in order to identify the right key. Having clear intentions helps to do this.
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ASK YOURSELF
"What is the emotion that is triggering my composition?
What is the story I want to tell? If there is any.
What would I like to elicit in those who listen?”
Examples of Scales - Similar scales use the same notes but induce different emotions.
SKETCHNOTES FROM ARTICLE
C MAJOR vs C MINOR
My little diagram shows the difference between the two scales - they are very similar and almost indentical, however sound very different and project different emotions because of it!
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Different Keys can produce different emotions for example C Major is often upbeat and happy whereas D minor feels very serious and melancholic.
Basic analysis of how different Keys can project different feelings and emotions.
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This can also depend on other factors such as Tempo, Modulation and Harmony within the piece.
TEMPO
The tempo of a piece can also affect how it comes across. I found a basic diagram showing examples of this:
MEASURING TEMPO
A Metronome can be used to measure the tempo of a piece and this also allows Pianists to play at the right speed.
Tempo's vary and usually the faster the tempo the more upbeat the song, projecting feelings of happiness and excitement or if combined with the right key, can express anger or fear. These are all elements which when adjusted and combined intentionally can evoke a specific emotion and make the listener feel the way that you desire. If a composers brief was to create a a piece portraying suspense and fear, they would choose these musical patterns taking into consideration the emotional effects of each one.
MELODY, HARMONY & MODULATION
What emotion do I want to trigger?
Where do I come from and where am I going?
How am I going to do it?
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"Rhythm and Melody help us remember a song. Harmony accentuates the emotion"
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"Modulation results in emotional response to a song"
SUMMARY OF RESEARCH:
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What have I learned?
I have gained knowledge on a variety of phobias, their symptoms and treatments available. My research taught me ways in which we can look after ourselves and overcome feelings produced by a phobia or similar, involving techniques and strategies to do so! I have also learned about specific treatments and ways these can be used on a day to day basis to impact us.
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What do I find interesting?
I found my research into treatment much more interesting than Phobias itself. There was only so much I could learn regarding what a phobia was and the different types, however, when I began to look into how to tackle and overcome the reactions caused by a phobia I learned a lot regarding this. I especially found nature-based therapy interesting because it gave me more insight into what I briefly knew already.
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What would I take further if I choose this as my starting point?
If I were to choose this topic to take further, I would take into consideration other mental/physical illnesses and begin to look at general care strategies to impact us. I would certainly expand on Eco-therapy and potentially look at ways I could implement this in-game - providing real elements to an artificial environment.
PRIMARY RESEARCH
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To assist in my primary research, I thought I'd carry out a little experiment where I tested the use of different keys to portray different emotions.
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TASK
Use 3 different keys to produce 3 small compositions and evaluate the emotions projected during each one.
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(Need to document)
RELFECTION & SUMMARY
From a composer’s point of view, I am aware of the way in which they compose music to evoke a particular emotion and to make listeners feel a certain way. I’d love to look more into how the more soothing genres of music are used to benefit one’s mental health as I feel this is an area that could be applied to games as well as other experiences. I have found research avenues including music as a therapy tool to enhance my research on this.
During my previous research I investigated Music Therapy and understood what a therapy session entailed. Now I’ll be researching into the benefits of this as I am already aware different types of music and the structure of a song can suggest different emotions, as well as acting as a method of distraction for those suffering with mental health.
MUSIC THERAPY - RESEARCH
“What are the Benefits?”​
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Music Therapy can help improve mental health and well-being by involving making and listening to music.
It usually focuses on addressing stress and pain. Those that take part in music therapy don’t need a background in music and essentially anyone can use this method! I find this interesting because it uses another form of communication to express thoughts and feelings, rather than using words to articulate what’s in your mind which can be challenging at times.
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In my first bulk of research for this topic I identified and evaluated two contrasting music therapy sessions including the instruments used and the kind of activities that take place. I'd like to expand my knowledge further by understanding the benefits and if this is a universal type of therapy or if it is focused on specific issues only.
