Cyberactions and Cyberinstruments via Physical Modeling Synthesis: Extending Musical Realties

This dissertation focuses on physical modeling synthesis, and argues that this synthesis, rooted in physical action, can serve as a key to connect musicmaking processes in the physical world to those in virtual worlds. In the physical world, we create music via mechanical action. In some music, mechanical action motivates the creation of all aspects of composition, including its conception, form, instrumentation, instrumental design, performance and score. I call such music "action-based." I will begin with a consideration of perception and the role of mechanical action in this arena. I follow this with a consideration of the history and techniques of physical modeling, showing how this type of synthesis can be used in the following dimensionsi imitation, augmentation and hybridization of existing sound sources, as well as facilitating novel sound-production mechanisms. I also describe how "cyberinstruments" extend musical realities in my own compositions.

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