SI: As the Canada Research Chair in Communication and Technology what does your research entail and how much of your pervious work in the field of music semiotics relates to what you do now?
KC: My research seeks to explore the auditory relationship of human-computer interaction, with a special focus on interaction with video games and virtual worlds. This includes a number of related projects that explore music and audio engineering problems with new 'disruptive' technologies (e.g. smart tables, mobile and stereoscopic 3D), sound's influence on immersion and addiction relating to games, and the incorporation of music-based user-generated content in games. The biggest project is an on-going algorithmic music engine for games that will take game parameters (Number/action of non-playing characters; Number/action of playing characters; Actions; Locations (place, time of day, etc.); Scripted or unscripted events; Player health or enemy health; Difficulty; Timing; Player properties (skills, endurance); Bonus objects; Movement (speed, direction, rhythm); and "Camera" angle) and translate these into music "intelligently", which is to say communicate as much meaning through the music as possible. This brings in a lot of music semiotics (which is the study of music as a symbolic language). A challenge to generative music--and a central objective of my work--is to bridge the gap between theory and practice by creating generative methods for sound (fx and music) that fully take into account this semiotic and symbolic aspect of musical composition, that is to say, the communicative, and affective role of sound in media. Since computers do not understand human emotion or communication, however, any computer algorithm that would perform such a sophisticated task would need to draw on a database of "musemes" (short units of musical meaning, analogous to phonemes) categorized according to various parameters, each with appropriate information regarding context and a range of potential affective meanings.
SI: What is the most demanding aspect of your job?
KC: The problem with a project like this is that it is, essentially, endless, so it's difficult to know when to stop and say 'it's good enough'. It takes a lot of time, but I love the work, so it doesn't feel like work.
SI: As the Canada Research Chair in Communication and Technology how often does your research involve the field of electronic and computer music? What aspects of electronic and computer music are of special interest to you?
KC: My research always involves digital music and sound: whether I'm analyzing existing game soundtracks, creating sound/music for projects myself (I dabble in game, film and experimental composition), or working on my software engine, I'm always involved in sound. I'm fascinated by generative techniques in music. A few games have used them: Spore, Creature, etc. but it's been really under-utilized in games. Outside of games, though, there is a thriving world of generative music and sound-based work. My original background was in fine arts, so I'm still interested in what happens in the "art world" as much as in popular culture and industry.
SI: I would assume that working in the field of electronic and computer music often requires a strong knowledge of different computer synthesis programs as well as editing software, how pertinent are these skills to the work that you do? And as technology often changes quickly, how often are you subject to learning a new program or environment that relates to your work?
KC: The skills required to work in digital sound are phenomenal. It takes many years to master all of the software packages and programming languages involved, but the creation of new sound through synthesis (e.g. granular, modal) in software is the future, and it's essential to learn. Sometimes, the tools are not available to realize my more experimental ideas, and I have to invent a new environment myself. So I think a really in-depth knowledge where the composer/designer understands the principles, not just the software package, is critical. I always try to teach principles rather than software packages in my courses, because the software just changes too quickly.
SI: As someone who researches and works in and around the world of electronic and computer music, have you experienced different levels of rapport from other scholars who work in a more classical musical environment?
KC: Absolutely. There is still a lot of snobbery on the part of many classical music scholars towards anything related to popular culture. I'm not sure why, but music departments tend to be the most conservative departments on campuses that I know. Game music is becoming more accepted in schools as it moves towards a cinematic, orchestrated style, but it's disappointing to me because I love the constraint of early sound chips, and I think there is a lot to be learned about composition from old games as well as new. I used to get laughed at when I said that I was working on game music, but I have this poster on my wall that is a quote from Gandhi: "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." I knew when they were laughing that I was moving up! Now I think I'm on the winning side ;)
SI: As a student who is in his first leg of higher education it interests me to know if you had always planned to do what you do. For myself, I began my undergraduate career studying chemistry and found that my true interests lied elsewhere. So, has the field of electronic music and the study of music semiotics always been an interest of yours, or are they fields that caught your attention later on in your education?
KC: Hah ha... Nope. I was always obsessed with music and sound, right from being very young (started playing instruments when I was 5), but I didn't want to study classical music, and that was all that was available when I graduated high school, so I took art instead. Eventually I admitted to myself that the only reason I liked drawing and painting was because it gave my hands something to do while I listened to music. I started writing for music magazines, and ran my own indie magazine for a while. I've had endless types of jobs: I worked in I.T for a few years, retail for many years, and I worked for a hospital for a while. After struggling on poverty wages for a few years, I decided to embark upon an adventure. Getting a phd was really an excuse to go and spend time doing what I loved without feeling guilty about it. I never intended to be a professor, but this job gives me the freedom to spend time on my own work, and there's few jobs that will do that and pay you for it!
SI: Lastly, and this one is less of an academic question and more for my interests as I ask this of everyone I talk to who works in some field of music. What is your favorite type of music and what is it about that type of music that attracts you so. Or, are you like myself, always unable to answer the question because you continually explore many different types of music?
KC: Yeah, I don't think I have a favourite type of music. It depends so much on my mood and why I'm listening (driving music is different than gym music, which is different from sit-and-listen music, for instance!). I probably spend most of my time listening to modern electronic popular music: U.N.K.L.E/DJ Shadow, Radiohead and Massive Attack are probably my favourite bands. I also like a lot of the hip-hop/reggae and hip-hop/'world' music cross-overs (K'Naan, Damian Marley, etc.) I definitely listen to more electronic music than acoustic music, but I really listen to everything. It's funny because I play classical guitar, as my main instrument, but I rarely listen to classical guitar, and I'm not all that fond of a lot of rock-guitar music (at least, not virtuosic playing).