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Research Link:
https://www.verywellmind.com/benefits-of-music-therapy-89829
There are different types of Music Therapy – including ‘Benenzon’ music therapy which helps you search for your ‘musical sound identity’. This focuses on finding the sound that represents your mental state. Another form of Music Therapy is ‘Nordoff-Robbins’ music therapy which involves playing an instrument (usually a cymbal or a drum) while the therapist plays their own instrument. This builds a trust between the client and the therapist and enables self-expression.
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An example of a performance in session: If the client is feeling angry or distressed, they may sing loud and fast and use dissonant chords. (Dissonant chords lack harmony) A session usually takes place in a clinic, health centre, hospital, or private office, but wherever the session takes place, it’s usually a calming environment avoiding any distractions.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MUSIC THERAPY?
What do I know?
Music Therapy is a versatile form of therapy which involves using music and sound as a communication tool between the client and a therapist. It can be used to benefit sleeping disorders, anxiety, depression and anxiety as well as a way to manage physical pain, trigger memories and lower heart rate. Overall the benefits of music therapy can impact a wide demographic of people and affect people's day to day life.
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WEEK 4 - Thursday 25th October
During Week 4 we undertook two tasks which I found were very beneficial. These tasks can also be found under my Week 4 section via Notion.
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SPECULATIVE DESIGN
"Using design as a tool to create not only things but ideas, to speculate about possible futures" - Dunne and Raby
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TASK 1
Our first task was to essentially create a headline related to our research topic by scanning through newspapers and collaging different words/phrases and images. The idea was to create a headline to introduce our topic for the first time, as if it had never existed!
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Suitable for people of all ages
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Activate regions of the brain that influence memory
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Can fulfil social needs for older people
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Physical effects such as lowers heart ratend blood pressure
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Relax muscle tension
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Release endorphins
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Pain management
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Useful for coping with anxiety and depression
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Helps cope with physical pain
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Helps those suffering with sleeping disorders/insomnia
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Encourages feelings of calm
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A way to communicate challenging thoughts or feelings
MY OUTCOME
EVALUATION OF TASK
After continuously struggling to find words and phrases related to my topic, I finally managed to distinguish a few articles based on the idea of music and sound.
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I first established a headline for my article and decided to go with "Play Sound, Answer Prayers". As this was the first time I was introducing the topic to the world, I wanted to choose something that made people aware of the impact it had rather than what it actually was. Pretending to be unaware of what Music was, I chose the word 'Sound' to introduce the topic as this is all music really is - different sounds!
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THE MEANING?
The meaning of my article was to focus on the positive impact sound/music has on individuals. During prayer, people communicate struggles, worries and other challenging thoughts that may be on their mind, and I used this phrase to suggest that Sound is the way forward to cope with these things, again linking back to it's beneficial impact.
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To summarise, listen to music and manage to cope with overwhelming or challenging thoughts.
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WHAT DID I LEARN FROM THIS TASK?
This task made me aware of how important the effect of music is to myself and others, and by doing this activity I was able to make others aware of it too.
TASK 2
The next task was to form a Propaganda - for or against your topic! This was a fun activity as we could choose to be against our topics, opening up avenues we may not have thought about before.
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I worked with Kiera for this task and chose to evaluate Music Therapy - resulting in us being for the topic, and our mission was to convince the class to take part in it!
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HOW DID WE DO IT?
We firstly picked apart the benefits of Music Therapy and how it works and begun to illustrate two posters to present our propaganda.
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OUR PROPAGANDA
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"REDUCE
REGULATE
RELEASE"
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We came up with this saying to inform our audience on Music Therapy's impact. The idea of this is based on Reducing feelings of anxiety of stress, Regulating these emotions, and Releasing them through self-expression and music.
EVALUATION OF TASK
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I enjoyed this task because It enabled me to make others aware of the positive impacts of music and ways people can use it to benefit them directly as well as expanding my previous research into it. This way I could use all that I had learned to create a persuasive argument to ensure others considered this option of therapy! It made me feel as though more people should know about it and I'd love to be able to communicate this with more people. Whether this is directly or through games/other media.
WHERE DO I TAKE THIS NEXT?
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Considering what I know already, I'd like to look into technology which takes advantage of music and sound as well as other elements I may not know about. From the 'Deep Dive' exercise I can see that a few people suggested looking into technology such as Virtual Reality and Spatial Audio which I am keen to learn about too. As well as this, I'd like to establish how music can be visualised further than just sound waves and mus
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POTENTIAL AVENUES OF RESEARCH
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Visual Music - how can it be visualised?
