Motivation

Potential

• new compositional and performance practices

• somewhere in the middle of composition and improvisation

• new levels of interaction and feedback

• network performance / distributed scores

Existing technologies?

• Max/MSP/Jitter

• Finale

• PDF

Display

Scatter, Scrolling & Pages

eScore BROWSER

Pages Display

• Preview, and Current area

• Read just like a paper score

• Composer/Computer will be building the preview area in advance

• Composer/Computer/Performer changes page

• Large compose time, dependent on page size and tempo

Scrolling Display

• Can be problematic due to graphics becoming blurred

• when moving at fractions of a pixel per frame.

• Larger chunks of material distracting.

• Alternative is to having a scrolling line indicating current position.

• This method lends itself to rhythmical material.

• composer must be composing slightly out of the peripheral vision.

Scatter Display

• Material sent immediately to the screen

• Response is as quick as the performer can react to the new position.

• Not all material is suited to this method of display

• improvisatory and shorter passages are more successful.

• The compose time is very short

• Leave No Trace fragments were generated and displayed in <10 ms

Scatter display in ‘Leave No Trace’video example

Material Types• Text

• Musical Notation

• Graphical Images

• Video

Tools• Methods of sending material to machines

• Compiling material types, and parts for machines

• Cues and structural setup

• Monitor performances

• Networking / communication

CompositioneScore APP

Notation

II.

coreelements

singleevents

complexevents

eScore WEB & APP eScore APP: “Event Builder”

Images

Fonts

eScore DATABASE

core notational elements

Illustratoror Gimp

SVG Format

via eScore APP, or eScore WEB

eScore WEB

eScore BROWSER

eScore APP

SVGs, PNGs, Fonts

eScore DATABASE

• Symbol Name - a name for the symbol

• Tags - each symbol can be tagged, and filtered by tags

• SVG Data - so data can easily be edited at a later date.

• Drawing Data - optimised code for real-time access

• Raster Data - rasterised version of the data

• Bounds & Relative Position - to stave, or other on screen object

• Namespace - a unique identifier by which data is called by

eScore DATABASE

Event Designer

• A tool where one can design singular and complex events

• Allows a composer to restrict and impose different parameters of a

musical phrase, and if required some flexibility

• Library of algorithmic processes, can be extended by OpenMusic

• Everything is rendered as XML, MusicXML where possible imported too

• Also stored in eScore DB - but usually only locally

• OpenSoundControl - each machine addressed

• all drawing methods are addressed - low and high level

• events are addressed (compiled application for each instrument)

• Wired or Wireless Networking using UDP - can be done on the internet

• Communication between display machines

Networking

Undecided

• Pages display method

• Display screen is divided into two ‘pages’, left and right.

• One ‘page’ is faded out which is the buffer or ‘preview’ area

• this is where the score is being built by the composer.

• The other (current) page, is the page currently being performed.

• When the performer has finished it then becomes the preview area.

• Developed in Java, and is cross platform

• Library of musical symbols in SVG format

• Symbols stored in an sqlite database.

Christopher McClelland

Contact

• c.mcclelland@qub.ac.uk

• http://www.sarc.qub.ac.uk/~escore

• http://www.realtimenotation.com/escore

Thank you

SONIC ARTS RESEARCH CENTRE