scholarly journals Automated Analysis of Body Movement in Emotionally Expressive Piano Performances

2008 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ginevra Castellano ◽  
Marcello Mortillaro ◽  
Antonio Camurri ◽  
Gualtiero Volpe ◽  
Klaus Scherer
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Expression ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Body Movement ◽  
Music Performance ◽  
The Body ◽  
Head Movements ◽  
Automated System ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Musical Score ◽  
Motion Cues

EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION IN MUSIC PERFORMANCE includes important cues arising from the body movement of the musician. This movement is related to both the musical score execution and the emotional intention conveyed. In this experiment, a pianist was asked to play the same excerpt with different emotionally expressive intentions. The aim was to verify whether different expressions could be distinguished based on movement by trying to determine which motion cues were most emotion-sensitive. Analyses were performed via an automated system capable of detecting the temporal profiles of two motion cues: the quantity of motion of the upper body and the velocity of head movements. Results showed that both were sensitive to emotional expression, especially the velocity of head movements. Further, some features conveying information about movement temporal dynamics varied among expressive conditions allowing emotion discrimination. These results are in line with recent theories that underlie the dynamic nature of emotional expression.

scholarly journals Effect of Leg Dominance on The Center-of-Mass Kinematics During an Inside-of-the-Foot Kick in Amateur Soccer Players

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matteo Zago ◽  
Andrea Francesco Motta ◽  
Andrea Mapelli ◽  
Isabella Annoni ◽  
Christel Galvani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Movement ◽  
Center Of Mass ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
The Body ◽  
Soccer Players ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Movement Velocity ◽  
Ground Support ◽  
Analysis System

Abstract Soccer kicking kinematics has received wide interest in literature. However, while the instep-kick has been broadly studied, only few researchers investigated the inside-of-the-foot kick, which is one of the most frequently performed techniques during games. In particular, little knowledge is available about differences in kinematics when kicking with the preferred and non-preferred leg. A motion analysis system recorded the three-dimensional coordinates of reflective markers placed upon the body of nine amateur soccer players (23.0 ± 2.1 years, BMI 22.2 ± 2.6 kg/m2), who performed 30 pass-kicks each, 15 with the preferred and 15 with the non-preferred leg. We investigated skill kinematics while maintaining a perspective on the complete picture of movement, looking for laterality related differences. The main focus was laid on: anatomical angles, contribution of upper limbs in kick biomechanics, kinematics of the body Center of Mass (CoM), which describes the whole body movement and is related to balance and stability. When kicking with the preferred leg, CoM displacement during the ground-support phase was 13% higher (p<0.001), normalized CoM height was 1.3% lower (p<0.001) and CoM velocity 10% higher (p<0.01); foot and shank velocities were about 5% higher (p<0.01); arms were more abducted (p<0.01); shoulders were rotated more towards the target (p<0.01, 6° mean orientation difference). We concluded that differences in motor control between preferred and non-preferred leg kicks exist, particularly in the movement velocity and upper body kinematics. Coaches can use these results to provide effective instructions to players in the learning process, moving their focus on kicking speed and upper body behavior

scholarly journals Pianism: performance communication and the playing technique

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara James
Keyword(s):  
Motor Skills ◽  
Skill Acquisition ◽  
Muscle Relaxation ◽  
Body Movement ◽  
Music Performance ◽  
Arm Movement ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Training Methods ◽  
Forearm Muscles ◽  
Shoulder Muscles

A pianist’s movements are fundamental to music-making by producing the musical sounds and the expressive movements of the trunk and arms which communicate the music’s structural and emotional information making it valuable for this review to examine upper-body movement in the performance process in combination with the factors important in skill acquisition. The underpinning playing technique must be efficient with economic muscle use by using body segments according to their design and movement potential with the arm segments mechanically linked to produce coordinated and fluent movement. Two physiologically and pianistically important actions proposed by early music scientists to deliver the keystroke involve dropping the hand from the shoulders towards the keys via a wave action with the joints activated sequentially, and forearm rotation to position the fingers for the keystroke, an action followed by the elbow/upper-arm rotating in the opposite direction. Both actions spare the forearm muscles by generating the energy needed in the larger shoulder muscles. The hand in the playing position has a curved palm through action of the metacarpal (knuckle) joints and curved fingers. Palm/finger posture controls sound quality from loud, high tempo sounds to a more mellow legato articulation, and to perform effectively the forearms should slope down towards the keyboard. The technique must be automatic through systematic practice which develops the motor skills for proficient playing, with practice duration tempered to reduce the risk of causing injury through overuse of the forearm muscles. Efficient movement patterns and strategic muscle relaxation which results in faster movement are realized only through extensive training. The constant movements of the head and trunk, and flowing arm movement with frequent hand lifts and rotational elbow movements, although generated in producing the playing technique, resonate with audience members who perceive them as expressive and thereby creating in them an empathic engagement with the music. It was proposed that music students be trained in the mechanical aspects of upper-body use in the playing technique, and practice strategies, with specialist pedagogy for children to develop motor skills for efficient playing, and training methods fostering an appreciation of the communicative aspects of music performance.