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Sound Waves
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Virtual Reality
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Spatial Audio
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Immersion
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Binaural audio/beats
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Mixed Reality
VISUAL MUSIC - RESEARCH
“Visual Music” - Brian Eno​
Book by Christopher Scoates and Will Wright
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Research Link:
Book - Visual Music: Brian Eno
Book by Christopher Scoates and Will Wright- WSA Library
"World-renowned musician Brian Eno is celebrated in this comprehensive monograph for his equally innovative explorations in the world of visual art".
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I wanted to document more visuals regarding Music but wanted to think outside the box. I'll begin by mind-mapping my visualisation of music, creating mood-boards and reading Brian Eno's 'Visual Music' to understand other perspectives of visual music!
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WHAT IS MY INTERPRETATION OF VISUAL MUSIC?
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I have made a spider-diagram of what I think visual music is before reading into it from Brian Eno's perspective. Additionally I will document mood-boards of my findings.​
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DEEP - DIVE
Class suggested Visuals
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RESPONSES
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My responses included Sound Waves, Music Sheets, Instruments, Songbooks/journals, Lyrics, Expression through art, Music Production and Scores.
CLASS SUGGESTIONS
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Using the responses from the Deep Dive method, most people suggested the elements of a music sheet/score e.g. the lines and the notes. In terms of colour, I found it really interesting that someone suggested the colour red, as they associate this with theatre seats! This made me think of performances, orchestra and live shows.
Structures - Sound Waves, Volume Bars, Compositions.
Movement - Flow, Synchronised swimming, Dance, Head-banging, Crowd-surfing, Soundwaves.
I like suggestion of head-banging and crowd-surfing as movement related to music as this is a part of coordinated movement and how we react to music in unison.
HOW DO I VISUALISE MUSIC?
MOOD-BOARDS
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VISUAL MUSIC
RESEARCH LINK:
SOUND WAVES
RESEARCH:
Google Images
WHAT ARE SOUND WAVES?
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"Sounds are produced by vibrations.
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Sound travels as waves, which are vibrating particles.
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Sound waves are reflected by surfaces." - BBC Bitesize
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HOW DO THEY TRAVEL?
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Sound Waves travel through air and much faster through liquids and solids! Energy is transferred from the source to our surroundings - then our ears detect the sound waves when they cause our ear drums to vibrate.
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"The bigger the vibration, the louder the sound"
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RESEARCH LINK:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zw982hv/articles/z8mmb82
MY INTERPRETATION OF A SOUND WAVE:
I used the mood-board and sketches above to create my own sound waves!​
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SOFTWARE USED: Adobe Illustrator
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HOW? I began by making a simple horizontal line and applied a Distort effect. Effect>Distort and Transform>Zigzag. I then played around with the 'Points' and 'Size' adjustment until I was happy with the outcome! I then duplicated the first sound wave and placed it directly on top of the first one. I lastly used the 'Direct Selection Tool' to adjust the height of the overlapping peaks which created a layered effect.
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I filled in the gaps by using the Object>Blend Tool which gave it a three dimensional effect, and coloured it the way I pleased!
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OUTCOMES
SKETCHES
MUSIC PRODUCTION
RESEARCH:
Google Images
MUSIC NOTES
RESEARCH LINK:
MUSIC PRODUCTION SOFTWARE (to compose and produce music)
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Logic Pro
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Garage Band
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Semibreve
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Minim
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Semiquaver
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Crotchet
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Quaver
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Treble Clef
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Base Clef
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Dotted Minim
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Crotchet Rest
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Sharp
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Flat
MY OWN IMAGE
WHAT IS A NOTE?
"A musical note is a name given to a pitch associated with a specific audio vibration" - Masterclass.com
MIKE LEMANSKI
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​While scrolling through Pinterest for Music Sheet images I came across beautifully illustrated music sheet art! I instantly had a scroll through related work and came across Artist Mike Lemanski.
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​Mike Lemanski is a freelance illustrator who creates posters, album covers and intricate sheet music illustrations.
