Roger Dean: Towards an understanding of intensity, loudness and affect in electroacoustic and classical music

ABSTRACT: 

The talk addresses the perceptual impact of acoustic parameters on perception of physical source of sounds (for example, whether derived from speech or singing). It develops from this into a consideration of their impact on perception of structural and affective change in music, with particular reference to electroacoustic music. Intensity change is confirmed as an important factor, and causal perturbation studies are described. Performance parameters of keyboard and improvised music, and of rhythmic tapping are investigated in relation to expressive mechanisms, skin conductance, and inter-personal interaction. 

ABOUT ROGER DEAN:

Roger Dean is a composer/improviser, and since 2007 a research professor in music cognition and computation at MARCS Auditory Laboratories, University of Western Sydney. He founded and directs the ensemble austraLYSIS, which has performed in 30 countries. His creative work is on 30 commercial audio cds, and he has released many digital intermedia pieces. His 400 substantive research publications include 7 humanities books, and he has a Web of Knowledge Hirsch Index >=53. Previously he was foundation CEO of the Heart Research Institute, Sydney, researching in biochemistry, and then Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Canberra. He commenced working on music cognition while in Canberra in 2004, with his key collaborator in that field, Dr Freya Bailes, and it became his full time endeavour when he joined MARCS. His brief biography is on Wikipedia at Roger_Dean_(musician) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Dean_(musician) .