scholarly journals The onset time of balance control during walking is phase-independent, but the magnitude of the response is not

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hendrik Reimann ◽  
Tyler Fettrow ◽  
David Grenet ◽  
Elizabeth D. Thompson ◽  
John J. Jeka
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Gait Cycle ◽  
Center Of Pressure ◽  
Body Movement ◽  
Reaction Force ◽  
The Body ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Lower Body ◽  
The Central Nervous System

AbstractThe human body is mechanically unstable during walking. Maintaining upright stability requires constant regulation of muscle force by the central nervous system to push against the ground and move the body mass in the desired way. Activation of muscles in the lower body in response to sensory or mechanical perturbations during walking is usually highly phase-dependent, because the effect any specific muscle force has on the body movement depends upon the body configuration. Yet the resulting movement patterns of the upper body after the same perturbations are largely phase-independent. This is puzzling, because any change of upper-body movement must be generated by parts of the lower body pushing against the ground. How do phase-dependent muscle activation patterns along the lower body generate phase-independent movement patterns of the upper body? We hypothesize that in response to a perceived threat to balance, the nervous system generates a functional response by pushing against the ground in any way possible with the current body configuration. This predicts that the changes in the ground reaction force patterns following a balance perturbation should be phase-independent. Here we test this hypothesis by disturbing upright balance using Galvanic vestibular stimulation at three different points in the gait cycle. We measure the resulting changes in whole-body center of mass movement and the location of the center of pressure of the ground reaction force. We find that the whole-body balance response is not phase-independent as expected: balance responses are initiated faster and are smaller following a disturbance late in the gait cycle. Somewhat paradoxically, the initial center of pressure changes are larger for perturbations late in the gait cycle. The onset of the center of pressure changes however, does not depend on the phase of the perturbation. The results partially support our hypothesis of a phase-independent functional balance response underlying the phase-dependent recruitment of different balance mechanisms at different points of the gait cycle. We conclude that the central nervous system recruits any available mechanism to push against the ground to maintain balance as fast as possible in response to a perturbation, but the different mechanisms do not have equal strength.

Soma-based Non-Physical Instrument Design in Electronic Music Performance

Leonardo ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Mary Mainsbridge
Keyword(s):  
Interaction Design ◽  
Electronic Music ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Body Movement ◽  
Music Performance ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Musical Instrument ◽  
The Body ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Motion Sensors

Attention to the role of the body and bodily awareness in human-computer interaction is increasing. Broader availability of cost-effective motion sensors in mobile and gaming applications has prompted a shift to body-centred design methods. This article examines the relevance of embodied sketching activities drawn from soma-based and sonic interaction design to digital musical instrument (DMI) development. It focuses specifically on the Telechord, a novel motion-controlled system that promotes exploratory methods for exploring connections between movement and sound. By emphasising the felt aspects of movement-based design and performance, this approach places performer experience at the forefront, complementing technical efforts to enhance nuance and coherence in current DMI design research. Keywords: Whole body movement, soma-based design, sonic interaction design; embodied sketching; vocal sketching; digital musical instrument (DMI) design.

scholarly journals Interpersonal entrainment in Indian instrumental music performance: Synchronization and movement coordination relate to tempo, dynamics, metrical and cadential structure

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 304-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Clayton ◽  
Kelly Jakubowski ◽  
Tuomas Eerola
Keyword(s):  
Instrumental Music ◽  
Body Movement ◽  
Music Performance ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Movement Coordination ◽  
Density Peak ◽  
Movement Data ◽  
Dynamic Level ◽  
Cross Wavelet Transform ◽  
Lower Variability

Two complementary aspects of interpersonal entrainment – synchronization and movement coordination – are explored in North Indian classical instrumental music, in the auditory and visual domains respectively. Sensorimotor synchronization (SMS) is explored by analysing pairwise asynchronies between the event onsets of instrumental soloists and their tabla accompanists, and the variability of asynchrony by factors including tempo, dynamic level and metrical position is explored. Movement coordination is quantified using cross wavelet transform (CWT) analysis of upper body movement data, and differences in CWT Energy are investigated in relation to the metrical and cadential structures of the music. The analysis demonstrates that SMS within this corpus varies significantly with tempo, event density, peak levels and leadership. Effects of metrical position on pairwise asynchrony are small and offer little support for the hypothesis of lower variability in synchronization on strong metrical positions; a larger difference was found at cadential downbeats, which show increased melody lead. Movement coordination is greater at metrical boundaries than elsewhere, and most strikingly is greater at cadential than at other metrical downbeats. The implications of these findings for understanding performer coordination are discussed in relation to ethnographic research on the genre.

