I am developing an immersive web-based playground that empowers users to manipulate the spatialization of live electronic compositions. The project originated from my role as a visiting researcher at NYU Shanghai’s Music Experience Design (MusED) Lab, headed by Prof. Alex Ruthmann.

The pilot product shown above showcases Boulez’s Dialogue de l’ombre double (Dialogue of the Double Shadow), a groundbreaking composition featuring a live solo clarinet in dialogue with its pre-recorded, spatialized “shadow” self. The piece innovatively explores the interplay between live performance and electronic manipulation, creating a unique auditory experience that challenges traditional notions of musical dialogue and spatial perception. By leveraging the Web Audio API, I tackled the technical challenges of faithfully reproducing Boulez’s 6-channel spatialization of clarinet recordings in various Web browsers.

My goal is to create an immersive experience accessible to novice audiences worldwide, bringing spatial audio and experimental electronic music out of the ivory tower while highlighting the indispensable contributions made by technologists and engineers. The playground offers multiple entry points, allowing users to explore the piece from the perspectives of the performer, the audience, and the often-overlooked technologists crucial to realizing computer music. The playground’s interface aims to unveil the compositional processes and ideas sometimes obscured by the composers while respecting the complexity and depth of their artistic vision.

Working with Prof. Alex Ruthmann, I am continuing the development of the spatial audio playground with user experiments and ongoing user interface optimization.