A Study Of Applied Tai Chi Movements In Marimba Playing

Chapter 1 Introduction “ The secret to technique is relaxation.” —Joe Morello Marimba technique is more than the physical ability to render the printed sheet music to musical sounds accurately. Apart from the instrument itself, performance technique is the vehicle for interpretation and the key to musical expression. Movement and sound are closely related to each other in that the specific character of the gesture is itself part of the message conveyed. For example, musical continuity demands physical fluency as it is virtually impossible to express a quiet, flowing line with either constricted or overly energetic movement. Likewise, rhythmic vitality can be articulated only through vigorous action. Technical decisions are never made in an artistic, magical vortex. Good technical training encourages exploration of a variety of approaches by encouraging flexibility, efficiency and artistic purpose. In addition, performers have a certain degree of freedom, allowing them to follow their imagination when they perform. The current four-mallet marimba methods, Method of Movement by Leigh Howard Stevens (focusing on the wrist and hand movements of the independent grip and articulation); Four-Mallet Marimba Playing by Nancy Zeltsman (describing traditional grip in function of a musical approach); and Movin’ Grips: Body Controlled Marimba Sound Production by Ludwig Albert (introducing optimal body movement for sonority enhancement) were used as resources for this study. The body movement is not only important in carrying out musical ideas, but is also a non-verbal communication tool between people. Music performed live has an obvious relationship with acoustic sound, which is produced by human movements (Dahl & Friberg, 2007). This movement may occur on different levels, such as representing technical, expressive and communicative functions, and may also be directly related to sound, color and timbre production (Buck, 2013). Furthermore, the body movement of the musician can be directly related to musical skills, so that the movements represent more controlled and embodied musical qualities (Rodger, 2010). 1. Problems Because the marimba is approximately 2.5 meters long, it requires the performer to approach 1

it with an optimally balanced body, flexible posture and movement, and highly concentrated mind. Current marimba methods do not include these subjects and many students are not able to reach either flexible body movements or a healthy physical approach to the marimba. Based on my nine years of teaching experience 1 and the initial survey and interviews conducted in 20082, my research has shown that many students share two common problems in playing marimba. The first is uncomfortable psychological and physical feelings caused by not knowing how to move correctly and the second, physical injuries created by tension and repetitive use due to a lack of knowledge about optimal body movements. Injuries that may result include tendonitis, tennis elbow, back pain, neck pain, and various hand and wrist injuries based on friction. 2. State of the Art During the 1990’s, Mr. Robert Van Sice3 suggested that his percussion and marimba students read about Tai Chi methods to help their physical movements. Through conversations with his former students, Mr. Wim Lasoen4 and Pierre-Francois Resta5, I learned about both their experiences of studying Tai Chi methods and their actual physical practice of Tai Chi Chuan (Tai Chi movements) and how it affected their percussion study. Unfortunately, no written documents, evidence or articles involving this application of Tai Chi movement in percussion or marimba playing were produced. In recent studies, Mário Teixeira 6 stated that Tai Chi movements enhances students' performance and develops their capabilities and skills in breath control and psychomotor control in Tai Chi Chuan na percussão (2013), and Ruo-Ying Ke wrote a thesis titled Differences in Physical Movement Between Techniques Used on the Marimba and the Vibraphone (2014), offering consideration of Tai Chi physical ideas in keyboard percussion instrument performance. However, Teixeira focused on subjective student experience and observational study cases, but the objective effects of Tai Chi on movement coordination and motor control during marimba playing are not included. Chin-Cheng Lin teaches at the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp, Leuven University College of Arts Lemmens Campus, MUDA Art High School in Gent, Music Academy in Bornem since 2008. 2 The survey and the oral interviews have been conducted at the Ludwig Albert International Marimba Academy, and workshop at the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp with 28 participants. 3 Robert Van Sice is an international well-known percussionist, marimbist and director of the percussion department at the Yale School of Music in New Haven and the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore. 4 Wim Lasoen is a percussionist and artistic director of MUDA arts high school in Gent. 5 Pierre-Francois Resta is a percussionist and founder of Resta Percussion Company. 6 Professor of percussion, University of Aveiro, Portugal. 1 2