Exploring relationships between pianists’ body movements, their expressive intentions, and structural elements of the music

2011 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc R. Thompson ◽  
Geoff Luck
Keyword(s):  
Music Performance ◽  
The Body ◽  
Musical Score ◽  
Structural Elements ◽  
Piano Performance ◽  
Body Movements ◽  
Optical Motion ◽  
Optical Motion Capture ◽  
Performance Conditions ◽  
Biomechanical Factors

Body movements during music performance have been found to be indicative of the performer’s musical intentionality, and contribute to an observer’s perception of expressive playing. This study investigates the effect of structural elements of the score, and the playing of different levels of expression on body movements during a piano performance. Pianists were required to play the same piece in four different performance conditions. Their movements were tracked by an optical motion capture system, and the comparisons that were made between specific parts of the body used, performance condition, and musical score locations were subsequently statistically examined. We found that the head and shoulders exhibited more movement per measure, as well as larger differences between each condition, than the fingers, wrists and lower back. Differences between performance conditions were observed primarily at structurally significant portions of the score, and biomechanical factors also played a role. Moreover, our data supports the view that performers equate playing without expression to playing without nonessential movements.

Ears, heads, and eyes: When singers synchronise

2019 ◽  
Vol 72 (9) ◽  
pp. 2272-2287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Palmer ◽  
Frances Spidle ◽  
Erik Koopmans ◽  
Peter Schubert
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cues ◽  
Natural Frequencies ◽  
Body Movement ◽  
Strong Association ◽  
Music Performance ◽  
Head Movements ◽  
Endogenous Rhythms ◽  
Variable Head ◽  
Onset Asynchrony ◽  
The Relationship

We examined the relationship between endogenous rhythms, auditory and visual cues, and body movement in the temporal coordination of duet singers. Sixteen pairs of experienced vocalists sang a familiar melody in Solo and two Duet conditions. Vocalists sang together in Unison (simultaneously producing identical pitches) and Round Duet conditions (one vocalist, the Follower, producing pitches at an eight-tone delay from their partner, the Leader) while facing Inward (full visual cues) and Outward (reduced visual cues). Larger tempo differences in partners’ spontaneous (temporally unconstrained) Solo performances were associated with larger asynchrony in Duet performances, consistent with coupling predictions for oscillators with similar natural frequencies. Vocalists were slightly but consistently more synchronous in Duets when facing their partner (Inward) than when facing Outward; Unison and Round performances were equally synchronous. The greater difficulty of Rounds production was evidenced in vocalists’ slower performance rates and more variable head movements; Followers directed their head gaze away from their partner and used bobbing head movements to mark the musical beat. The strength of Followers’ head movements corresponded to the amount of tone onset asynchrony with their partners, indicating a strong association between timing and movement under increased attentional and working memory demands in music performance.

The Vestibular System Modeling in the Head and Eye Movement Research

2012 ◽  
Vol 605-607 ◽  
pp. 2434-2437
Author(s):  
Chang Yuan Wang ◽  
Bing Yao ◽  
Hong Zhe Bi ◽  
Hong Bo Jia
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Eye Movement ◽  
Vestibular System ◽  
System Modeling ◽  
Body Movement ◽  
The Body ◽  
Head Movements ◽  
System Response ◽  
Movement Response ◽  
Movement System

Head and eye movement is eye movement response to head movements ,the eyes are the signals generated by the vestibular system is movement.The vestibular system is important to feel the organs and tissues of the body movement,Can be said that the vestibular system response to head movement, eye movement associated with the vestibule.We can use eye movements comparing with normal eye movements to detect whether the dizziness,in this process the modeling of the vestibular system is very important.Paper summarizes the response of head and eye movement system, vestibular system in the head and eye movement systems vestibular system exercise and Research at home and abroad, raised modeling method of the head and eye movement system when turn the head.

Deadlift Recognition and Application based on Multiple Modalities using Recurrent Neural Network

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (17) ◽  
pp. 2-1-2-6
Author(s):  
Shih-Wei Sun ◽  
Ting-Chen Mou ◽  
Pao-Chi Chang
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Recurrent Neural Network ◽  
Network Structure ◽  
Inertial Sensors ◽  
Body Movement ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Multimodal Sensing ◽  
Multiple Devices ◽  
Neural Network Structure

To improve the workout efficiency and to provide the body movement suggestions to users in a “smart gym” environment, we propose to use a depth camera for capturing a user’s body parts and mount multiple inertial sensors on the body parts of a user to generate deadlift behavior models generated by a recurrent neural network structure. The contribution of this paper is trifold: 1) The multimodal sensing signals obtained from multiple devices are fused for generating the deadlift behavior classifiers, 2) the recurrent neural network structure can analyze the information from the synchronized skeletal and inertial sensing data, and 3) a Vaplab dataset is generated for evaluating the deadlift behaviors recognizing capability in the proposed method.

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