Current Research
I am currently working on the UKRI FLF funded project 'The Cultural Legacies of the British Empire: Classical Music's Colonial History (1750-1900)'. The project examines Classical music within the context of the British Empire. It investigates how colonialism's profits underpinned Britain's musical infrastructure, the impact of colonised and enslaved musicians on its development, and it will trace the patterns of imperial trade underpinning the movements of musicians, ideas, and goods. Specifically, I will be looking into how interactive and immersive audio technologies, within the contexts of museums, galleries and cultural heritage sites, can help communicate and disseminate the key research themes and findings of this project alongside the projects cultural industry partners which include: The Royal College of Music The Humboldt Forum, Berlin and English Heritage.
Past Research
My past research has explored the user experience and functional character of audio augmented realities and audio augmented objects (real-world, physical objects that have been augmented with virtual audio content). I was also a lead developer and researcher on the LEADD:NG project, part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in partnership with Midlands Engine, University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University. The LEADD:NG project explored how immersive technologies and techniques can deliver exciting new experiences for customers, visitors and audiences by introducing local businesses and creatives to new technologies helping them to develop viable products and maximise potential and profit in a post-pandemic economy.
I have also previously worked on the 'Symphonies on the move' project with colleagues from the University of Nottingham's Department of Music. This project explored symphonic travels through a number of means including The Symphony Reimagined mobile application that enables users to listen to, manipulate and create their own arrangements of nineteenth century symphonies rendered in immersive and spatially interactive binaural audio. The Symphony Reimagined mobile application represents a NGA (next generation audio) player enabling a personalised immersive 3D sound experience that users can adapt via spatial interaction and custom instrument selections.
Finally, I was engaged in researching systems for the delivery and consumption of virtual art and musical performances as part of the EU funded project titled XTREME (Mixed Reality Environment for Immersive Experience of Art and Culture) working with the Finnish National Opera and Ballet, The Munch Museum, Oslo and 12 other industry and academic partners across the EU.
Future Research
My specific area of interest resides in the creation and study of innovative mixed reality environments comprised of physical realities and virtual audio content relating to the delivery and consumption of future music, art and cultural experiences. Future research will investigate the emerging functional and experiential design space of spatial audio and NGA (next generation audio) environments and interfaces.