VR conductor: a virtual reality conducting system for novice conductor practice

Effective conducting pedagogy requires time to practice with an ensemble of musicians, whichpresents a challenge for beginning conductors. Interactive conducting systems from the past fifty years have attempted to solve this dilemma, but most remain locked behind proprietary gadgets or simply do not work with modern technology. This dissertation introduces VR Conductor, a virtual reality-based interactive conducting simulator aimed at novice conductors that uses accessible off-the-shelf virtual reality hardware. A serious game coded using Unreal Engine, VR Conductor focuses on three pedagogically-oriented features: first, users of VR Conductor conduct a virtual orchestra that responds to their tempo; second, the height and consistency of the user’s conducting plane is calculated; third, the virtual musicians respond to pre-determined cues. The user is provided with real-time formative feedback via tempo responsiveness and visual animations. Summative feedback appears in the form of a numeric score after the music has ended. This dissertation includes a comprehensive review of comparable and historical conducting software and a narrative of the iterative development process. A compiled version of VR Conductor accompanies this dissertation, playable on Windows computers with appropriate virtual reality capabilities. To address technological obsolescence, a video of the author demonstrating the software also accompanies this dissertation. The project demonstrates the feasibility of using virtual reality to practice conducting. Although VR Conductor is not intended to replace podium time with a real ensemble of musicians, it can help novice conductors develop tempo awareness, measure gesture consistency, and practice cueing.