Music + VR
As part of the ongoing Better Music + Music Better initiative, Pratt DAHRC is carrying out the investigation on new creative methods and experiences in Music using the Virtual Reality technology.
Pratt MID Student Alice Hixon Kirk tests playing the cello in the Motion Capture suit.
This study will attempt to integrate live music and dance performers into VR experience.
The musical content, as well as visual appearances of the performers, will be enhanced using the VR authoring technology.
The motion of the musicians and dancers will be captured using the Motion Capture technology and will be brought into the VR environment.
Alice and Jay preparing the Motion Capture Suit
The audience will also have the opportunity to take part in the VR performance with their body actions and virtual musical instruments.
Test 1
The first attempt at technical integration of the Motion capture into VR technology while testing for musical performance feasibility was found to be promising:
VR Tango
Although a series of pieces will be eventually produced, one of the first pieces to be worked on is VR Tango, with Astor Piazzolla’s Libertango as the underlying framework:
Close collaboration between musician researchers and VR design researchers will allow exploration, discoveries, and creation of content & methodology for an entirely new type of musical VR experiences.
MID student & classically trained musician Alice Hixon Kirk and BID Senior Boyuan Li working together on Music VR using Unreal Engine
DAHRC Researchers Feifei Yang and Jiaju Shen have collaborated with the prominent dancers Michael Nadtochi and Eleanora Kalganova to produce Turpan Tango:
