Music Instruction in a Virtual/Augmented Reality Environment Using the CAVE2 and Microsoft HoloLens

June 13th, 2016

Categories: Multimedia, Sound Art, VR, VR Art, Audio Research, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality

Trackers placed on viola for CAVE2 version of the music instruction application.
Trackers placed on viola for CAVE2 version of the music instruction application.

Authors

S. Mohan, Metea Valley High School

About

This project’s purpose was to investigate the ability of virtual reality to teach music. An application was developed for the CAVE2™ and Microsoft HoloLens, and their ability to teach music effectively was analyzed. Both the applications teach the user how to play ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ on the viola, and each virtual reality platform had it’s own benefits and drawbacks. An user interface was created for both platforms that shows the user the correct bow direction, tempo, fingering, and sheet music. Additional features included adjustable tempo and a metronome that can be turned on and off. The application was helpful since the user could get visual cues from the graphics while still keeping an eye on his/her instrument. Future goals for the application include songs that can be uploaded by the user, microphone input, more instruments, and better graphics. The results of this research show that music instruction is a viable possibility in a virtual reality environment and will spark developers and musicians to work together to further explore this field.

Resources

PDF

Citation

S. Mohan, Metea Valley High School, Music Instruction in a Virtual/Augmented Reality Environment Using the CAVE2 and Microsoft HoloLens, Music Instruction in a Virtual/Augmented Reality Environment (Abstract), June 13th, 2016.