Sessions at SXSW Interactive 2011 about Music on Sunday 13th March

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• The Music of Interaction Design

  by Cennydd Bowles and James Box

  While both music and design have theoretical underpinnings, they also share a certain ineffability. A musical masterpiece and an exceptionally crafted experience demand more than the simple application of theory. They also demand virtuosity. Designers must skilfully bring together clicks and gestures — the building blocks of interaction design — to form a meaningful experience. Although it's simple to describe these components, we often resort to vague shorthands like 'look & feel' to explain what happens at the experiential layer. Similarly, composers rely on formalised technique to write music; yet ask what makes a piece remarkable and the answer will be similarly nebulous. In this session, we will examine parallels between music and interaction design, including harmony, genre, rhythm, fashion and emotion. Along the way, we will learn how that which defies easy definition can elevate digital and musical works from good to miraculous.

  1. Why do some interactions and some pieces of music—even when they seemingly 'obey' all the rules—still feel wrong?
  2. What is it about music that provokes such a profound emotional response and how can designers learn from it?
  3. Why, despite all expectations, the overflow of information can actually be a rather lovely experience.
  4. Why does innovation actually feel bad?
  5. And finally, just what is 'The Brown Noise'?

  • Arts
  • Interaction Design
  • Music
  • Psychology
  • User Experience

  At 9:30am to 10:30am, Sunday 13th March

  In Ballroom A, Austin Convention Center

• Finding Music With Pictures: Data Visualization for Discovery

  by Paul Lamere

  With so much music available, finding new music that you like can
  be like finding a needle in a haystack. We need new tools to help
  us to explore the world of music, tools that can help us separate
  the wheat from the chaff.

  In this panel we will look at how visualizations can be used to
  help people explore the music space and discover new, interesting
  music that they will like. We will look at a wide range of
  visualizations, from hand drawn artist maps, to highly interactive,
  immersive 3D environments. We'll explore a number of different
  visualization techniques including graphs, trees, maps, timelines
  and flow diagrams and we'll examine different types of music data
  that can contribute to a visualization.

  Using numerous examples drawn from commercial and research systems
  we'll show how visualizations are being used now to enhance music
  discovery and we'll demonstrate some new visualization techniques
  coming out of the labs that we'll find in tomorrow's music
  discovery applications.

  LEVEL: Advanced

  • Data
  • Data Visualization
  • Music
  • Open Data
  • Visualization

  At 11:00am to 12:00pm, Sunday 13th March

  In Salon H, Hilton Austin Downtown

• Bloggers Fight Back: Legal Workshop for Music Bloggers

  by Mehan Jayasuriya and Michael Weinberg

  Have you ever received a takedown notice for an MP3 or video you posted on your blog? Did you get clearance from a publicist only to have the label accuse you of illicitly distributing their content? Did Google delete your Blogspot blog? Are you scared to post MP3s on your blog at all for fear of being sued?

  There's a lot of confusion and disinformation out there when it comes to bloggers' rights--especially where the nuances of copyright law are concerned. In this workshop, we'll teach you how to make sure you're in the clear when posting content on your blog, exactly what your responsibilities are as a blogger and how to fight back if you're wrongfully accused. The presenters--both of whom work for the Washington D.C.-based digital rights non-profit Public Knowledge--will bring a wealth of expertise from both sides of the issue to the table. In addition to overseeing Public Knowledge's outreach and new media efforts, Mehan Jayasuriya is a freelance music blogger and photographer who has worked with publications like PopMatters, Stereogum and DCist. Michael Weinberg is a staff attorney at Public Knowledge, where he focuses on telecommunications policy, in addition to copyright reform and entertainment law.

  LEVEL: Intermediate

  • Blogging
  • Legal
  • Music

  At 12:30pm to 1:30pm, Sunday 13th March

  In Creekside, Sheraton Austin Hotel at the Capitol

• Sports & Music: Perfect Harmony

  by Brian Jennings

  Technology has radically altered the face of the music industry; the marketing platforms of yesteryear are no longer sufficient for audience development and distribution. As a result, the industry must rely on new platforms - Internet, mobile, on-demand, social networks - to drive demand. The proposed presentation will examine how professional sports has emerged as another powerful new platform for the music industry to help drive demand, engagement, distribution and revenue. Attendees of this presentation will learn about:

  • The natural synergies between the music industry and pro sports
  • The demographic overlays
  • The wealth of potential integrations between music and sports (products, merchandise, events, etc.)
  • The artists and leagues/teams that are innovating in this area
  • Future development and distribution opportunities between artists and leagues/teams

  LEVEL: Intermediate

  • Music
  • Sports

  At 12:30pm to 1:30pm, Sunday 13th March

  In TX Ballroom 5-7, Hyatt Regency Austin