Paul Lehrman - Tufts University (original) (raw)
Papers by Paul Lehrman
Ballet mécanique and other works for player pianos, percussion and electronics
The Wii Remote as a Musical Instrument: Technology and Case Studies
Journal of The Audio Engineering Society, Oct 1, 2009
At Tufts University we have developed and implemented a curriculum in Musical Instrument Engi... more At Tufts University we have developed and implemented a curriculum in Musical Instrument Engineering (MIE). This program includes both a concentration certificate for the mechanical engineer and a minor for those majoring in other degrees. By using musical instruments as an educational medium, we are teaching the fundamentals of engineering through a familiar and non-threatening subject. Further, the use of musical instruments as a pedagogical tool allows central engineering principles to be more intuitive and accessible to students of all disciplines. This creates a unique situation, where engineers and their liberal arts counterparts work side-by-side solving problems and developing creative solutions. Thus, both groups benefit from a diverse classroom population. The program implements three major facets of engineering education; lecturing, project design and development, and scientific research. Because of the familiar subject matter, this multi-faceted learning experience is not only more enjoyable, but the concepts become instantly applicable and are internalized more quickly.
The computer as a musical instrument: the computer's position in electronic music studios in evolving from a source of external control to the central point of sound-generation and recording
Electronic Musician archive, Mar 1, 1991
New Interfaces for Musical Expression, Jun 1, 2012
George Antheil's notorious Ballet mécanique (1924-1925) was originally scored for percussion ense... more George Antheil's notorious Ballet mécanique (1924-1925) was originally scored for percussion ensemble, sound effects, and 16 pianolas. He was never able to perform the piece with those forces, however, due to his inability to synchronize multiple pianolas. Thus all performances of the piece in his lifetime, and for decades after, were done with a single pianola or player piano.* The author traces the origin of the concept of synchronizing multiple pianolas, and explains the attendant technological issues. He examines attempts to synchronize mechanical pianos and other time-based devices at the time of Ballet mécanique's composition, and suggests that Antheil's vision for his piece was not as farfetched as has long been thought.
An installation to perform Ballet mécanique, one of the most notorious works of the early 20th ce... more An installation to perform Ballet mécanique, one of the most notorious works of the early 20th century, using acoustic instruments entirely under computer control, was constructed at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC to accompany a major exhibit on Dadaist art.
Research on students' learning in computing typically investigates how to enable individuals to d... more Research on students' learning in computing typically investigates how to enable individuals to develop concepts and skills, yet many forms of computing education, from peer instruction to robotics competitions, involve group work in which understanding may not be entirely locatable within individuals' minds. We need theories and methods that allow us to understand learning in cognitive systems: culturally and historically situated groups of students, teachers, and tools. Accordingly, we draw on Hutchins' Distributed Cognition [16] theory to present a qualitative case study analysis of interaction and learning within a small group of middle school students programming computer music. Our analysis shows how a system of students, teachers, and tools, working in a music classroom, is able to accomplish conceptually demanding computer music programming. We show how the system does this by 1) collectively drawing on individuals' knowledge, 2) using the physical and virtual affordances of different tools to organize work, externalize knowledge, and create new demands for problem solving, and 3) reconfiguring relationships between individuals and tools over time as the focus of problem solving changes. We discuss the implications of this perspective for research on teaching, learning and assessment in computing.
MIDI, the musical instrument digital interface, is a highly successful protocol for conveying and... more MIDI, the musical instrument digital interface, is a highly successful protocol for conveying and, through the use of Standard MIDI Files, representing musical performance information. However, it lacks the ability to convey notation information. The newly approved MIDI 2.0 protocol gives us a chance to rectify that by including notation information in the next version of the MIDI File Specification.
Decoding SMPTE: afraid your time code might be marching to a different drummer? Here's the word on SMPTE and its various formats
Electronic Musician archive, Apr 1, 1991
Music for Instruments and Electronics
Computer Music Journal, 1985
Musik fur Lyricon, Sopransaxophon, Emulator, Prophet-10 Synthesizer, Vocoder, computergeneriertes Tonband und Metallskulpturen
Computer Music Journal, 1985
Electronic and Experimental Music
Computer Music Journal, 1986
This is the companion website for the third edition of Electronic and Experimental Music: Technol... more This is the companion website for the third edition of Electronic and Experimental Music: Technology, Music, and Culture by Thom Holmes. This title provides a thorough treatment of the relevant history behind the marriage of technology and music that has led to the state of electronic music today.
