Subject: [AUDITORY] Research Internship Video Game Music From: =?utf-8?Q?Florence_Lev=C3=A9?= <=?utf-8?Q?Florence_Lev=C3=A9?=> Date: Wed, 8 Jan 2025 22:40:22 +0100--Apple-Mail=_F76276FD-6CBC-4D61-89B2-4912D010EF7C Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Dear list, We are seeking for a motivated Master student for a research internship = position on Video Game Music this spring. All details below. Best wishes, Florence Lev=C3=A9 =E2=80=94 Research Internship - =E2=80=9CLoop Perception in Video Game Music: = Corpus Constitution and Experimental Study=E2=80=9D Duration: 4-6 months Theme: music analysis, video games, perception Location : Lille (Villeneuve d=E2=80=99Ascq, Laboratoire CRIStAL, m=C3=A9t= ro 4 Cantons); Partial remote work possible Supervisors: Yann Teytaut (CRIStAL), Cl=C3=A9ment Canonne (IRCAM), = Florence Lev=C3=A9 (MIS + CRIStAL) Full proposal: https://www.algomus.fr/jobs/#loop Open for applications until January 31, 2025. Desired profile Master of Research (M2) in either computer science, (audio) signal = processing or computational musicology; Interest in video game music and musical structure; Previous experience in musical algorithmics or perception would be = appreciated but is not necessary. Context Video Game Music (VGM) refers to the musical genre associated with = soundtracks accompanying interactive game-plays with the aim to deepen = immersion within virtual worlds and enhance the player=E2=80=99s overall = gaming experience [Gibbons24]. Back in the 70s-80s, early game soundtracks were limited by hardware = constraints, and relied on chiptune melodies that became iconic through = their memorable and repetitive structure [Collins08]. Following the = progress in computer music and music technology, VGM has evolved to = intricate compositions that now play a crucial role in intensifying = emotions and supporting storytelling via true orchestral scores or even = original songs [Phillips14]. Today, from its presence on audio streaming platforms, to specialized = training courses in musical conservatories, as well as CD/vinyl releases = and themed concerts, VGM fully contributes to the broader cultural = landscape, showcasing the unique capabilities of interactive media, and = has therefore become a concrete area of study in digital humanities = [Lipscomb04; Kamp16]. Yet, it remains only marginally explored in the = Music Information Retrieval (MIR) community. Additionally, one of the key features of VGM is its =E2=80=9Cseamless = loop=E2=80=9D structure: most VGM is composed in repeating patterns, or = loops, designed to repeat continuously and as subtly as possible so that = the listener hardly notices the transition [Margulis13]. However, = exploring whether listeners are actually sensitive to the =E2=80=9Cseam=E2= =80=9D in looping remains an unexplored research area. The purpose of this internship is thus twofold. On one hand, it aims to = provide the MIR community with a resource for analyzing VGM by creating = a representative VGM corpus with structural annotations. On the other = hand, it seeks to study participants=E2=80=99 ability to accurately = predict the looping point in VGM based on the constituted database. Related works and objectives While there already exist several VGM datasets, these offer only a = partial view of the diverse audio landscape in modern video games. = Indeed, available corpora lack sufficient diversity as they may (1) = provide solely MIDI data (e.g., VGMIDI, Lakh MIDI); (2) be focused on = one specific game (e.g., GameSound) or aesthetic (e.g., NES-MDB); or (3) = include non-official arrangements instead of original works (e.g., VGMix = Archive, VGMIDI). As a result, they fall short in representing the full = spectrum of game audio, particularly the high-quality recordings of = recent orchestral and/or pop/rock soundtracks. In order to bridge this gap, the first part of this internship will be = dedicated to reflect on and identify relevant factors (e.g., video game = genres, years, stations, etc.) to build both a diverse and = representative VGM database (about 100 pieces). The corpus will then be = annotated in terms of structural patterns, following conventions = established on other music structure datasets [Smith11]. Finally, experimental studies will be