Generating Real-Time Visual Meaning for Live Indian Drumming :: Music Rhythm Drums Musical Essays

Generating Real-Time Visual Meaning for Live Indian Drumming Abstract: In this essay, a system developed to generate visual meaning for live performed music is described. Specifically, this system is calibrated to respond to North Indian classical and folk drumming tradition, using custom designed digital musical interfaces, such as the Electronic Tabla and Electronic Dholak. A drum, when struck, does not generate its sound as a record of the force applied, but as an artifact of a physical response to that strike within the artistically controlled conditions of its material state. With the design of the North Indian drum controllers, we developed a physical model for digital audio synthesis to recreate the aural qualities of the drums’ response under the control of the player. From there, we abstracted that concept to develop a dynamically responsive model for real-time rhythmic visual synthesis. In creating a visual experience for North Indian classical music, we sought to create a dynamic visual accompaniment with an appropriate ambience for the patterns and complexities of North Indian drumming. The design process was shaped by the need to react to a series of signals that would be received from the musician through the digitized musical interfaces, while giving a visual performer the ability to modify and shape those reactions over the course of the performance. In contrast to using a prerendered or abstract visualization, we aim to create an audiovisual composition which is both aesthetically compelling and responsive to the conditions of live performance, in addition to providing a meaningful visual context for what the performer is playing. In this essay, we will describe: - Veldt: a custom built application for visual expression of musical performance. - Digital Indian Drums: the Electronic Tabla and Electronic Dholak which digitize gestural information of a live performer. - Rhythmic visualization of our system used in live performances. Veldt Veldt is an application which was designed from the ground up for the purpose of visual expression and performance. It receives MIDI (Music Instrument Digital Interface) and OSC (Open SoundControl)[1] messages from digital musical interfaces and maps them to a system of reactive events in order to generate live visuals, which are rendered real-time using the OpenGL[2] graphics language. Mappings are flexible: sets of mappings may be arranged and modified during the design and rehearsal process, and triggered by control events during different movements of a performance, and arbitrary text, images, video, and geometric models may be used as source material.

Position paper: Should internationalism be embraced? Essay

The source presented talks about the Canadian government’s upcoming actions as it deals with the country’s economic affairs. It can be inferred that the author feels that economic prosperity is the most important sign of progress and a good quality of life for Canadians, as jobs and economic growth can lead to â€Å"long-term prosperity† that will benefit every citizen of the country. An example of this envisioned economic prosperity is the Harper government’s economic action plan, which seeks to supply more jobs in order to prolong and strengthen Canada’s performance economically. By saying that costs must be reduced or eliminated in international affairs, it can be assumed that the author favours nationalism over internationalism. The speaker’s stance can then be assumed that he or she would most prefer to have their country reap the most benefits through the improvement of economic budgeting, over being a world citizen who cares more for the welfare of the world as a whole, and can be inferred that their position supports unilateralism, wherein a country’s decisions are made by themselves, without international influence. An example of favouring nationalism over internationalism is the recent backing out of Canada from its military participation in Afghanistan, due to its expensive costs. This example shows the challenge between balancing both nationalism and internationalism, as Canada’s purpose of providing military aid to Afghanistan shows that the country seeks to be of help during international crises, but then its withdrawal shows that as much as Canada seeks to aid Afghanistan, it has to prioritize its own welfare first in order to keep giving help. The speaker’s sentiment in the last sentence shows exactly that the programs and benefits must be beneficial to Canadians, not in international affairs where they feel that giving our resources only hinders Canada’s path to economic prosperity. Some would agree with the source, as Canada’s welfare must always be prioritized over that of international issues, because they feel that providing aid and resources to other countries would only hinder our progress for prosperity. Others, however, feel that while Canada’s well-being as a country is essential, it is also important to take part in international affairs as a means of economic  progress, humanitarian aid, and having an influence over the decisions that are being made in international affairs. With these in mind, it is best to agree with the perspective that Canada should also take part in international affairs, as it benefits other countries as well as our own, taking into account that our internati onalistic participation can have an influence in preventing conflict around the world, and that economic progress can be achieved through internationalistic participation. Canada’s reputation as a supporter of humanitarian actions has been established through its constant participation of giving aid and resources for those in need. This reputation is evident during the country’s active involvement in providing help during major natural disasters, such as the earthquake in Japan on 2010, and the Typhoon Hayan that occurred in the Philippines. Due to these humanitarian actions, Canada has donated millions in order to aid countries as they reestablish themselves after these calamities. It can be assumed that these actions would not be supported by the speaker of the source, as it does not â€Å"directly affect Canadians† in an economically positive manner. However, one has to take in mind that these countries that have been hit by unfortunate calamities may have caused major economic losses, the destruction of their environment, and the loss of millions of lives. What if Canada were to experience such a calamity? One may argue that these countries are economically lower than Canada, allowing us to be able to support and rebuild ourselves. However, one has to take in mind that if we ever experience the destructive losses that these countries have suffered, help would most likely be given by the countries that we have aided during their adversities, as a sign of gratitude for what we have done for people â€Å"thousands of kilometers away†. Another known reputation of Canada is its active participation in peacekeeping operations that ensure to resolve a conflict between two parties. This was clearly evident when Canada seeked to impose the involvement of military troops during peacekeeping operations, which was implemented through the United Nations. This change in the ways that peacekeeping operations were done greatly improved the UN’s strength in ensuring a successful reconciliation between parties, a critical factor that  was skimped on during the establishment of the League of Nations. This was put into action during the suez crisis, as both parties were reconciliated successfully. Canada’s involvement in military operations and international organizations not only provides military help, but also shapes critical decisions that may affect the rest of the world, such as Canada and other nations such as the United States putting pressure on Russia’s Vladimir Putin for their disagreement with Pu tin sending military troops to Crimea. Despite the failure of Canada to drastically affect Putin and Russia’s decisions, the international pressure that was applied may have been critical in preventing further conflicts from happening. These acts of peacekeeping argue against the source’s perspective, Finally, Canada’s participation in International Organizations benefit the country in more ways than one, particularly that of economic progress. The country’s participation in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) seeks to eliminate trade barriers and tariffs, proving that this international participation benefits Canada economically. Adding on to Canada’s benefits of participating in international organizations is our participation in the United Nations and humanitarian involvements, that fosters Canadian pride. Some would agree with the source, as Canada’s welfare must always be prioritized over that of international issues, because they feel that providing aid and resources to other countries would only hinder our progress for prosperity. Others, however, feel that while Canada’s well-being as a country is essential, it is also important to take part in international affairs as a means of economic progress, humanitarian aid, and having an influence over the decisions that are being made in international affairs. With these in mind, it is best to agree with the perspective that Canada should also take part in international affairs, as it benefits other countries as well as our own, taking into account that our internationalistic participation can have an influence in preventing conflict around the world, and that economic progress can be achieved through internationalistic participation.