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MUSIC SHEET ARTIST
RESEARCH LINK:
“Music is a labyrinth with no beginning and no end, full of new paths to discover, where mystery remains eternal”
– Pierre Boulez
REFLECTION
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I like the way Mike Lemanski uses the effects of music to influence his artwork.
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In order to approach this in my own way I have decided to conduct two small tasks to assist my primary research of this project, and to evaluate the way different songs/genres effect the way we feel. I will be presenting this through visual expression.
WHAT DOES HE DO?
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Lemanski draws small and intricate coloured illustrations on top of music sheets as a form of expression. This includes people performing basic tasks, nature, dancing and other activities.
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I love his work because it's a personal form of expression - he illustrates his own evaluation of music.
TASK 1) MY OWN INTERPRETATION OF MIKE LEMANSKI'S WORK:
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I listened to two contrasting songs while illustrating its sheet music to evaluate if the tone/narrative of the songs are reflected through my drawings. I chose these two songs because one has a very obvious meaning especially through the use of lyrics, whereas the other is a soft and mellow instrumental.​
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SONGS:
Fur Elise - Beethoven
The Climb - Miley Cyrus
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WHAT IS THE SONG ABOUT?
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Beethoven's Fur Elise is about a woman that Beethoven wanted to marry called 'Fur Therese' however she did not want to marry him! Fun Fact - Beethoven misspelled her name which is why the song is called Fur Elise. Words often associated to this piece are agony, nostalgia, love and emotional disturbance. However, later develops into happiness.
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MY RESPONSE
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It was hard to annotate a song with no lyrics but I tried my best to let the tone of the song reflect it's mood and narrative. The song was soft and mellow and was obviously a journey of love. Throughout, I found myself drawing two people together at different stages of their life but I'd say my drawings are a representation of love and togetherness.
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WHAT IS THE SONG ABOUT?
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'The Climb' is a song based on pursuing your dreams and overcoming any obstacles that might be in the way. The song is clearly very emotional and projects the feeling of determination and motivation.
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MY RESPONSE
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This time I could use the lyrics to assist my reflection of this piece which made it much easier. I begun by drawing obstacles around the notes which appeared like hurdles to represent having to jump over them to progress. Additionally, I used mountains to represent having to climb in order to succeed and used subtle hints to convey 'bumps in the road'. My reflection involved an individual having to overcome these subtle obstacles to go forward in life and eventually be in a position they were happy with.
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TASK 2) LISTENING TO SONGS AND EXPRESSING HOW THEY MAKE ME FEEL:
WHY?
I conducted a little experiment to understand the effects different songs had on me and represented this through visual expression. I listened to four songs, each for 2-3 minutes long and used simple geometric shapes to create abstract art, to capture the way I felt during each one. From this experiment I can evaluate the way different genres evoke contrasting emotions, and I’ll also have visual research to show for this too.
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SONGS:
‘No Takebacks’ – Kiana Lede
‘Playground Days’ – Pat
‘Jealous’ – Labrinth
‘Walking on sunshine’ – Katrina & The Waves
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MY CONNOTATIONS:
Airy, Light, Love, Heartfelt
MY CONNOTATIONS:
Heartbroken, Lost, Distant
MY CONNOTATIONS:
Playful, Lively, Goofy, Happy, Nostalgia
MY CONNOTATIONS:
Energetic, Happy, Joyful, Enthusiastic
REFLECTION & SUMMARY OF TASK
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From this task I can evaluate that the emotions projected in the songs were definitely reflected in my art work! This is based on the shapes and colours I used, for example during 'Playground Days' I used more rigid and structured shapes in the colour red to represent energy and playfulness. Whereas, during 'Jealous' I used softer shapes at a lower opacity in grey tones to represent distance and sadness.
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To conclude on this task, I think it was a fun way to make it evident that songs can be composed to manipulate the feelings of the listener as I can see this in my own self-expression. This often links with the narrative of the music as well as it's tone, evoking specific emotions.
VISUAL MUSIC - RESEARCH
How does Brian Eno interpret Visual Music?​
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Now that I have gathered my own interpretation of visual music I plan to read into Brian Eno and document my findings! Hopefully this will open up other avenues that I may not have thought about or linked with music.
