Music analysis and source separation have become important and allied areas of research over the last decade. Towards this, analyzing a music signal for important events such as onsets, offsets and transients are important problems. These tasks help in music source separation and transcription. Approaches in source separation too have been making great strides, but most of these techniques are aimed at Western music and fail to perform well for Indian music. The fluid style of instrumentation in Indian music requires a slightly modified approach to analysis and source separation. We propose an onset detection algorithm that is motivated by the human auditory system. This algorithm has the advantage of having a unified framework for the detection of both onsets and offsets in music signals. This onset detection algorithm is further extended to detect percussive transients. Percussive transients have sharp onsets followed closely by sharp offsets. This characteristic is exploited in the percussive transients detection algorithm. This detection does not lend itself well to the extraction of transients and hence we propose an iterative algorithm to extract all types of transients from a polyphonic music signal. The proposed iterative algorithm is both fast and accurate to extract transients of various strengths. This problem of transient extraction can be extended to the problem of harmonic/percussion sound separation(HPSS), where a music signal is separated into two streams consisting of components mainly from percussion and harmonic instruments. Many algorithms that have been proposed till date deal with HPSS for Western music. But with Indian classical/film music, a different style of instrumentation or singing is seen, including high degree of vibratos or glissando content. This requires new approaches to HPSS. We propose extensions to two existing HPSS techniques, adapting them for Indian music. In both the extensions, we retain the original framework of the algorithm, showing that it is easy to incorporate the changes needed to handle Indian music. We also propose a new HPSS algorithm that is inspired by our transient extraction technique. This algorithm can be considered a generalized extension to our transient extraction algorithm and showcases our view that HPSS can be considered as an extension to transient analysis. Even the best HPSS techniques have leakages of harmonic components into percussion and this can lead to poor performances in tasks like rhythm analysis. In order to reduce this leakage, we propose a post processing technique on the percussion stream of the HPSS algorithm. The proposed method utilizes signal stitching by exploiting a commonly used model for percussive envelopes. We also developed a vocals extraction algorithm from the harmonic stream of the HPSS algorithm. The vocals extraction follows the popular paradigm of extracting the predominant pitch followed by generation of the vocals signal corresponding to the pitch. We show that HPSS as a pre-processing technique gives an advantage in reducing the interference from percussive sources in the extraction stage. It is also shown that the performance of vocal extraction algorithms improve with the knowledge about locations of the vocal segments. This is shown with the help of an oracle to locate the vocal segments. The use of the oracle greatly reduces the interferences from other dominating sources in the extracted vocals signal.

This study examines the evolution of Ella Fitzgerald's scat syllable vocabulary during a key developmental period in her career when she was recording for Decca Records. Between 1943 and 1952, Fitzgerald established the syllabic vocabulary that would serve as a defining characteristic of her improvisational style for the rest of her career. Fitzgerald is commonly praised as the greatest vocal improviser in jazz history, but while much has been written about Fitzgerald's melodic and harmonic approach to jazz improvisation, little has been written about her syllabic approach. Timbre and articulation are considered to be vital elements of any jazz musician's style; the study examines the changes in Ella Fitzgerald's syllabic approach through transcription and analyses of thirteen scat solos recorded during this time period, using scat syllable choices to discuss timbre and articulation. This analysis provides a model for further research of its kind, as well as informing historically accurate performance practice by both teachers and students of jazz singing.

Examination of the relationship of musicianship and educatorship of teacher and students as interacting partners in a specific musical context proceeded with investigation of how formal, informal, impressionistic, and supervisory musical and educational knowledge were evidenced in rehearsal. Attention was also given to how the teaching strategies of modeling, coaching, scaffolding, fading, articulating, reflecting comparatively, and exploring were used to develop student musicianship. The research methodology may best be described as an inductive analytical case study approach. Multiple data sources included: videotaped observations of 19 bi-weekly rehearsals, audio taped interviews of the 12 participants, supplemental materials, (a published interview, journal articles, rehearsal schedules), and member checking with the teacher and David Elliott. Rehearsal data were initially organized into categories identified in David J. Elliott's (1995) model. The relationship of teacher and student musicianship, and teacher educatorship emerged during analysis. Musical details of problem finding, reducing and solving were also identified. Three themes emerged from the student interviews: their perceptions of the teacher's musicianship, general rehearsal strategies, and the teacher's use of specific teaching strategies. Interviews with the teacher illuminated his perception of musicianship and teaching strategies employed in the context. The findings confirmed that as music making transpired in the rehearsals, the kinds of knowing present in the musicianship of teacher and students and the teacher's educatorship were not only intertwined but were utilized at the same time. The level of student musicianship was allied to the relationship of the teacher's musicianship and educatorship. The intricate relationship between the kinds of procedural knowledge that Elliott identifies as integral to music making and music teaching are illustrated in a set of diagrams. Additionally, they show the wide range of technical and musical problems the teacher and students solved together in order for the multifarious nature of the vocal jazz repertoire to be performed effectively in a series of concerts.

MAAS / Department of Music.

