'Tuning-In' to 'Tune out':

Mediating Engagement Experiences with Music on-the-go

Stefan J.Q. Choo, Chamorro-Koc, M., Gomez, R., Broughton, M.

Creative Industries Faculty, School of Design, Queensland University of Technology
In train commute, headphone device users The ways people embody interactions with music include:

are ‘tuning-in’ to music through bodily Synchronize with the beat by nodding heads, tapping feet, and so forth.

Gesture and mirror movement in music; play "air piano", hum, and so forth.

movement to ‘tune-out’ stresses.  Video Flow with music, like a dance or trance; be transported to another time/ space.

recordings and interviews of a user's

Technology and context indirectly mediate the quality of these interactions:

A baby wailing in the carriage can be a Causal element that distracts.

interaction with music and device enhance

Poor sensory of sound in devices can affect a person's attention and Presence in

METHODS
music.

qualitative understanding of people's

engagement with music and technology. Participants are assigned a combination of headphones, chest strapped and wrist

INTRODUCTION
worn haptic enabled technologies in two settings- laboratory and in field studies.

Participants choose one of three songs- "Una Voce Poco Fa" (c. Giocchino Rossini),

"Mamma Mia" (c. ABBA), or Bohemian Rhapsody (c. Queen). These songs are

highly syncopated, engaging listeners' to synchronize with the beat  (Janata, 2014).
DID YOU KNOW?
Video-observations record participants movements to music, and tagged
1 in 7 Australians experience lengthy
retrospectively for observed synchronized movements and/or gestures.
commutes on a daily basis to and from
Selected segments from the start, middle and end of each song are coded
work (BITRE, 2016)?!
and analysed in relation to the music the participant choses. The start and end
Lengthy commute stresses people
provides how the participant adapt to transitions between context, music. The
(Walsh, 2009).
middle section corresponds to where syncopated elements occur in the song (Janata,
30% - 60% of train commuters listen to
2014).
music or the radio (Berry and Hamilton,
With reference to selected segments, semi-structured retrospective interviews probe
2010) as accompaniment (Denora, 2000)
participants for the quality of music experience mediated by device and
and as means of isolation (Walsh, 2009).
environment. e.g. "Discuss how the device(s) may have enhanced/impeded your
Music relaxes, reduces stress  (Strukelj et
Average tour duration (minutes) Prevalence of lenghty commutes (%)
movements or the sensing of movement in music"
al., 2015) and pain (DeNora, 2000). Figure 1: Average commuting trip duration and prevalence of
We apply Laban Movement Analysis Shape-Effort descriptors (v. Laban, 1966) to
lengthy commutes. Source: Productivity Commission (PC), 2011.
Music moves and impacts people in
corroborate observations and interviews. We derive where heightened interactions

RESEARCH QUESTIONS
accordance to the situations and contexts
and Flow occur, and how these experiences may relate to their wellbeing.
they are in (Leman, 2008).

ANALYSES & DISCUSSION (SAMPLE: FIG 3)

To contextualise findings, each segment is discussed in relation to its precedence.

Scant research has explored how people embody interactions with music Prior segment- Previous musical phrase trails off to silence; "stillness" in participant.

through the use of portable music devices, like headphones in commute. Current Segment

Presence: Participant felt a rich experience of sound that involved multiple senses.
To address this, we ask the following research questions:

How do portable music devices mediate the way people embody interactions Flow: Vigorous movement experienced and reported corresponds to Passion (v.

with music? Laban, 1966). Participant felt release and derived a meaningful experience that

How can the design of portable music devices enhance embodied interactions related to his wellbeing.

DISCUSSION
for people's wellbeing and experience during long commutes?
Haptics (chest-strap) pair well with headphones, 'tuning-in' participant's senses of

musical transitions between instruments and voice.

Being bodily engaged, participant concentrated on music and 'tune-out' from

surroundings.

This segment shows an optimum pairing of devices in context. Imagine adapting

KEY REFERENCES
devices for an optimum experience of music in commute, 'tuning-in' to 'tune out'!

Bureau of Infrastructure Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE).

(2016). Lengthy Commutes in Australia- Report 144. Sydney. Retrieved from

http://bitre.gov.au/publications/2016/rr_144.aspx

Berry, M., & Hamilton, M. (2010). Changing urban spaces: Mobile phones on
Figure 2: A schematic illustration of how people emboddy interactions with music and technology in commute
trains. Mobilities, 5(1), 111–129.

DeNora, T. (2000). Music in everyday life. Cambridge University Press.

Janata, P., Tomic, S. T., & Haberman, J. M. (2012). Sensorimotor coupling in music

and the psychology of the groove. Journal of Experimental Psychology:

General, 141(1), 54.

von Laban, R. (1966). The language of movement: A guidebook to choreutics.

Plays, inc.

Leman, M. (2008). Embodied music cognition and mediation technology. Mit

Press.

Walsh, M. (2009). Portable music device use on trains: A’splendid

isolation’? Australian Journal of Communication, 36(1), 49.

Figure 3: Segment of participant embodying interactions the song, "Una Voce Poco Fa" with the use of headphones
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF  Woojer Inc., Audeara Pty Ltd.,
PROJECT SPONSORS Lofelt GmBH.
and haptics in laboratory experiments. Syncopation (3'26"-3'34", middle segment) occurs in embellished vocal line

performed by singer, Joyce Didonato, with relation to the plucking of violins.