Purpose of MusicLab
There are three aims of MusicLab:
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Research: The fundamental question we ask is: How do people engage with music? And more particularly: what is the role of the body in music performance and perception? During a MusicLab session, we measure such bodily responses using different types of technologies. This includes the way the body moves and physiological responses (breathing, pulse, and so on).
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Dissemination: Another essential aspect of MusicLab is exploring new ways of spreading information about how research is performed and conducted. For most people, research is something that happens behind closed doors at a university. We want to research in the "field," tell about the process, and show what we find.
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Innovation: Finally, we want to use MusicLab as a testbed for Open Research. This is a radically new way of thinking about the research process itself. Rather than keeping the entire research process closed, we want to invite everyone to help us collect data. We also want to share the data with the public and show how it can be analyzed.
We organize 2-3 MusicLab events per year. In between the events, we analyze the data and prepare lectures and publications on the results. Since all the data and tools from MusicLab are openly available, everyone can help out. We hope to inspire other people to use the data for whatever purpose they may find helpful.
MusicLab's 4 pillars
A MusicLab event is built around a concert and typically contains a workshop, panel discussion, data collection, and data jockeying. Together, these components secure the mix of art and science and research and edutainment.
