Music From the Waves: Sonifying Movement From Surfing to Foster Musical Exploration

Abstract

Data sonification has become a useful tool for analysing data sets. While it is common practice to create visual representations of data such as graphs and tables, recent developments have explored experimenting with converting data into audio. There have been applications of this in geoscience (Harding, 2002), astronomy (Diaz-Merced, 2011) and data analysis (Barrass, 1999). While these applications have been for the purpose of interpreting scientific data, there have also been more artistic uses, such as recording the growth of plants and transforming it into music (Ebert, 2022).

By applying the concept of data sonification in a more creative sense, the data collected from movement can be converted into MIDI (musical instrument digital interface) data and used to create music. While there are a few examples of motion sensing technology being used to create music, the idea of linking personal physical hobbies to creativity in this way has not been widely explored. Through this research I have attempted to amplify the link between physical activity and music in a creative way, and explore how this can then inform and enhance one’s musical palette.

This project makes use of a semi-waterproof custom-made motion capture device called Moto MIDI, initially developed for capturing and sonifying the movements of surfing. This includes the motions of paddling and duck-diving under waves, to surfing the wave itself. The data collected from this device, in the form of MIDI data, is then imported in Ableton Live and used to create audio representations of these movements, which subsequently serve as springboards for composition and improvisational practice.