Performers’ Use of Space and Body in Movement Interaction with A Movement-based Digital Musical Instrument

Movement-based musical interfaces support performers’ music and movement expressions by drawing from expertise and creative practices of both disciplines. In this work, we qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the movement interaction of participants with Bodyharp, a movement-based musical instrument. This wearable instrument offers musical affordances that allow performers to extend beyond small gestural spaces. Its wearable design encourages the performers to move while creating music and to express while using their bodies. Data was collected from twenty participants’ interactions, reflections, and compositions with Bodyharp. Video recordings of the experiment were annotated and qualitatively analyzed to reveal which performed gestures directly contribute to sound production and modification and which gestures accompany these musical actions. For a subset of participants, Musical Gestures Toolbox was used to further quantify the gestures. Using the Laban Movement Analysis framework, we observed participants’ use of space and body in their interaction with a movement-based musical instrument and how their backgrounds in music or movement (based on participants’ self-reported experiences) influenced the interaction. Our results offer design practices for creating new interactions at the intersection of music and dance.