conducted, aiming at assessing the = extent to which listeners are sensitive to the =E2=80=9Cloop-based=E2=80=9D= nature of most VGM, by contrasting, first, several types of VGM relying = on various compositional techniques, and, second, a passive (listening = only) vs an interactive (listening while playing the game, or a proxy) = reception. Organization During the course of this internship, the candidate will be incited to = understand and get familiar with Video Game Music (VGM), study and = discover proximity literature on this genre (i.e., ludomusicology) and = existing datasets, reflect on and identify relevant factors to = constitute a dedicated dataset, annotate the structural patterns, and = conduct experimental studies from a perception perspective. Environment:=20 The intern will be integrated in the Algorithmic Musicology (Algomus) = Team at the CRIStAL Lab of the University of Lille, and will profit from = the team knowledge on both music digital humanities and Music = Information Retrieval. The annotated corpus could notably be integrated = in the Dezrann platform [Giraud18]. For both the theoretical framework = and perceptual studies, the intern will also benefit from the expertise = of IRCAM=E2=80=99s Musical Practices Analysis (APM) Team. Bibliography [Gibbons24] Gibbons, William et Grimshaw-Aagaard, Mark (ed.). The Oxford = Handbook of Video Game Music and Sound. Oxford University Press, 2024. [Collins08] Collins, Karen. Game sound: an introduction to the history, = theory, and practice of video game music and sound design, MIT Press, = 2008. [Lipscomb04] Lipscomb, Scott D. and Zehnder, Sean M. Immersion in the = virtual environment: The effect of a musical score on the video gaming = experience. Journal of Physiological Anthropology and Applied Human = Science, vol. 23, no 6, p. 337-343, 2004. [Kamp16] Kamp, Michiel, Summers, Tim, Sweeney, Mark, et al. = Ludomusicology: Approaches to video game music. Intersections: Canadian = Journal of Music/Revue Canadienne de Musique, vol. 36, no 2, p. 117-124, = 2016. [Collins07] Collins, Karen. In the loop: Creativity and constraint in = 8-bit video game audio. Twentieth-century music, 2007, vol. 4, no 2, p. = 209-227, 2007 [Margulis13] Margulis, Elizabeth Hellmuth. On repeat: How music plays = the mind. Oxford University Press, 2013. [Smith11] Smith, Jordan Bennett Louis, Burgoyne, John Ashley, Fujinaga, = Ichiro, et al. Design and creation of a large-scale database of = structural annotations. In : ISMIR 2011, p. 555-560, 2011. [Giraud18] Giraud, Mathieu, Groult, Richard, et Leguy, Emmanuel. = Dezrann, a web framework to share music analysis. In : TENOR 2018, pp. = 104-110. 2018 VGMIDI - https://github.com/lucasnfe/VGMIDI VGMix Archive - https://vgmixarchive.com/ Lakh MIDI - https://colinraffel.com/projects/lmd/ GameSound - https://michaeliantorno.com/gamesound/ NES-MDB - https://github.com/chrisdonahue/nesmdb= --Apple-Mail=_F76276FD-6CBC-4D61-89B2-4912D010EF7C Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8 <html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" content=3D"text/html; = charset=3Dutf-8"></head><body style=3D"overflow-wrap: break-word; = -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div><font = face=3D"Source Sans Pro, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span = style=3D"caret-color: rgb(99, 99, 99); letter-spacing: -0.45px;">Dear = list,</span></font></div><div><font face=3D"Source Sans Pro, Helvetica, = sans-serif"><span style=3D"caret-color: rgb(99, 99, 99); letter-spacing: = -0.45px;"><br></span></font></div><div><font face=3D"Source Sans Pro, = Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style=3D"caret-color: rgb(99, 99, 99); = letter-spacing: -0.45px;">We are seeking for a motivated Master student = for a research internship position on Video Game Music this = spring.</span></font></div><div><font face=3D"Source Sans Pro, = Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style=3D"caret-color: rgb(99, 99, 99); = letter-spacing: -0.45px;"><br></span></font></div><div><font = face=3D"Source Sans Pro, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span = style=3D"caret-color: rgb(99, 99, 99); letter-spacing: -0.45px;">All = details below.