Inhabiting the Instrument

This study presents an ecosystemic approach to music interaction, through the practice-based development of a mixed reality installation artwork. It fuses a generative, immersive audio composition with augmented reality visualisation, within an architectural space as part of a blended experience. Participants are encouraged to explore and interact with this combination of elements through physical engagement, to then develop an understanding of how the blending of real and virtual space occurs as the installation unfolds. The sonic layer forms a link between the two, as a three-dimensional sound composition. Connections in the system allow for multiple streams of data to run between the layers, which are used for the real-time modulation of parameters. These feedback mechanisms form a complete loop between the participant in real space, soundscape, and mixed reality visualisation, providing a participant mediated experience that exists somewhere between creator and observer.