Is Bottled Water Safer than Tap Water?

The question on whether on whether bottled water is safer for drinking than tap water is marked with many controversies and therefore it is a subject of discussion. This paper seeks to discuss reasons as to why bottled water is not safer than tap water. The National Resource Defense Council confirmed that the rules regulating bottled water were not sufficient to guarantee the people’s safety. The food and drug administration was responsible for the bottled water at national levels and allowed carbonated water (NRDC, 2008).Further to this, bottled water is not often tested for bacterial or any other contamination and this creates loop holes for unsafe water to be bottled. Bottled water has been confirmed by the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC) through a four year research review to be not necessarily safe. This research study was inclusive of the safety standards that regulate the bottled water industry in comparison with the national rules governing the tap water.The NR DC after carrying out test on over 1000 bottles come to the conclusion that a reasonable percentage of all bottled water was just tap water, which was not treated (NRDC, 2008). The fact that different water bottling companies exist and carry their bottling procedures differently need to be appreciated right at the beginning of this paper otherwise its content could be generalized unnecessarily. This is because as per the National Resource Defense council, some companies’ product was found to satisfy the safety rules but others proved to be contaminated by harmful chemicals which were put with an aim of improving test.Research studies have shown that plastic bottle which are commonly used for bottling water have some chemicals which can disassociate and leach into the water. These chemicals are known to affect testosterone which is a vital hormone in human beings. References Natural Resource Defense Council. (2008). Bringing Safe Water to the World. Retrieved August 11, 2010, from http://www. nrdc. org/international/safewater. asp