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Who is Brian Eno?
Brian Eno is a British Musician, Composer, Record Producer and Visual Artist as well as an Alumni of the University of Southampton!
PAGE 19 - Wassily Kandinsky
WHAT IS SYNESTHESIA? - "a rare neurogical condition that produces a cross-sensory perceptual fusion, often between colour and sound"
- by Christopher Scoates and Will Wright
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EXAMPLES OF WASSILY KANDINSKYS WORK:
PAGE 18 - The Aesthetics of Time
NOTES
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Brian Eno stated that "music and art shares composition, proportional relationships and harmonic ratios".
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Eno believes there is a connection between visual and auditory stimuli in terms of colour, optics and perception.
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Camille Mauclair stated that there was a correlation between Claude Monet's compositions and the musical compositions of Claude Debussy.
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Another artist that is known for this is Wassily Kandinsky. He was interested in synthesia and used the emotional power of music to provide inspiration for his abstract paintings. Kandinsky's work often uses line, shape, colour and form to connect both musical and visual tones.
PAGE 130 /131- Oskar Fischinger
& Mark Boyle
NOTES
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Brian Eno felt restricted by the limited scale of the television at the time as a "vehicle for his work". He wondered how his images could be projected on a more environmental scale.
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Oskar Fischinger - Fischinger combined his love for music and graphic art by creating abstract films and calling them "visual music". His work involved experiementation with coloured liquids, wax and clay.
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He is known to be the "grandfather of visual music, music video and motion graphics" but as well as this "the forerunner of Immersive environments".
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He used glass slides, projectors and screens to create a new form of art which combined sculpture, dance, painting and music. He called this "Space, Light, Music".
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Also known as "Raumlichtmusik".
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British Artist Mark Boyle also "experimented with projected light and immersive taped-sound environments in the 1960's"
EXAMPLES OF OSKAR FISCHINGER'S IMMERSIVE ENVIRONMENTS:
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WEINSTEIN GALLERY 2017-2018
"Everything in the world has a spirit which is released by its sound."
— Oskar Fischinger
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Large spaces
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Multiple Screens
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Projections of light, colour and abstract art
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Sound
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RESEARCH LINK:
https://www.weinstein.com/exhibitions/9-oskar-fischinger-raumlichtkunst/
PAGE 294/295 - Learning from Eno
FIG.3 - Musical composition comprised of voice recordings based on a piano scroll - produced by Aaron Koblin and Daniel Massey.
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PAGE 345 - Where sound Become Visual and Visuals Become Sound
NOTES
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Eno was interested in blending media
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Focused a lot on sensory perception using light, colour, sound, movement and physical space.
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This was to expand our experience of visual and auditory stimuli.
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"Eno's videos, installations and environments reshape the audience's relationship to music and visual experience".
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His works are a form/mode of expression
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"Eno's work has reconfigured the boundaries between light, space, sound and art"
REFLECTION & SUMMARY OF TASK
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Reading Visual Music was enlightening. I love the idea of pushing boundaries and combining different forms of art including light, sculpture and music. I am especially interested in Oskar Fischinger's work into Immersive environments by using projections and sound - I'd love to look into this more, what is the significance of sound in these environments? It would be great to visit a few Immersive experiences/exhibitions myself and gather first hand research to support this and I am keen to look into the technology side of this a bit more. I love the way these environments combine different media and I am enthusiastic to look at this from a Games Designer's point of view involving interactions that might take place.
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Immersive Experiences
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Significance of Sound
IMMERSION - RESEARCH
Immersive Experiences & The Importance of Sound​
Music can be used to evolve the effect of experiences, whether that’s in games, escape rooms or immersive art galleries. Immersive experiences are achieved through visuals and audio usually to make people feel like they are in an alternative environment. I am keen to explore immersion and combine this with my research into the effects of Music and Sound. From this I intend to investigate Sound Design particularly for Games.
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The word is used to describe an experience that makes a person feel they are somewhere they’re not. Whether this is in a space station or the Amazon rainforest, the possibilities are limitless. Sound plays a huge part in this, by using sound effects or a soundtrack to represent realistic audio in that environment and make people feel immersed.
