An AI-Based Design Framework to Support Musicians' Practices

Abstract

The practice of working musicians extends beyond the act of performing musical works at a concert. Rather, a significant degree of individual and collaborative preparation is necessitated prior to the moment of presentation to an audience. Increasingly, these musicians call upon a range of digital resources and tools to support this 'living' process. We present a speculative design paper in response to a set of ethnographies and interviews with working musicians to highlight the potential contemporary digital technologies and services can bring to bear in supporting, enhancing and guiding musicians' preparation and practice. We acknowledge the role that artificial intelligence and semantic technologies could play in the design of tools that interface with the traditional practice of musicians and their instruments.