Assigned Date: Monday, Feb. 6
Due Date: Monday, Feb. 20
Due Time: 30 mins before class
Contents
Assignment
Write a Jython program that sonifies some real-world data to generate an interesting musical output that maps important attributes of the data to sound so that they can be better understood.
Data Repositories to Work From
Here are some really nice examples of data repositories for you to search and identify what you want to use. Selecting something appealing can go a long way in creating an impressive piece of work. So, pick carefully and creatively.
- UCI Machine Learning Repository – a great collection of amazing datasets for machine learning, and (why not?) for sonification (also this, and this – two different views of the same repository).
- Awesome Public Datasets – a wide variety of public data sets.
- Datasets at the Library of Congress – a research guide (and here).
- and many more (to be searched and found)…
More Details…
Your sonification should last as long as it needs to, however, we should be able to hear important aspects within the first minute or so. Also, during class we can play a maximum of 2-3 minutes. So, keep this in mind, as you are designing your sonification. Again, the sonification should be easy to appreciate within about one minute, but longer sonifications are OK (as long as they continue to be interesting throughout).
The sonification may be information preserving (i.e., help answer a scientific or socioeconomic question, such as global warming, rising sea levels, or distribution of wealth); or it may create an aesthetic effect. This is up to you. Both is fine too.
You should explain the mapping between the data and sounds within your header comments – as, for example, seen here:
- Biosignal sonification example
- Image sonification example
You have to come up with new ideas and mappings (i.e., do not reuse the data sets or mapping schemes from these two examples – create your own).
Here are some other sonification examples:
- Hard Data (2009),
- Two Trains (2015),
- Migrant (2015), and
- a long list of sonification artworks (also this, and this).
The piece can have any orchestration (instruments) you want.
Remember
Start on paper to design. Then, eventually, code to hear things. Return to paper often, especially if you find yourself meandering in code – what a waste of time that can be!!!
NOTE THIS: If you do not have a clear idea of what you are doing, you should be thinking, writing, scratching out, circling, drawing, and doodling on paper. Not in code. Save yourself some time, for important things.
- What pitches will you use?
- What instruments will you use?
- What rhythms will they play?
- Always remember the adage –
“20 hours of coding can save you two hours of design”
Submissions
1. Bring to class the following:
- A printout of your Python program.
- Be ready to demonstrate your program in class.
2. Also, submit your Python (.py) file on OAKS, so I can run it on my computer.
Program Documentation
Follow the documentation instructions from Homework 2. Also, follow the textbook examples on how to write comments.
Grading
Your grade will be based on how well you followed the above instructions, and the depth/quality of your work.
Reference
- Cooper, D. and Clancy, M. (1985) “Oh! Pascal”, 2nd ed., W.W. Norton & Company, New York, p. 42.