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WHAT IS AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE & HOW DO YOU CREATE ONE?
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“studies show experiences make us happier than physical objects”
What is Immersion?
“deep mental involvement in something” – Wikipedia
Research Link:
Immersive experiences enhance everyday life with technology. Although one can also feel immersed in a particular activity. These experiences can be different depending on where they are applied such as an immersive art exhibition or a Virtual Reality experience, which use technology to achieve this feeling. The different types include Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Mixed Reality, Digital Twins and 360-degree content.
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In my case I’ll be investigating the use of visuals and audio to create such immersive experiences.
“The closer you can make it feel to the real thing, the more immersive it becomes” – sound, video quality and the way individuals interact with the space are the key factors to making a great experience.
EXAMPLES
A virtual reality experience allows a person to physically interact with their virtual surroundings using a headset, providing them with surround sound and realistic 360-degree visuals. The key to immersive experiences is making the player/audience feel as though they are in that space and audio plays a massive part in this.
Understanding immersion will also assist my research into Sound Design which I can take further when generating distinct game ideas related to my theme.
IMMERSIVE ENVIRONMENTS MOOD-BOARD:
BOARD LINK:
IMMERSIVE ART EXHIBITIONS
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Immersive Art Exhibitions often use multiple screens, projectors and surround sound to achieve a realistic representation of a particular environment/space.
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Drawbacks - Looking at it from a Games Designer's perspective, immersive exhibitions lack player interactions, so can we consider this a game? If I were to design a similar environment I would consider what interactions could take place in the space.
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VIRTUAL REALITY
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VR is another example of immersive technology.
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User's wear a headset to transform them to a different environment and do this through the use of a 3D virtual space, realistic visuals and surround sound. VR experiences and games provide more player interaction and allow individuals to interact with their space whereas Immersive Art Exhibitions are purely based on sight/sound.
IMMERSION - Sensory Immersion
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Immersive environments engage the senses - Especially Virtual Reality games/experiences, the experience stimulates users sight, sound and touch as they interact with their virtual space. This is a way to almost 'fool' the senses and convince the brain that you are somewhere you are not!
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Virtual Reality is an incredible technology which can transform your surroundings all through the use of a headset and touch controls. It's a great way to escape to somewhere as far to reality as possible, however due to the price and the physical space needed, it isn't as accessible as other technology.
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DRAWBACK: Virtual Reality environments comes with its drawbacks and limitations. Despite the expensive headset, it can cause motion-sickness due to latency. Last year I researched this topic thoroughly and learned about the effects of latency on the brain. Latency can trigger signals in your brain and convince yourself that you have been poisoned resulting in feeling motion sickness during VR. (Similar to simulator sickness)
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WHAT WOULD I LIKE TO KNOW?
I would like to further my research into immersion and understand the importance of sound/music in other media.
SOUND & IMMERSION - RESEARCH
"The significance of Sound in Games" - Chordily
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(Things that interest me highlighted in green)
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Sound is a vital aspect of entertainment
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Sound provides depth and emotion (this is important as I looked heavily into the emotional side of music)
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Sound effects are used to achieve a more realistic representation of a scenario/experience. For example, in horror movies sound effects are used to create tension and keep the audience on edge throughout.
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Sound is used in Games to give the experience “originality” as well as to inform the player.
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Sound and visuals work together to achieve a full immersive experience – In games, the sound must line up with your visuals to completely immerse players.
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Sound designers focus on making “the player’s experience feel real”.
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Sound moves us in a way that visuals cannot.
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Create tension, add emotion, and build immersion.
How did I get here?
I understand the basis of Immersion and what makes an Immersive environment, however I'd like to relate this back to my main topic of Music and understand the importance of sound/music in media overall.
REFLECTION
Sound and Visuals come hand-in-hand and work together to achieve immersion. Sound in games is used to inform the player as well as set the tone of the game, whereas in film sound can be used to create tension or keep the audience engaged.
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What can I learn from this?
From this I can learn that sound plays a massive part in player engagement. Specifically looking at games, sound can be used to encourage and motivate players, as well as setting the scene and providing them with the feeling of a realistic environment.
