UCLan’s Global Sound Movement will be showcased at the British Science Festival
A ground-breaking project from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has been selected to feature in one of Europe’s largest science festivals.
The pioneering work in virtual reality (VR) from UCLan’s Global Sound Movement (GSM), which is allowing rare musical instruments from around the world to be digitally preserved, will be showcased at the upcoming British Science Festival.
GSM’s innovative work with VR allows user interactivity with instruments from hard to reach geographical locations. Participants play music whilst receiving haptic feedback and triggering the actual sound of the musical instrument.
The technology also allows for remote tutoring from someone in a different location, but within the same VR environment.
GSM is dedicated to preserving musical instruments of cultural significance and combining innovative new technologies making them globally accessible.
Paresh Parmar, Co-founder of Global Sound Movement and Senior Lecturer at UCLan, said: “GSM is dedicated to preserving musical instruments of cultural significance and combining innovative new technologies making them globally accessible. This enables musicians and non-musicians to access these wonderful instruments and sounds, whilst providing resources for the original communities GSM worked with.”
A core belief of GSM is to preserve and share the sounds of the world. To achieve this, GSM is constantly developing new technologies to expand the reach of their work and enable people, regardless of musical talent, to engage, compose or simply enjoy music.
The virtual instruments and corresponding sound libraries can also be integrated with music production software, enabling composers internationally to use these rare sounds. All proceeds from the technology goes back into the local communities from which the instruments are recorded.
GSM was founded in 2014 by UCLan academics Phil Bush, Phil Holmes and Paresh. GSM source rare hand built musical instruments of cultural significance and travel to record them in their natural home. To date GSM has built more than 70 virtual instruments and sample libraries enabling the global musical community to include them in new compositions/works/sound design.
The British Science Festival is taking place from 10 to 13 September at the University of Warwick.