During my studies at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm I have been exploring how I can develop as an improviser and as an ensemble musician. The main focus has been to use more arco playing, but also to sing unison and in harmony with the bass in order to broaden my expression. Another aim has been to compose music for my trio to implement my expanded way of performing. When I began the master’s program, I wanted to return to my roots as a classical cellist. With the help from classical teachers I was able to improve my bass technique, especially with the bow, and use that as a way to further widen my improvisation and accompany- ment skills. As a bonus, my cello playing got a boost from this work and it eventually became another important part of my artistic voice. The methods of my project have been to continuously test new ideas in my freelance work outside of KMH. I also interviewed fellow musicians to be able to reflect on whether my newly acquired knowledge and technique have had an effect on the way we make music together. In the thesis I also reflect on my inspiration from other musicians and artists and my personal philosophy not being bound to certain musical genres. Instead I want to take impressions from many different kinds of music and be open to all the different techniques in playing double bass that comes with a wide range of styles. An important result of this process is the making of the album “Arrival”, with Adam Forkelid on piano, Calle Rasmusson on drums and the Polish jazz violinist Adam Bałdych as a guest soloist. The record was released in March 2020 by the international jazz label Prophone/Naxos.

The present dissertation aims at analyzing the interplay between initial acoustic biases and language exposure during acquisition of language in the first year of life. This is a critical period in development because it is when phonetic categories are attuned to the native language. This goal is addressed by integrating the results from two developmental studies. The first study explores the presence of asymmetries in vowel perception in infants from 4 to 12 months of age, as a function of the acoustic salience and distributional properties in the test language. The second study investigates the previous contrasting results on vowel perception in 8-month-old infants growing in bilingual environments, and in particular and their relationship with task demands and the properties of the bilingual input. The results emerging from these studies point to two developmental trends. On one hand, asymmetries in vowel perception are modulated by acoustic biases before and during perceptual reorganization, and by distributional cues after perceptual reorganization. On the other hand, discrimination abilities of 8-month-old bilinguals parallel those of monolinguals when tested with an Anticipatory Eye Movement procedure, highlighting the importance of task demands in determining infants' performance. / L'objectiu d'aquesta tesis és analitzar la dinàmica que s'estableix entre els biaixos acústics i l'experiència amb el llenguatge durant el primer any de vida. Aquest és un període decisiu durant el qual les categories fonètiques s'ajusten a les propietats de la llengua materna. Aquest objectiu s'assoleix integrant els resultats de dos estudis. En el primer estudi s'explora la presència d'asimetries en la percepció de les vocals en bebès de 4 a 12 mesos d'edat, en funció de la saliència acústica i les propietats distribucionals de la llengua. El segon estudi investiga els resultats contradictoris obtinguts amb bebès de 8 mesos d'edat bilingües, i la seva relació amb les demandes de la tasca i les propietats de l'input bilingüe. Els resultats d'aquests estudis indiquen dos tendències al desenvolupament. Per una banda, que les asimetries en la percepció de les vocals són modulades per biaixos acústics abans i durant la reorganització perceptiva i per les propietats distribucionals després de la reorganització perceptiva; per l'altra banda, els resultats mostren que les habilitats de discriminació dels bilingües de 8 mesos d'edat són corresponents a les dels monolingües quan es fa servir un procediment d'anticipació de la mirada, posant en rellevància la importància de les demandes de la tasca en determinar el rendiment dels bebès.

Els instruments musicals digitals es descomponen usualment en dues parts: la interfície d'usuari i el motor de síntesi. Tradicionalment la interfície d'usuari pren el nom de controlador musical. L'objectiu d'aquesta tesi és el disseny d'un interfície que permeti el control de la síntesi de sons instrumentals a partir de la veu cantada.Amb la present recerca, intentem relacionar la veu amb el so dels instruments musicals, tenint en compte tan la descripció del senyal de veu, com les corresponents estratègies de mapeig per un control adequat del sintetitzador.Proposem dos enfocaments diferents, d'una banda el control d'un sintetitzador de veu cantada, i d'altra banda el control de la síntesi de sons instrumentals. Per aquest últim, suggerim una representació del senyal de veu com a gests vocals, que inclou una sèrie d'algoritmes d'anàlisis de veu. A la vegada, per demostrar els resultats obtinguts, hem desenvolupat dos prototips a temps real. / Los instrumentos musicales digitales se pueden separar en dos componentes: el interfaz de usuario y el motor de sintesis. El interfaz de usuario se ha denominado tradicionalmente controlador musical. El objectivo de esta tesis es el diseño de un interfaz que permita el control de la sintesis de sonidos instrumentales a partir de la voz cantada.La presente investigación pretende relacionar las caracteristicas de la voz con el sonido de los instrumentos musicales, teniendo en cuenta la descripción de la señal de voz, como las correspondientes estrategias de mapeo para un control apropiado del sintetizador. Se proponen dos enfoques distintos, el control de un sintetizador de voz cantada, y el control de la sintesis de sonidos insturmentales. Para este último, se sugiere una representación de la señal de voz como gestos vocales, incluyendo varios algoritmos de analisis de voz. Los resultados obtenidos se demuestran con dos prototipos a tiempo real. / Digital musical instruments are usually decomposed in two main constituent parts: a user interface and a sound synthesis engine. The user interface is popularly referred as a musical controller, and its design is the primary objective of this dissertation. Under the title of singing-driven interfaces, we aim to design systems that allow controlling the synthesis of musical instruments sounds with the singing voice. This dissertation searches for the relationships between the voice and the sound of musical instruments by addressing both, the voice signal description, as well as the mapping strategies for a meaningful control of the synthesized sound. We propose two different approaches, one for controlling a singing voice synthesizer, and another for controlling the synthesis of instrumental sounds. For the latter, we suggest to represent voice signal as vocal gestures, contributing with several voice analysis methods.To demonstrate the obtained results, we developed two real-time prototypes.