SOUND & IMMERSION - RESEARCH
"Essential ways to use Sound: Promote Immersion" - Elliot Callighan
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(Things that interest me highlighted in green)
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“Immersion is the sense of the player actually being in that space”
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“Immersion is getting someone to lose the sense of their physical self and feel like they are actually in another space”
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Audio effects can be used to represent a specific thing/sound and make a person feel like that thing is present.
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Binaural audio used to achieve immersion. This type of audio makes you feel as though you are in that space, (surround sound) and can also cause motion sickness if you’re not too careful!
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“Audio needs to be purposeful in its execution” – to ensure your game has an engaging experience.
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“Without audio, a game will be missing an entire dimension of effective and engaging experience”.
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Audio/Sound creates a more life-like experience for players/audience.
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Simulate realistic representations of sound.
RESEARCH LINK:
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-10-08-eight-ways-to-use-sound-in-video-games
REFLECTION
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Similar to the previous article, Callighan outlines the importance of sound to engage players and provide them with a more convincing experience. (Life-like) The idea of feeling like you are present in another space links back to my research into manipulation (can be found in this section above). I evaluated the way music can be composed intentionally to manipulate the feelings of the listener, and Immersion does a similar thing by convincing individuals that they are in an alternative space through visuals and sound. Using what I've learned about music composition, music can be written for an immersive space to make the audience feel particular emotions while they are there! - This is something to take note of as I find this very fascinating.
A SUMMARY
Where do I take this next?
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I am pleased with the amount I was able to research and learn during these few weeks, I felt as though I would be limited due to the timeframe however I proved myself wrong and managed to gain knowledge in areas I had no idea about!​
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In terms of what interests me the most, I have enjoyed reading about the affects of music on the brain, the emotional side of music, manipulating the way listeners feel through composition and Immersion. Before I conclude Phase 2 I plan to write a blog based on these topic areas as a reflection of my research. I will also take note of further research avenues/potential game ideas which I will share with the class during my second presentation on Tuesday. I also plan to spend the last week creating a survey and gathering personal responses into the importance of music to the public.
Monday 1st November - BLOG
Sound, Music and Immersion by me!
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Sound moves us in a way that visuals can’t. I will be writing a blog outlining the importance of sound and ways this can be used to achieve immersion. Sound plays a vital part in providing people with a realistic representation of a particular environment, specifically looking into Virtual Reality and other Immersive experiences. Sound essentially keeps people engaged in their surroundings and does this by making them feel like they are present in a place they are not. For example, a Virtual Reality Jungle experience will use rain, nature, and animal sound effects to captivate their audience while providing them with the visuals of these conditions – and this ties in with Immersion. Sound and visuals come hand in hand and work together to achieve a full immersive experience, without one, an entire dimension is lost. A simple example of this would be hearing the crashing of ocean waves while witnessing this visually:
In games, sound can be used to inform the player and keep them engaged throughout. Last academic year, I worked on a project named ‘Anima Mundi’ with 4 other students where our focus was achieving beauty in the environment through visuals and sound. Every aspect of the environment had a particular sound effect, and each asset was intentionally placed to encourage players to fulfil the next stage. We found that players were captivated by the details around them and were drawn to the audio they heard as they progressed! This was an important part of the game as the sound design encouraged gameplay in addition to making them feel immersed.
As a part of this project, I also composed the soundtrack. Whether this is in film, games or played in an immersive art exhibition, soundtracks set the tone of the surroundings, evoke emotions, and communicate with the audience. During my Music Psychology research, I have learned the effects of music on the brain along with ways musicians and sound designers compose intentionally to manipulate how the listener feels. I found this extremely fascinating and began to investigate the positive impact of music on health.
Music has a plethora of health benefits which would be incredible to gamify. I’ve investigated Music Therapy, focusing on the way it encourages people to express their emotions in a form of music rather than articulating tender thoughts. The best part is, whether the audience is listening to music to study, to sleep, as a hobby or even composing it themselves, the effect it has on people is unbelievably powerful and I’d love to take advantage of this.
Tuesday 2nd November
WORKSHOP WITH ADAM
Today we undertook a workshop task called 'Blackout Poem'. My work for this can be found under Week 5 of my Notion.
