1,721,006 research outputs found
When children reflect on their own playing style: The Continuator
No full textThe Continuator project concerns the study of interactive musical systems that have the capability to learn musical styles. The Continuator system was primarily developed with the goal of designing new musical instruments in the context of improvised music. The strong subjective impressions created by the use of the system led us to consider its use in a pedagogical context. This paper describes experiments conducted with the system and 3 to 5-year old children. We highlight several dimensions of the study pertaining to music education, including attention span, spontaneous development of playing modes and capacity to listen analytically. We describe very encouraging preliminary results and stress the importance of using reflective interactive systems for triggering musical interest in children and creating stimulating, non-supervised music learning environments. We conclude by setting up our research in the context of the theory of Flow as optimal experience
Interactive reflexive musical systems for music education
No full textOur project collects and develops experiments about music education and the Interactive Reflexive Musical Systems. The IRMS are systems in which the user, whatever his competences’ level, is confronted with a kind of developing mirror of him/herself. The Continuator is a particular kind of IRMS able to learn constantly by the input is given and to produce music in the same style as a human playing the keyboard. The phrase generated by the system is similar but different from those played by the users (Pachet 2006). The system was elaborated for professional musicians. We decided to experiment it with children. In particular, we chose to study young children, 3/5 years old, because at this age the problem of the interaction between child and machine takes on a fundamental role in the learning process.
We carried out an experimental psychological protocol and several classroom setting experiences. The results suggest this system is able to develop interesting child/machine interaction and creative music processes in young children, creating a state of well-being very similar to this described in the Theory of Flow by Csikzsentmihalyi, enhancing attention span, self-regulation and self-practising. In the group setting it is a versatile device to support music teaching and collaborative learning. The innovative function of the Continuator is the creation of a dialogue with the child, while he is playing the keyboard. Between the system and the child a circular interaction is setting up, in which the child’s musical style influences the system, which answers repeating and changing the child’s musical fragment, in a continuous improvisation process. This dialogue is not only founded on the turn-taking rules, but also on the mechanism of repetition and variation similar to one observed in the infant/mother interaction.
On the base of these results, other experiences started in Italy and other countries (UK, USA) with the aim to create a spiral collaboration between system designers and experts in pedagogy and psychology. The next contribution will be to propose novel systems which will benefit from the analysis of the new experiments. We are strongly interested in the application of the IRMS concept to the content-based music indexing, as developed in the MusicBrowser project at SONY-CSL, to facilitate the access of collections of existing music repertoire for children
Experiments with a musical machine. Musical style replication in 3/5 year old children
No full textABSTRACT. The relationship between new technology and learning is gaining increasing relevance in the field of music education (Webster 2002; Folkestad et al. 1998). However, only a few studies have considered the nature of the interaction between children and musical machine. This article describes an observation setting realised to study young children 3-5 years old confronting a particular interactive musical system, the Continuator, able to produce music in the same style as a human playing the keyboard (Pachet 2003).
The analysis of 2 case-studies suggest that the Continuator is able to develop interesting child/machine interaction and creative musical processes in young children. It was possible to observe a sort of life cycle of interaction, as well as micro-processes similar to those observed in child/adult interaction (Stern 1985, Imberty 2002). The ability of the system to attract and hold the attention of children has been interpreted through the theory of Flow introduced by Csikszentmihalyi (1990)
Sistemas musicais interactivos-reflexivos para a educação musical
No full textEste artigo traz um relato de um prolecto de pesquisa em andamento, que vem sendo realizado por Anna Rita Addessi deFaculdade de Educaçao de Universidade deBologna,emcolaboraçao co François Pachet do Laboratorio de Ciencias da Computaçao da SONY em Paris. Através desteprojeto, os autores tém desenvolvido diversos experimentos sobre o uso de sistemas musicais interativos-reflexivos (SMIR) na educaçao musical. Os SMIR sao sistemas em que o usuario, indipendentemente de seus graus de competencias, é confrontado co um tipo especifico de espelho de desenvolvimento de sì. No presnte artigo, os autores descrevem a aplicaçao de um tipo especifico de SMIR chamado de Continuator na educaçao musical de crianças de 3 a 5 anos de idade
Experiment with a musical machine.
No full textIn this paper we will present a study carried out at the University of Bologna about young children working with a particular interactive system, the Continuator, created at the Sony-Computer Science Laboratory in Paris. We will describe the setting in which the observation took place and offer an analysis of two case-studies. We will show videos (7 minutes) and photos to illustrate some examples of interaction between children and the Continuator
Young children confronting the Continuator, an interactive reflective musical system
No full textBackground in music education. The present study deals with various the
interaction between children and musical machines. One of the principal aims is to
understand how the use of interactive musical systems can affect the learning and
the musical creativity of children and more especially of younger children (3 to
5 years old).
Background in artificial intelligence. An innovative system was conceived at the
Sony CSL in Paris which is able to produce music in the same style as the person
playing the keyboard. The name chosen for this machine is the Continuator. Its
basic design is that of Interactive Reflective systems where the core concept is to
teach musical processes indirectly by putting the user in a situation where learning
takes place through the actual interaction between the user and the system.
Aims. The aim of the study is to understand in what way the children relate to
this particular interactive musical system, what kinds of musical and relational
behaviours are developed, and how interactive reflective systems can be used in
the educational field to stimulate creativity and the pleasure of playing.
Method. The study involved 27 children aged 3 to 5 years, in a kindergarten in
Bologna (Italy). Three sessions were held once a day for 3 consecutive days. In
every session, the children were asked to play on the keyboard in 4 different
situations: with the keyboard alone, with the keyboard connected to the
Continuator, with another child, and with another child and the Continuator.