A Movie, from the Sociological Perspective

The Jigsaw Killer showed acts of deviance by using entrapments, manipulation, and psychological and physical infliction of pain upon his victims. To elaborate on why the Jigsaw is deviant is because he likes to manipulate almost every detail in his games. He manipulates the environment so the only means to escape are through torturous games testing far beyond the limit a human being can endure. The victims are almost always drugged in some way only to wake up within an environment where Jigsaw pulls all of the strings like a puppet master. As one officer describe Jigsaw in the movie, he â€Å"liked to book himself front row seats to his own sick little games. There is one type of social class that constantly shows up in the movie and that is the middle class folks. One of the people, which is a doctor named Dr. Lawrence Gordon. During the movie the audience learned that he had a wife and small child, possibly 5 year. They resided in a house that was mansion side, making him a middle class maybe an upper class family. Another main character that was in the movie was a person named Adam, he lower-mid class. There was a scene in the movie that showed his apartment. Adam’s apartment was a little run down as from what the camera was showing. There was a mix of different races and ethnicity’s in the movie. Often these victims would wake up trapped in the â€Å"games† of a genius engineer. Amanda which is white female who was shown towards the beginning of the movie who woke up contraptions attached to her head which the killer called â€Å"the reverse bear trap† or the â€Å"the death mask†. Another victim that went through something similar is when the Asian, who was named Detective Steven Sing had this head blown to little pieces when he was trying to go after the Jigsaw killer to bring him to justice. A little time before that happened the African American named Detective David Tapp who was trying to do the same thing by bringing the killer to justice had his neck sliced, but lived, however later on we see him again losing his life. All races such as Asian, white and African American did lose their life only because they had to play the game and decide who will be the one to go. A Movie, from the Sociological Perspective The Jigsaw Killer showed acts of deviance by using entrapments, manipulation, and psychological and physical infliction of pain upon his victims. To elaborate on why the Jigsaw is deviant is because he likes to manipulate almost every detail in his games. He manipulates the environment so the only means to escape are through torturous games testing far beyond the limit a human being can endure. The victims are almost always drugged in some way only to wake up within an environment where Jigsaw pulls all of the strings like a puppet master. As one officer describe Jigsaw in the movie, he â€Å"liked to book himself front row seats to his own sick little games. There is one type of social class that constantly shows up in the movie and that is the middle class folks. One of the people, which is a doctor named Dr. Lawrence Gordon. During the movie the audience learned that he had a wife and small child, possibly 5 year. They resided in a house that was mansion side, making him a middle class maybe an upper class family. Another main character that was in the movie was a person named Adam, he lower-mid class. There was a scene in the movie that showed his apartment. Adam’s apartment was a little run down as from what the camera was showing. There was a mix of different races and ethnicity’s in the movie. Often these victims would wake up trapped in the â€Å"games† of a genius engineer. Amanda which is white female who was shown towards the beginning of the movie who woke up contraptions attached to her head which the killer called â€Å"the reverse bear trap† or the â€Å"the death mask†. Another victim that went through something similar is when the Asian, who was named Detective Steven Sing had this head blown to little pieces when he was trying to go after the Jigsaw killer to bring him to justice. A little time before that happened the African American named Detective David Tapp who was trying to do the same thing by bringing the killer to justice had his neck sliced, but lived, however later on we see him again losing his life. All races such as Asian, white and African American did lose their life only because they had to play the game and decide who will be the one to go.

Effects of Quality Management on Domestic and Global Competition Essay

Effects of Quality Management on Domestic and Global Competition - Essay Example 2. Quality Management at Nokia Quality is at the heart of Nokia’s operations. Quality has been embedded into every aspect of the products in order to achieve the goal of continuous improvement. Quality Management at Nokia starts right at the top management level and flows from top to bottom. There is a ‘Self-Regulating Management System’ at Nokia which charts out the framework for management practices. The customer needs are the most important input in Nokia’s quest for continuous improvement. Therefore, Nokia makes it a point to thoroughly analyze the lifestyles and needs of its target customers (10 Operations Management Decisions). Nokia lays a great amount of stress on Research and Development. More than 30% of Nokia’s workforce is deployed in Research and Development across geographies. The company strives to maintain a balance between the technological design and user friendly layout. Special fashion designers are deployed for the later (10 Oper ation Management Decisions). 3. Quality Management at Micromax Quality management at Micromax is driven totally by customers. According to Vikas Jain, one of the co-founders of Micromax, Micromax is not a poor cousin of Nokia. Micromax has two important success criteria – perfect assessment of the customer needs and the ability to adapt their supply chain to those needs. The company was a pioneer in initiating dual sim phones in India and challenged Nokia’s supremacy with its innovations. The company realized that a large number of customers were willing to use more than 1 sim cards for various reasons. However, not many were willing to carry 2 or more mobile phones in their pockets. This latent need led to the development of mobile phones with dual sim cards which have become a norm today (Dharmakumar, 2010). 4. Common process between the two organizations and its impact The product design process of the two organizations is quite similar. Both organizations consider assessing customer needs as the most important and preliminary stage of product design. In Nokia, this research is done very methodologically by specialists across various geographies and cultures. At Micromax, the market research is not very structured and the focus is more on identifying the latent needs and to target niche segments of the market. The next step is to choose the theme and develop the product. While Nokia believes in designing an experience rather than a product, Micromax considers a theme such as dual sim and develops and markets its product around that theme. The next step is to test the prototype on a selected group of customers. While this step is a must for Nokia, Micromax may actually skip it and go ahead with judgment of its management. After the product is developed, the supply chain management is very important for both the firms. Nokia maintains a set of requirements for its suppliers. Nokia makes efforts in maintaining a sustainable e-supply chain. The su pply chain management at Micromax is less structured but also less complicated. This enables the company to easily swing the supply chain making it more agile. The product design process has a significant positive impact on their competitive position in the market. By focusing on customer needs, these companies win half the battle. This helps them in efficient planning and execution. By maintaining an effective and agile supply chain, these companies are better equipped to manage change in customer needs, market conditions, global economic