The Insider Audio Bathroom Reader
Journal of The Audio Engineering Society, Oct 1, 2006
The Ballet mécanique by George Antheil was a musical composition far ahead of its time. Written i... more The Ballet mécanique by George Antheil was a musical composition far ahead of its time. Written in 1924, it required technology that didn't exist: multiple synchronized player pianos. Not until 1999, with the aid of computers and MIDI, could the piece be performed the way the composer envisioned it. Since then, it has been played over 20 times in North America and Europe. But its most unusual performance was the result of a collaboration between the authors: one, the music technologist who revived the piece and the other, a musical robotics expert. At the request of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, they built a completely automated 27-piece orchestra, which played the piece nearly 100 times, without a serious failure. 1.
New Interfaces for Musical Expression, May 1, 2005
Electronic Musical Instrument Design is an excellent vehicle for bringing students from multiple ... more Electronic Musical Instrument Design is an excellent vehicle for bringing students from multiple disciplines together to work on projects, and help bridge the perennial gap between the arts and the sciences. This paper describes how at Tufts University, a school with no music technology program, students from the engineering (electrical, mechanical, and computer), music, performing arts, and visual arts areas use their complementary skills, and teach each other, to develop new devices and systems for music performance and control.
Bad boy made good : the revival of George Antheil's 1924 Ballet méchanique
George Antheil’s notorious Ballet mécanique (1924-1925) was originally scored for percussion ense... more George Antheil’s notorious Ballet mécanique (1924-1925) was originally scored for percussion ensemble, sound effects, and 16 pianolas. He was never able to perform the piece with those forces, however, due to his inability to synchronize multiple pianolas. Thus all performances of the piece in his lifetime, and for decades after, were done with a single pianola or player piano.* The author traces the origin of the concept of synchronizing multiple pianolas, and explains the attendant technological issues. He examines attempts to synchronize mechanical pianos and other time-based devices at the time of Ballet mécanique’s composition, and suggests that Antheil’s vision for his piece was not as farfetched as has long been thought.
The Snap Shot Mix (SOS Mar 1987)
Peformances of Ballet M�canique
J Acoust Soc Amer, 2000
The computer as a musical instrument: the computer's position in electronic music studios in evolving from a source of external control to the central point of sound-generation and recording
Electronic Musician, Mar 1, 1991
Ballet mécanique and other works for player pianos, percussion and electronics
The Wii Remote as a Musical Instrument: Technology and Case Studies
Journal of The Audio Engineering Society, Oct 1, 2009
At Tufts University we have developed and implemented a curriculum in Musical Instrument Engi... more At Tufts University we have developed and implemented a curriculum in Musical Instrument Engineering (MIE). This program includes both a concentration certificate for the mechanical engineer and a minor for those majoring in other degrees. By using musical instruments as an educational medium, we are teaching the fundamentals of engineering through a familiar and non-threatening subject. Further, the use of musical instruments as a pedagogical tool allows central engineering principles to be more intuitive and accessible to students of all disciplines. This creates a unique situation, where engineers and their liberal arts counterparts work side-by-side solving problems and developing creative solutions. Thus, both groups benefit from a diverse classroom population. The program implements three major facets of engineering education; lecturing, project design and development, and scientific research. Because of the familiar subject matter, this multi-faceted learning experience is not only more enjoyable, but the concepts become instantly applicable and are internalized more quickly.
The computer as a musical instrument: the computer's position in electronic music studios in evolving from a source of external control to the central point of sound-generation and recording
Electronic Musician archive, Mar 1, 1991
New Interfaces for Musical Expression, Jun 1, 2012
George Antheil's notorious Ballet mécanique (1924-1925) was originally scored for percussion ense... more George Antheil's notorious Ballet mécanique (1924-1925) was originally scored for percussion ensemble, sound effects, and 16 pianolas. He was never able to perform the piece with those forces, however, due to his inability to synchronize multiple pianolas. Thus all performances of the piece in his lifetime, and for decades after, were done with a single pianola or player piano.* The author traces the origin of the concept of synchronizing multiple pianolas, and explains the attendant technological issues. He examines attempts to synchronize mechanical pianos and other time-based devices at the time of Ballet mécanique's composition, and suggests that Antheil's vision for his piece was not as farfetched as has long been thought.
An installation to perform Ballet mécanique, one of the most notorious works of the early 20th ce... more An installation to perform Ballet mécanique, one of the most notorious works of the early 20th century, using acoustic instruments entirely under computer control, was constructed at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC to accompany a major exhibit on Dadaist art.