3. Purpose of the Study The main topic addressed in this thesis is the relationship between Tai Chi and marimba performance and education. An important goal was to provide a link between applied Tai Chi movements and the sound production of marimba playing by using a scientific approach to analyze and understand the effect of body gestures in marimba performance. Therefore, all aspects of the study were experimentally oriented, with particular attention to both technical study and performance conditions in marimba performance. The focus moves from understanding the biomechanics characteristic of marimba playing in chapter two, to establishing the effects of Tai Chi movements by using quantitative analysis in chapter three, and qualitative analysis in chapter four. Measurement and proof of the effect of Tai Chi movements in actual marimba performance, and pedagogical use of Tai Chi movement are addressed in chapter five. Finally, chapter six focuses on applied Tai Chi concepts in marimba music. Specifically, the aim of this study is to contribute to the understanding of the following four aspects of marimba performance: 1. The biomechanical characterization of marimba playing in relation with strength of sound. 2. Empirical evaluation of applied Tai Chi movements in marimba playing. 3. Applied Tai Chi in marimba education. 4. Applied Tai Chi in marimba music. 4. Research Question Throughout my fifteen years of being a practicing marimbist I have desired to gain further skills and knowledge in the field of contemporary marimba performance. Playing a musical instrument requires learning how to apply body muscles properly to avoid tension. I encountered challenges in finding the way to move and relax and it became clear that playing marimba with stiff arms and body tension does not produce smooth playing. Tai Chi can be described as a‘moving meditation’which also has a philosophical context where the depth of it's principles support Tai Chi movements. By applying Tai Chi concepts, a student may learn to perform without squandering energy and with a better sense of awareness (Ke, 2014, pp. 26-27). From this perspective, the main research questions are 3

centered on the movements that combine both marimba playing and Tai Chi. The following research questions are posed: 5. What is the relationship of physical motions between marimba and Tai Chi? What does this mean for marimba education in function of marimba playing? Can Tai Chi be used as an artistic inspiration in marimba composition? Methodology The research was carried out in four steps: user study (intervention on students), objective measurements on physical motions and audio recording, data analysis, and qualitative audio evaluation. This was conducted together with the department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy (Revaki) and the Acoustic Recording Services (ARS) at the Multidisciplinary Motor Centre of the University Antwerp (M2OCEAN). Figure 1: Steps of the scientific experiment. Measurement 1 (pre-intervention) was reported as a paper (Biomechanical Characterization of Marimba Playing in Relation with Strength of Sound ) in the International Journal of Music and Performing Arts7. It discussed the detailed information of how the study was conducted and investigated the relation between physical movements and sound. Chapter 2 further explained the audio data of Measurement 1. Chapter 3 reported Measurement 2 7 Paper: Biomechanical Characterization of Marimba Playing in Relation with Strength of Sound is accepted by the International Journal of Music and Performing Arts on 18 May 2017. It is published on 15th August 2017. International Journal of Music and Performing Arts, vol. 5 No.1 2017. 4

(post-intervention) and compared the differences of both measurements. Chapter 4 reported the evaluation of the audio data from both measurements by experts. The overview of this research steps are described as following (see Figure 1): 5.1 Quantitative User Studies A randomized before-and-after trial was conducted with twenty-two percussion/marimba volunteer participants who were recruited from both the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp and the Leuven University College of Arts. After Measurement 1, the participants were divided into two groups (in Measurement 2): the Tai Chi intervention group and the control group. The participants in the Tai Chi intervention group used (practiced with) the suggested marimba playing approach (incorporated with applied Tai Chi exercises) while the participants in the control group practiced marimba without using this method. Time frame: A three-month period and two recording sessions were needed for both groups. Measurement 1 took place from 16th to 20th November 2015 and Measurement 2 from 12th to 21st April 2016. Objectivity: Music fragments: the same three musical excerpts were used by both groups in both recording sessions. The duration of each fragment was approximately 30 seconds. Instrument and mallets: the same instrument and mallets were used by both groups. 5.2 Objective Measurements These experiments investigating body movement, body relaxation, and marimba sound production, were measured using 3D motion capture (3DMOCAP), and audio recordings. 3DMOCAP: Examining motion in the upper part of the body. The measurement investigates the following joints: the trunk, the spine, the shoulder, the elbow, and the wrist as well as the marimba mallets (considered the extended hand; i.e. the touching point on the marimba). A marker was placed on each joint and four to eight cameras traced their movement. Audio recording: The audio performance was recorded with four microphones, providing the frequencies of the harmonics of the marimba sound. 5

5.3 Statistical Data Analysis The collected data was exported into: 3D animated motion images and video to investigate the stiffness and fluency of body movements. ITU-R BS.1770-3 Loudness LUFS 8 , maximum RMS amplitude 9 , and dynamic range in dB for the L and R channels to measure the amount of sound, maximum dynamic peaks, and the dynamic range10. The research compared these scientific data for objective justification. 5.4 Qualitative Audio Evaluation After the data was analyzed, audio samples and a survey questionnaire were sent to experts to provide their objective judgment. Stage Stage 1 Method and Technique - A before-and-after study method was applied. - A blind technique was applied on the level that the volunteering Preparation participants and the assessors/experts were not aware of which intervention they were receiving or judging. Stage 2 - 3DMOCAP: thirty passive retro-reflective markers were used to track body movements using an infrared camera system (Vicon T10). The markers Experimentation focused on trunk, spine, shoulder, elbow, wrist as well as marimba mallets (to be considered as the extended hand/ the touching point on the marimba). - A real-time audio recording: a stereo microphone setup connected to a laptop computer via an audio interface. The set up was placed in front of the instrument where it did not cover the motion capture cameras. Stage 3 - 3DMOCAP: Data processing included tracking and labeling of markers and developing biomechanical models to map body segment motion through Data Processing rotational and translational matrix computations. The detailed data and Analysis processing and analysis of EMG and 3DMOCAP was finalized by ITU-R BS.1770-3 Loudness LUFS is the 3rd version of ITU-R BS.1770, which is introduced by the European Broadcasting Union in 2012. This represents the standard normalization of audio level for TV broadcasting and video. In this study, this represents the capacity of sound. 9 RMS amplitude represents the vibration of the sound. 10 decibel (dB) mono represents the range of dynamics. 8 6