Small Business Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Small Business Management - Essay Example These businesses have an entrepreneurial tool that allows them to effectively compete with other small businesses and with the large corporations in the market. Integrity and responsibility plays a significant role in enabling small businesses to excel in customer service and in good product quality. Customers always respond to evidenced integrity by being aware of the business’ ethical issues. Innovation is also central to small businesses’ success. Small business entrepreneurs excel by seeing opportunities and business ideas differently through innovative approach to business (DTI, 2001). Innovation allows small businesses to compete with the large corporations, such innovations are not only reflected by the new products but are also reflected by the way business carries out business, the involved business processes, technology and leadership approaches. According to Gooderl et al (2005, p. 10), small businesses differ from other types of businesses in terms of potent ial for growth. Some of the small businesses have promising startups implying that they have potential to drastically attain significant profitability and size. Other small businesses have marginal startups implying that they lack such prospects. Small businesses offer great rewards to their owners, some of the small businesses rise to become multinationals. ... economy; its future strength and growth potential. There are various scholars who have written about small businesses and their growth and have provided the various benefits related to small businesses in an economy. Small businesses in U.K. have played an important role in reducing unemployment, improving people’s living standards and improving performance of the economy (Moore 2008, p. 249). Small business sector is thus vital in boosting of the economy. It is the small businesses that are translated to the medium and the large businesses allowing for continued flow of new small businesses. Despite the importance of small business sector to the country’s economic growth, U.K. is still dominated by the large corporations, which on average prove more innovative than the small firms. However, the economy has shown increasing growth of small business companies in the various sectors and the government has been supportive to the sector. Besides the contribution made by the small businesses sector to the U.K. economy, there are various other factors that reflect people desire to invest in entrepreneurship. There are various reasons that facilitate growth of small businesses that emanate from the owners or the entrepreneurs. There are few studies that have been on done exploring the relationship between the theory and small business management and the management behaviours of these businesses. This study will explore the small business sector by identifying one small business in U.K and examining the various aspects of the firm and relating them to the existing theories and literature on small business management. This study will seek to answer some of the following questions: What are the reasons that influenced the entrepreneurs of the

Significant principles of project management Research Paper

Significant principles of project management - Research Paper Example And the success or failure of one phase can have a significant influence on other project management tasks. In this scenario, project management is a systematic method for managing, controlling and setting up project tasks and resources from its beginning to completion (Barkley, 2006, p. 14; Kerzner, 2006; TechTarget, 2008; Haughey, 2009). In addition, these resources and tasks can be divided into different stages depending on the size of a project. These stages could be initiation, planning, executing, controlling, and completion or termination of the project. In reality, this standard method of the project management can be used to manage any kind of project, because its fundamental goal is to organize the different tasks of project development. In addition, project management is a kind of plan administration that pays attention especially on developing and organizing project activities and tasks. Simply like there are billions of ice cream tastes, there are billions of kinds of pr ojects and the nature of a project varies from organization to organization. In this scenario, efficient and successful project management can defeat them both. Additionally, project management considers projects normally as a provisional attempt to produce an exclusive service or product. In addition, for the majority of organizations today, everything is a project; on the other hand, others believe that projects are particular and high level tasks that happen occasionally. In fact, a project is an exclusive thing. Alternately, the formation of a new implementation is exclusive, while the preservation and everyday support of an existing application is not accordingly exclusive (Tomayko & Hallman, 1989; Luckey & Phillips, 2006). In addition, a number of researchers believe that project management is simply a set of a wide variety of tasks and activities that are distributed to a number of people by a responsible authority normally acknowledged as a project manager. Additionally, in efficient project management there is no space for goobers. In addition, the successful project management focuses on serious trade of receiving work performed on time, within allocated budget and according to client’s needs and requirements. Furthermore, the successful project management involves various other attributes such as leadership, execution and owning the project capacity. Also, it is an excellent response to sign off on the project and know that we and our project team play a significant role in the project’s success. The benefits of project management for the organizations are countless. The effective use of project management allows organizations to organize project tasks and assign resources. In this scenario, organizations can also track the progress of project. Additionally, project management is helpful for controlling the project tasks and guiding the development (Barkley, 2006; Tomayko & Hallman, 1989; Luckey & Phillips, 2006). Project organizations and the importance of leadership and sponsorship In view of the fact that the project is a team activity in which people