Research

The article examines the soundtracks of fundraising videos produced by NGOs based in the UK, the USA and Canada to address questions about the ways that music structure and sound create emotional narratives about poverty and development. Analysis reveals how music is used to shape emotional responses to NGO appeals and reinforces persistent stereotypes about the global South as sad and frightening and the global North as the source of agency to solve problems of global poverty.

This research proposes a critical and hands-on investigation into the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI), somatic biofeedback, and musical improvisation.

Moving beyond the traditional pedagogical goal of technical "optimization," this project asks a more fundamental question: How does the introduction of an AI agent, capable of visualizing (using VR/AR technology) and responding (using bio-sensing technology) to the objective physiological state of a performer, alter the lived experience of improvisational agency? We propose a hybrid pedagogical model that centers the human sensory experience while leveraging machine learning for objective physiological monitoring.