</span></font></div><div><font face=3D"Source Sans Pro, = Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style=3D"caret-color: rgb(99, 99, 99); = letter-spacing: -0.45px;"><br></span></font></div><div><span = style=3D"caret-color: rgb(99, 99, 99); letter-spacing: -0.45px; = font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Helvetica, sans-serif;">Best = wishes,</span></div><div><span style=3D"caret-color: rgb(99, 99, 99); = letter-spacing: -0.45px; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", = Helvetica, sans-serif;">Florence Lev=C3=A9</span></div><div><font = face=3D"Source Sans Pro, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span = style=3D"caret-color: rgb(99, 99, 99); letter-spacing: = -0.45px;"><br></span></font></div><div><font face=3D"Source Sans Pro, = Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style=3D"caret-color: rgb(99, 99, 99); = letter-spacing: = -0.45px;">=E2=80=94</span></font></div><div><br></div><div><div><b>Researc= h Internship - =E2=80=9CLoop Perception in Video Game Music: Corpus = Constitution and Experimental = Study=E2=80=9D</b></div><div><br></div><div>Duration: 4-6 = months</div><div>Theme: music analysis, video games, = perception</div><div>Location : Lille (Villeneuve d=E2=80=99Ascq, = Laboratoire CRIStAL, m=C3=A9tro 4 Cantons); Partial remote work = possible</div><div>Supervisors: Yann Teytaut (CRIStAL), Cl=C3=A9ment = Canonne (IRCAM), Florence Lev=C3=A9 (MIS + CRIStAL)</div><div>Full = proposal: <a = href=3D"https://www.algomus.fr/jobs/#loop">https://www.algomus.fr/jobs/#lo= op</a></div><div><br></div><div><b>Open for applications until January = 31, 2025.</b></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div><u>Desired = profile</u></div><div><br></div><div>Master of Research (M2) in either = computer science, (audio) signal processing or computational = musicology;</div><div>Interest in video game music and musical = structure;</div><div>Previous experience in musical algorithmics or = perception would be appreciated but is not = necessary.</div></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><u>Context</u></d= iv><div><br></div><div>Video Game Music (VGM) refers to the musical = genre associated with soundtracks accompanying interactive game-plays = with the aim to deepen immersion within virtual worlds and enhance the = player=E2=80=99s overall gaming experience [Gibbons24].</div><div>Back = in the 70s-80s, early game soundtracks were limited by hardware = constraints, and relied on chiptune melodies that became iconic through = their memorable and repetitive structure [Collins08]. Following the = progress in computer music and music technology, VGM has evolved to = intricate compositions that now play a crucial role in intensifying = emotions and supporting storytelling via true orchestral scores or even = original songs [Phillips14].</div><div>Today, from its presence on audio = streaming platforms, to specialized training courses in musical = conservatories, as well as CD/vinyl releases and themed concerts, VGM = fully contributes to the broader cultural landscape, showcasing the = unique capabilities of interactive media, and has therefore become a = concrete area of study in digital humanities [Lipscomb04; Kamp16]. Yet, = it remains only marginally explored in the Music Information Retrieval = (MIR) community.</div><div>Additionally, one of the key features of VGM = is its =E2=80=9Cseamless loop=E2=80=9D structure: most VGM is composed = in repeating patterns, or loops, designed to repeat continuously and as = subtly as possible so that the listener hardly notices the transition = [Margulis13]. However, exploring whether listeners are actually = sensitive to the =E2=80=9Cseam=E2=80=9D in looping remains an unexplored = research area.</div><div><br></div><div>The purpose of this internship = is thus twofold. On one hand, it aims to provide the MIR community with = a resource for analyzing VGM by creating a representative VGM corpus = with structural annotations. On the other hand, it seeks to study = participants=E2=80=99 ability to accurately predict the looping point in = VGM based on the constituted = database.