An introduction to some recent developments in gestural musical instruments

Abstract

Humans have been making music for millennia, yet the processes of developing existent musical instruments and even inventing new ones are ongoing as technology advances and tastes change. Many recent developments have been made in a category of instruments I have chosen to refer to as "gestural instruments"- mainly electronic instruments which can map the performer's gesture to musical output in a variety of ways. In this thesis, I provide an overview of several gestural instruments of the last twenty years, showing some of the variety of gestures captured and the diversity of contexts in which musical and technological innovators see their work. To do this, I reference several recent patents as well as current work occurring at the MIT Media Lab. Finally, I discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of gestural instruments as compared to traditional instruments.