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Essentially this task was based on taking the important bits of information from an article, highlight important words and blacking out the rest. From this I learned that most information isn't necessary and you can get a point across in even just a few simple words!
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I decided to carry out this workshop again but this time using the article I wrote yesterday in order to highlight areas that I would like to take forward and the relevant themes of my topic.
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Examples of Blackout poems can be found under the hashtag #Blackoutpoems on Instagram!
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MY BLACKOUT POEM APPROACH
WORDS/PHRASES
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Sound moves us
Visual can't
Importance
Achieve Immersion
Vital
Representation
Environment
Immersive experiences
Sound
Keeps people engaged
Captivate their audience
Sound and visuals
Hand-in-hand
Full immersive experience
An entire dimension
Hearing
Visually
Used to inform
Engage
Intentionally placed
Drawn to the audio
Sound design
Encouraged gameplay
Feel immersed
Soundtracks set the tone
Evoke emotions
Communicate
Audience
Music Psychology
Effects of music
Brain
Compose
Intentionally
Manipulate
Listener Feels
Positive Impact
Music on health
Health benefits
Gamify
Express
Form of music
Articulating
Powerful
Take advtantage of this
EVALUATION OF TASK
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It's clear to me which themes of this topic stand out the most and which ones I am most passionate about, therefore taking this topic forward I can use these to influence possible game concepts for this project. To conclude I'd like to carry out primary research into personal responses to the link between mental health and music because this is something I am especially passionate about however want to touch on this more.
REFLECTION OF RESEARCH SO FAR
Lots of my research is focused around both mental and physical health. I have looked at different forms of therapy and ways Music can be used to benefit our overall health, not only involving music therapy, but by listening to it as well as composing it ourselves. Listening to music is one of the most popular suggestions to reduce feelings of anxiety and stress as well as to promote wellness, healing, and self-expression. Music overall has a huge impact on people daily, although some may not even be aware of it!
Where do I want to take my research next?
I am intrigued to investigate other self-care techniques to benefit one’s health and combine this with my knowledge in Music Psychology, particularly looking at physical spaces which people feel safe in and what they consider their comfort zones. I essentially would like to investigate environments which people feel calm in and evaluate how important music/sound is in this environment!
How will I do this?
I will carry out a survey to gather information based on specific comfort zones and what people do when they want to reduce feelings of anxiety to feel more at ease. A question I might ask the audience would be “How important is music to you in this scenario?”. From this I will mood-board the different surroundings in which people feel safe in as well as my own – some may include open spaces with nature sound, whereas some may prefer their quiet bedroom with no sound at all!
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Documentation of Survey can be found here: Survey
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SAFE SPACES
What do they consist of?
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Comfort items
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Teddy bears
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Pillows
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Soft items
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Blankets
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Dim lights
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LEDS
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Possibly company
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Plants
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Music playing
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Depends on preference
SUMMARY OF RESEARCH:
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What have I learned?
A colossal amount! I found myself branching out into different areas due to interest and I really enjoyed it. I learned about the affects of music on the brain, and explored how this could be used further which is how I ended up looking at Music Therapy. It was fun to learn about the different ways music can be used other than for entertainment purposes and discover ways it can be used to benefit this. While looking in to visual music, I came across Immersive environments which I found fascinating. I loved the way artists combined different art forms to create immersive spaces, and focusing on mainly art and sound to do this. This is definitely something I'd like to look into further.
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What do I find interesting?
I found all of it really interesting and I am glad I chose this topic in the end. I can certainly apply what I have learned to future scenarios and maybe even future projects. Music Therapy caught my interest because I was intrigued in the way it can be used to help people, similar to a medical intervention. As well as this, I liked how my research led me into Immersion, because I like the idea of an immersive environment, focusing on visual and sound mainly.
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What would I take further if I choose this as my starting point?
I'd certainly consider mental health and how music can be used to benefit people. I really enjoyed this area of my research and I'd be eager to explore this further. I'd like to potentially aim my project towards those that need support or somehow create a game to raise awareness for mental health. Knowing the impact of music, it would be interesting to see how I could incorporate the two. I'd apply my knowledge into the benefits of music to create something playful yet impactful at the same time. This could lead me to look into Serious Games and understand more of what 'Games for Change' do.