Pitchcircle3D: A Case Study in Live Notation for Interactive Music Performance

Recent decades have seen the establishment of computer software live notations intended as music scores, affording new modes of interaction between composers, improvisers, performers and audience. This paper presents a live notations project situated within the research domains of algorithmic music composition, improvisation, performance and software interaction design. The software enables the presentation of live animated scores which display 2D and 3D pitch-space representations of note collections including a spiral helix and pitch-class clock. The software has been specifically engineered within an existing sound synthesis environment, SuperCollider, to produce tight integration between sound synthesis and live notation. In a performance context, the live notation is usually presented as both music score and visualisation to the performers and audience respectively. The case study considers the performances of two of the author's contrasting compositions utilising the software. The results thus far from the project demonstrate the ways in which the software can afford different models of algorithmic and improvised interaction between the composer, performers and the music itself. Also included is a summary of feedback from musicians who have used the software in public music performances over a number of years.