ABSTRACT

'LUNAR DRUMS' is a new musical interface inspired by Taiko, a traditional Japanese drumming form. The musical and design aspects of our drum have been reinterpreted to encourage people to maximize their body movement while playing, creating pleasant interactions between performers and audiences.

Keywords

drum, taiko, interactive musical interface,   group performance, visual feedback

LUNAR DRUMS consist of a set of three ring-shaped interfaces, representing Taiko drums. Unlike traditional wood and skin drums, the rims of 'Lunar Drums' provide the active input surface. A dynamic visualization is added to the performance by the interplay of light and sound when the drummer plays the instrument. One may configure the drums in sets of three allowing for multiple performers or a dance-like performance by one. These drums are unique in their ability to produce melody as well as rhythm. The notes of a major scale - Do Re Me Fa So La Tee Do - are arrayed along the rim of the drum. Moving along the edge of the drum from its base the pitch becomes higher. Figure 1. Lunar Drum Interface

Using this interface, a performer expresses and interprets music through body movement. Lunar Drums also function as conduits through which children and adults can explore human gesture.

INTERACTIONS

When a performer strikes the Lunar Drums they trigger Hall Effect sensors connected to a PIC microcontroller which transmits information via serial to MAX/MSP generating different pitches. Smaller drums produce higher pitches while the larger drums produce lower pitches. Each note of the musical scale corresponds to an LED along the rim of the drum. The LED illuminates the section of the rim that has been played casting gentle light and shadow inside the ring. Visual stimulus is thereby provided to the audience while the performer receives positional feedback.

Figure 2. Lunar Drum

A single performer may move about the Lunar Drums in a dance like fashion enabling them to strike the different octaves. In group performances, drummers may each play a single Lunar Drum or the group may perform a more traditional Taiko dance in which they exchange drumming roles.

Each ring contains a series of sensors that are triggered by proximity. These are specifically positioned to represent musical octaves. On triggering the sensors, a microchip sends value to a Max/MSP patch that then returns audio.

RESEARCH

Figure 3. Dragon Drum

Dragon Drum, the predecessor to Lunar Drums was developed for a 'Toy Design Workshop' at the Interactive Telecommunications Program. This toy instrument was designed to develop Gardner's 'Musical intelligence', 'Bodily kinesthetic intelligence', and 'Interpersonal intelligence' in children from 2-7 years of age. Using auditory and visual stimuli this toy guides the user to play sequences of beats.

Dragon Drum was selected as the best toy design by Mattel Inc. and the designers were invited to present at Mattel headquarters in Los Angeles CA. The insight gained from this professional critique and from additional user testing studies provided a solid foundation for the further development of a new musical interface.