M2OCEAN. - ITU-R BS.1770-3 Loudness LUFS, maximum RMS amplitude, and the dynamic range. Stage 4 - Based on the audio recording, a rating survey on the scale from one to ten was applied for experts’ evaluation. (One means the poor sound sonority and Audio Evaluation ten means the excellent sound sonority.) Table 1: Method and technique. 6. Conclusion This thesis provides important qualitative data in the biomechanics of marimba playing as well as a general guideline describing how this research was conducted (see Table 1). The following chapter discusses the biomechanics of marimba playing in relation to sound, using both physical and audio data to create a baseline measurement which is referred to as Measurement 1. These data and results serve as the fundamental measurement for comparison of the effects of study of Tai Chi movements applied to marimba performance, which is presented in Measurement 2. 7

8

Chapter 2 Biomechanical Characterization of Marimba Playing in Relation with Strength of Sound The body movements of marimbists in relation with sound were determined in Paper (Biomechanical Characterization of Marimba Playing in Relation with Strength of Sound, 2017)11. Measurement 1 was recorded through a three-dimensional motion capture system, in relation to the strength of sound which was captured by a real-time recording technique. The study recruited twenty-two participants from two higher educational institutions. Each student performed three different musical fragments and each musical fragment was repeated three times12. The study successfully collected one hundred ninety-five musical fragments, with one participant not able to perform musical fragment number three. These one hundred ninety-five musical fragments make up the 3DMOCAP and audio data. The study drew on the large amount of quantitative of data that was produced to focus on the analysis of musical fragment three. This musical fragment incorporated a larger number of body gestures, within a marimba performance, than musical fragments one and two. The results were reported as Paper (Lin, et al., 2017). The following sections summarize Paper and further discuss the audio data. This groundbreaking data was then used for comparison with Measurement 2 (Chapter 3 and Chapter 4). 1. Summary of the Paper - Biomechanical Characterization of Marimba Playing in Relation with Strength of Sound This paper reported Measurement 1 of the scientific study. Three variables were measured: the relation between body movements and marimba playing, the effect of the years of playing experience (which was categorized as bachelor's and master's students), and the differences between male and female students. This paper discussed the methods: physical outcome variables of interest, audio analysis, and outcome variables of interest and statistical methods; the result: physical descriptive and outcome data, principal physical component analysis, and correlation analysis between physical and audio data. 11 12 See Appendix 1. See Appendix 2. 9

In order to examine the biomechanical characteristics of marimba playing in relation with strength of sound, the paper analyzed the correlation between the 3DMOCAP and the audio data. The results proved that body gestures have a direct influence in the sound production of marimba playing, with the left upper limb contributing the most in producing the dynamic range (Lin, et al., 2017). In terms of playing experience, the results show that the bachelor's level students incorporated a more forward-leaning upper trunk position over the marimba keyboard than the master's students. Regarding gender differences, it was interesting that the results showed that females incorporated a less forward-leaning upper trunk position and obtained more upper limb motion (in both left and right) than males. The paper discussed the results based on existing marimba literature and proved that body gestures have a direct influence in sound production. Secondly, the findings regarding the balance between the right and left upper limbs and forward leaning upper trunk position show the need for further development of these skills in marimba education. The existence of gender differences invites further study into this particular domain (Lin, et al., 2017). 2. Audio Data The audio data showed that the strength of sound was related with the range of motion in the left upper limb. The statistical analysis did not find a significant difference in years of experience or in gender differences (Lin, et al., 2017). The study focused on three variables of interest for audio analysis: ITU-R BS.1770-3 Loudness LUFS, maximal RMS amplitude, and dynamic range decibel (dB) mono. ITU-R BS.1770-3 Loudness LUFS represented the standard method of measuring the loudness of musical signals. This corresponded to how the loudness was perceived subjectively and indicated the amount (capacity) of sound. Maximum RMS amplitude was chosen for measuring how the maximum dynamic peaks in the music fragment are perceived, as opposed to true peak measurements. Dynamic range was also chosen for measuring how large a dynamic range could be produced by the musician (Lin, et al., 2017). More detailed information was explained in Paper. Differences between ba

2. Tai Chi as an Inspiration in the Existing Compositions 43 3. Tai Chi and New Music: Case of Angel and Demon (2011) 47 3.1 Purpose and Motivation 48 3.2 Motives and Analysis 48 3.3 Applied Tai Chi Movements in Angel and Demon 50 3.4 Discussion 51 3.5 Summary 51 4. Tai Chi and New Music: Case of Bits of Peace (2014) 52 4.1 Purpose and .