Results. The present paper reports the observation of three particular aspects: the
emergence of a life cycle of interaction, moving from initial surprise, to phases
featuring excitement, analytical behaviour and invention; the fact that the two
tasks involving the system gave rise to the longest attention span characterized by
strong intrinsic motivation and joint attention; the varied nature of the listening
behaviours.
Conclusion. The results show how an interactive reflective system such as the
Continuator can develop interesting child/computer interaction and promote
creative musical behaviours in young children. This outcome points to the
considerable potential offered by the association between the disciplines of music
education and artificial intelligence
Child/Computer interaction: observation in classroom setting.
No full textBackground in music education: The present study deals with an area still under-studied in the field of music education (Webster 2002), that of interactive musical systems, in an attempt to understand in what way it can affect the learning and the musical creativity of children. In particular, we chose to study young children, 3/5 years old, because at this age the problem of the interaction between child and machine takes on a fundamental role in the learning process. Imberty (2002), and Daniel Stern (1977), describe the development of young children as based on the vocal play between child and mother (lallation, baby-talk), characterised by the mechanism of repetition and variation. The point of interest is to verify what type of music development arises when this interaction takes place not between two human subjects, but rather between a child and a machine.
Background in artificial intelligence: At the Sony CSL, a system was elaborated able to produce music in the same style as the person playing the keyboard, the Continuator (Pachet 2002). This system is based on the notion of Interactive Reflective systems. The core concept of this approach is to teach powerful – but complex – musical processes indirectly by putting the user in a situation where these processes are performed not by the user, nor by the machine, but by the actual interaction between the user and the system. The ability of the system to attract and hold the attention of children can be interpreted through the theory of Flow introduced by psychologist Csikszentmihalyi (1990).
Aims: An experimental protocol has been established to observe systematically some interesting children's behaviours observed in preliminary experience. The general aim is to understand in what way the children relate to interactive musical systems, what kinds of musical behaviours are developed, and how interactive systems can be used in the educational field to stimulate creativity and the pleasure of playing.
Method: The experiment was carried out with 27 children of 3/5 years, in an Italian kindergarten. Three sessions were held once a day for 3 consecutive days. In every session, the children were asked to play in 4 different ways: just with the keyboard, with the keyboard and the Continuator, with another child, and both with another child and the Continuator. All the sessions were recorded on video. The attention span of the children was measured for each task. Two case-studies were analysed. Successively, the most interesting conducts were selected to be tested also on the other children.
Results: It was possible to observe a sort of life cycle of interaction, that move from surprise, to different phases of excitement, analytical behaviour, invention, readjustment and relaunch. The two tasks involving the system gave rise to the longest attention spans and show how most children reach a stable level of attention characterized by a strong intrinsic motivation, and by the socialization of the musical experience (join attention). The listening conducts were particularly varied and analytical.
Conclusion: The results suggest that the Continuator, or other similar interactive reflective systems, is able to develop interesting child/computer interaction, thanks above all to its ability to replicate the musical style of the child that is playing
Without touch, without seeing. Children playing with a cybernetic musician.
No full textWhat happens when young children play with a cybernetic musicians ? That is the question on the base of this paper, realized inside of the DiaMuse project carried out at Bologna University in collaboration with SONY-Computer Science Laboratory in Paris. The project deals with the interaction between children and an innovative musical system, the Continuator, able to produce music in the same style as a human playing the keyboard. In this paper we introduce a practice experience realised with children 3-5 year aged, with the aim to experiment how the system can be used in basic music education with small groups of young children. We will then draw some conclusions regarding the psychological, and pedagogical implications of our study
Young children’s Musical Experiences with a Flow Machine
No full textBackground: In the field of the studies on creativity is placed the Theory of Flow introduced by Csikszentmiahlyi (1990) in order to describe the state of Flow, or optimal experience, experimented by the creative persons during their preferred activities. In the field of music education Custodero (2005) elaborated a list of flow indicators to observe the Flow state in the musical experience of children. At the Sony Computer Science Laboratory, an innovative system was elaborated able to produce music in the same style as the person playing the keyboard, the Continuator. The ability of the system to attract and hold the attention of children can be interpreted through the theory of Flow (Pachet 2005).
Aims: The DiaMuse project is carrying out dealing with the interaction between young children and the Continuator. The experimental results have shown some micro-processes similar to one observed in child/adult interaction (Stern 1985, Imberty 2005, Addessi & Pachet 2005). During the interaction with the system, the children seem to reach high levels of “well-being” and creativity, very similar to those described by Csikszentmiahlyi. An observation grid was therefore realised in order to analyse in details the emotive tones described in the Theory of Flow.
Method: The experimental protocol was realised in a kindergartner with young children aged 3/5 years playing with the Continuator. Three sessions were held once a day for 3 consecutive days. In every session, the children were asked to play on the keyboard in 4 different situations: with the keyboard alone, with the keyboard connected to the Continuator, with another child, and with another child and the Continuator. All sessions was video recorded.
Results: The data show the presence of behaviours correlated with all the variables considered in the grid: focused attention, concentration, clear-cut feedback, control of the situation, intrinsic motivation, excitement, change in the perception of time, clear goals, pleasure, involvement, and socialization with partner. In particular we found that the percentage when the Flow state was present is higher when the child play alone with the Continuator. We also noticed the presence of the flow indicators as observed by Custodero (2005) in musical experiences.
Conclusion: The Flow experience that the Continuator, or other similar interactive reflective musical system, could generate during the interaction constitutes one of the prerequisite for enhancing musical creativity and personal music improvisation styles. This is an important result since despite its great importance, teaching to improvise is still rarely tackled in western formal music education. We will discuss the results and we will show some video examples
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