Expert gets £1.8m to explore music of future

STUDY INTO HOW NEW TECH IS CHANGING SCORES

A MUSIC expert has received 2 million euros (£1.8 million) to lead the first scientific investigation into how creative technologies have revolutionised the traditional musical score.

Professor Craig Vear, pictured, from De Montfort University, received the money from the European Research Council (ERC) for a five-year study.

His main objectives are to determine scientific knowledge of how digital music scores stimulate new creative opportunities and experiences.

“A digital score is about transferring musical ideas between people and exploring the possibilities of modern technology to communicate music,” he said.

“In traditional music scores we use lines and dots. Today, we can use a whole range of different technologies and devices to create, collaborate and communicate music.

“Seeing as we are now one fifth of the way through the 21st century, it only seems right that the music score transforms accordingly.

“Up until now there has been no scientific study of how digital scores affect creativity and musicianship, which is quite remarkable because digital scores are generating new experiences, innovative compositional approaches, novel performances and broader accessibility for a vast number of musicians and music cultures around the world.”

The funding Professor Vear has received will enable him to commission 50 pieces of music that will be created using seven key themes:

Artificial intelligence;

■ Machine learning;

■ Internet networking;

■ Robotics;

■ Virtual/augmented reality;

■ Gaming;

■ Physical computing.

He will work alongside four other world-leading experts in the field, in Australia, Canada, USA and China.

“De Montfort will be the hub for the research, with four other labs around the world replicating what we are doing,” Prof Vear said.

“We want to work with marginalised musicians, international artists and even children. That’s what makes this project so exciting.”

Prof Vear and his colleagues will interview the musicians to learn more about their experiences and knowledge with the aim of building a scientific study of inclusive digital musicianship by identifying the potential of a digital score.

He said: “There has always been a spirit of adventure in experimental music and there has always been a spirit of exploration within technology.

“This project will bring both of those together.”