</div><div><br></div><div><u>Related works and = objectives</u></div><div><br></div><div>While there already exist = several VGM datasets, these offer only a partial view of the diverse = audio landscape in modern video games. Indeed, available corpora lack = sufficient diversity as they may (1) provide solely MIDI data (e.g., = VGMIDI, Lakh MIDI); (2) be focused on one specific game (e.g., = GameSound) or aesthetic (e.g., NES-MDB); or (3) include non-official = arrangements instead of original works (e.g., VGMix Archive, VGMIDI). As = a result, they fall short in representing the full spectrum of game = audio, particularly the high-quality recordings of recent orchestral = and/or pop/rock soundtracks.</div><div>In order to bridge this gap, the = first part of this internship will be dedicated to reflect on and = identify relevant factors (e.g., video game genres, years, stations, = etc.) to build both a diverse and representative VGM database (about 100 = pieces). The corpus will then be annotated in terms of structural = patterns, following conventions established on other music structure = datasets [Smith11].</div><div>Finally, experimental studies will be = conducted, aiming at assessing the extent to which listeners are = sensitive to the =E2=80=9Cloop-based=E2=80=9D nature of most VGM, by = contrasting, first, several types of VGM relying on various = compositional techniques, and, second, a passive (listening only) vs an = interactive (listening while playing the game, or a proxy) = reception.</div><div><br></div><div><u>Organization</u></div><div><br></di= v><div>During the course of this internship, the candidate will be = incited to understand and get familiar with Video Game Music (VGM), = study and discover proximity literature on this genre (i.e., = ludomusicology) and existing datasets, reflect on and identify relevant = factors to constitute a dedicated dataset, annotate the structural = patterns, and conduct experimental studies from a perception = perspective.</div><div><br></div><div><u>Environment</u>: </div><div>= <br></div><div>The intern will be integrated in the Algorithmic = Musicology (Algomus) Team at the CRIStAL Lab of the University of Lille, = and will profit from the team knowledge on both music digital humanities = and Music Information Retrieval. The annotated corpus could notably be = integrated in the Dezrann platform [Giraud18]. For both the theoretical = framework and perceptual studies, the intern will also benefit from the = expertise of IRCAM=E2=80=99s Musical Practices Analysis (APM) = Team.</div><div><br></div><div><u>Bibliography</u></div><div><br></div><di= v>[Gibbons24] Gibbons, William et Grimshaw-Aagaard, Mark (ed.). The = Oxford Handbook of Video Game Music and Sound. Oxford University Press, = 2024.</div><div>[Collins08] Collins, Karen. Game sound: an introduction = to the history, theory, and practice of video game music and sound = design, MIT Press, 2008.</div><div>[Lipscomb04] Lipscomb, Scott D. and = Zehnder, Sean M. Immersion in the virtual environment: The effect of a = musical score on the video gaming experience. Journal of Physiological = Anthropology and Applied Human Science, vol. 23, no 6, p. 337-343, = 2004.</div><div>[Kamp16] Kamp, Michiel, Summers, Tim, Sweeney, Mark, et = al. Ludomusicology: Approaches to video game music. Intersections: = Canadian Journal of Music/Revue Canadienne de Musique, vol. 36, no 2, p. = 117-124, 2016.</div><div>[Collins07] Collins, Karen. In the loop: = Creativity and constraint in 8-bit video game audio. Twentieth-century = music, 2007, vol. 4, no 2, p. 209-227, 2007</div><div>[Margulis13] = Margulis, Elizabeth Hellmuth. On repeat: How music plays the mind. = Oxford University Press, 2013.</div><div>[Smith11] Smith, Jordan Bennett = Louis, Burgoyne, John Ashley, Fujinaga, Ichiro, et al. Design and = creation of a large-scale database of structural annotations. In : ISMIR = 2011, p. 555-560, 2011.</div><div>[Giraud18] Giraud, Mathieu, Groult, = Richard, et Leguy, Emmanuel. Dezrann, a web framework to share music = analysis. In : TENOR 2018, pp. 104-110. 2018</div><div>VGMIDI - = https://github.com/lucasnfe/VGMIDI</div><div>VGMix Archive - = https://vgmixarchive.com/</div><div>Lakh MIDI - = https://colinraffel.com/projects/lmd/</div><div>GameSound - = https://michaeliantorno.com/gamesound/</div><div>NES-MDB - = https://github.com/chrisdonahue/nesmdb</div></div></body></html>= --Apple-Mail=_F76276FD-6CBC-4D61-89B2-4912D010EF7C--