10 May 2011 hand-in (progress report)

Year 2

10 May 2011 hand-in

STUDENT PROGRESS REPORT

For use by student to send to tutor and own tutor group

STUDENT NAME: Rachel Dunscombe

RESEARCH QUESTION: How can you represent electronic music to the other senses in order to enhance our enjoyment and experience of said music? (I’ve already been refining this question, now I know I want to focus on ‘feeling’ music)

WHO ARE YOUR KEY FEEDBACK RESPONDANTS TO DATE? (individuals, companies, or interest groups): Liz Myself MA DS/AI fellow students and peers Dazz (personal project coach) Family members Close friends Co-workers

WHO ARE YOUR KEY COLLABORATORS TO DATE? (that is, people who are assisting you with artefact creation, surveys etc) Same as above really, as I have not created another artefact yet. This is another area I know I am lacking, due to my resistance in taking my project outdoors, now I have a focus, I intend to focus hard on improving this and getting in the danger zone.

BRIEFLY, WHAT ARE YOUR KEY NEW FINDINGS SINCE FEBRUARY? (70 words max, please) I wish to focus my project on feeling music. Investigate ways in which the general public can have this experience enhanced by possibly wearing an accessory which reacts (vibration) to sound / music, to stimulate feeling through the body (bone conduction) This has lead to me to a new WHY. Could an item that stimulates the body with vibration from music, reduce the need for excessive sound levels at music events that could damage hearing?

WHAT ARE YOUR NEXT KEY ACTIONS? DESCRIBE HOW YOU INTEND TO TEST YOUR CURRENT ARTEFACT DURING THE NEXT TWO MONTHS (70 words max, please) Research bone conduction Research the WHY behind the effects of feeling music, why does it make us react in such an intense way? Why is it so memorable? Buy and test bone conduction ear buds, reacts to sound by vibration, received through the head bones. Test this experience and test it on others. Design my next artefact for ‘outdoor’ testing and external review. Determine the gate keepers. Make a project plan for the summer period.

FOLLOWING YOUR DIARY EXHIBITION, WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT COMMUNICATIONG YOUR PROJECT AND THE KNOWLEDGE IT HAS ACHIEVED IN AN EXHIBITION FORMAT? (3 key points maximum, please) The following key points I learned from a number of individuals giving me very positive feedback about my board 1. Interactive and playful, creating interest and curiosity 2. Colourful, creating initial attraction to the exhibit 3. Clarity and minimalist , tidy and professional – making the work easier to follow.

PLEASE ALSO SEND WITH THIS FORM: Evidence of the artefact which you are currently testing (photos etc, if appropriate Your bibliography, which as well as books and journals consulted can include websites, and a list of exhibitions, conferences, music events, films, or other relevant sources.  I have not reached the next version of my artefact yet due to my backwards spiral in search of my question and finding my focus in my project. Since I have recently found my focus, which is feeling music, I am now in the stages of sketching and planning my next artefact build. This next artefact I will be testing ‘outdoors’ for the first time, in the professional music industry as a start. This will be using my contacts within Ministry of Sound.  I want the first impressions of industry professionals, and then using these contacts, discover a plan in which to test my artefact with the target audience of ‘clubbers’ in a music environment. Exhibition: 20:20 @ Ministry of Sound March 29th 2011 (key interview from Marcus Schulz, DJ. This interview first revealed to me the importance of ‘feeling’ music when he performed, being the most memorable and significant moment for him. A number of other DJs have commented on the powerful psychological effect of feeling sound through your body, like a pulse.  This awoke a new perspective and gave me very key ideas, which resulted in being the turning point of my project focus.) Electronic music event: Armin Van Buuren, Brixton Academy.  Saturday 23rd April 2011 Film: Armin Only, Mirage (footage of the gig I attended in Utrecht, Netherlands at the end of 2010)

WHAT ARE THE STRENGTHS OF YOUR PROJECT? Danger zone and high risk. (completely out of my comfort zone, no professional experience to rely on, a very challenging subject that will test me to my very limit) Originality / obscure (feeling sound, is a very odd angle that I am nervous to take due to being so unusual and potentially difficult to find any research on – so because of these fears and feelings, it must be the right course to take) WHERE ARE THE GAPS IN, OR THREATS TO, YOUR PROJECT? (no more than 3 of each, please) Project plan (I have gone back to the research phase, so I am struggling to make a definite project plan to follow over the next few months as I struggle to see ahead when I don’t feel I know my own project in what it needs me to do. This will have a knock on effect with the lack of time now available.) Artefact and external review (I have still been afraid and delaying taking my project and and actual artefact “outdoors” and get real external review from my target audience and industry professionals, never feeling my project is ready or good enough. I have left it quite late to begin this stage, so I intend to focus on it intently for the summer period) Limited collaborators (due to my lack of feeling ready, I have been resisting taking my project ‘outside’, the comments from the external examiners on Monday have helped me realise the importance of getting out there and getting the wide collection of criticism I have been lacking. I need to take this beyond close personal contacts and get different perspectives on my project. A very big danger zone for me, as people still scare me!)