Research on students' learning in computing typically investigates how to enable individuals to d... more Research on students' learning in computing typically investigates how to enable individuals to develop concepts and skills, yet many forms of computing education, from peer instruction to robotics competitions, involve group work in which understanding may not be entirely locatable within individuals' minds. We need theories and methods that allow us to understand learning in cognitive systems: culturally and historically situated groups of students, teachers, and tools. Accordingly, we draw on Hutchins' Distributed Cognition [16] theory to present a qualitative case study analysis of interaction and learning within a small group of middle school students programming computer music. Our analysis shows how a system of students, teachers, and tools, working in a music classroom, is able to accomplish conceptually demanding computer music programming. We show how the system does this by 1) collectively drawing on individuals' knowledge, 2) using the physical and virtual affordances of different tools to organize work, externalize knowledge, and create new demands for problem solving, and 3) reconfiguring relationships between individuals and tools over time as the focus of problem solving changes. We discuss the implications of this perspective for research on teaching, learning and assessment in computing.
MIDI, the musical instrument digital interface, is a highly successful protocol for conveying and... more MIDI, the musical instrument digital interface, is a highly successful protocol for conveying and, through the use of Standard MIDI Files, representing musical performance information. However, it lacks the ability to convey notation information. The newly approved MIDI 2.0 protocol gives us a chance to rectify that by including notation information in the next version of the MIDI File Specification.
Decoding SMPTE: afraid your time code might be marching to a different drummer? Here's the word on SMPTE and its various formats
Electronic Musician archive, Apr 1, 1991
Music for Instruments and Electronics
Computer Music Journal, 1985
Musik fur Lyricon, Sopransaxophon, Emulator, Prophet-10 Synthesizer, Vocoder, computergeneriertes Tonband und Metallskulpturen
Computer Music Journal, 1985
Electronic and Experimental Music
Computer Music Journal, 1986
This is the companion website for the third edition of Electronic and Experimental Music: Technol... more This is the companion website for the third edition of Electronic and Experimental Music: Technology, Music, and Culture by Thom Holmes. This title provides a thorough treatment of the relevant history behind the marriage of technology and music that has led to the state of electronic music today.
The Insider Audio Bathroom Reader
Journal of The Audio Engineering Society, Oct 1, 2006
The Ballet mécanique by George Antheil was a musical composition far ahead of its time. Written i... more The Ballet mécanique by George Antheil was a musical composition far ahead of its time. Written in 1924, it required technology that didn't exist: multiple synchronized player pianos. Not until 1999, with the aid of computers and MIDI, could the piece be performed the way the composer envisioned it. Since then, it has been played over 20 times in North America and Europe. But its most unusual performance was the result of a collaboration between the authors: one, the music technologist who revived the piece and the other, a musical robotics expert. At the request of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, they built a completely automated 27-piece orchestra, which played the piece nearly 100 times, without a serious failure. 1.
New Interfaces for Musical Expression, May 1, 2005
Electronic Musical Instrument Design is an excellent vehicle for bringing students from multiple ... more Electronic Musical Instrument Design is an excellent vehicle for bringing students from multiple disciplines together to work on projects, and help bridge the perennial gap between the arts and the sciences. This paper describes how at Tufts University, a school with no music technology program, students from the engineering (electrical, mechanical, and computer), music, performing arts, and visual arts areas use their complementary skills, and teach each other, to develop new devices and systems for music performance and control.
Bad boy made good : the revival of George Antheil's 1924 Ballet méchanique
George Antheil’s notorious Ballet mécanique (1924-1925) was originally scored for percussion ense... more George Antheil’s notorious Ballet mécanique (1924-1925) was originally scored for percussion ensemble, sound effects, and 16 pianolas. He was never able to perform the piece with those forces, however, due to his inability to synchronize multiple pianolas. Thus all performances of the piece in his lifetime, and for decades after, were done with a single pianola or player piano.* The author traces the origin of the concept of synchronizing multiple pianolas, and explains the attendant technological issues. He examines attempts to synchronize mechanical pianos and other time-based devices at the time of Ballet mécanique’s composition, and suggests that Antheil’s vision for his piece was not as farfetched as has long been thought.
The Snap Shot Mix (SOS Mar 1987)
Peformances of Ballet M�canique
J Acoust Soc Amer, 2000
The computer as a musical instrument: the computer's position in electronic music studios in evolving from a source of external control to the central point of sound-generation and recording
Electronic Musician, Mar 1, 1991