Dr W. Luke Windsor
+44 (0) 113 343 2603
BSc, MA, PhD (City), PGCLTHE (Leeds), FHEA
Dr Luke Windsor joined the School of Music in 1998. Prior to this, he completed his doctorate (on the perception and analysis of electroacoustic music (opens in a new window) ) at City University, held a postdoc position at the NICI (opens in a new window) researching timing in performance, and coordinated the development of a postgraduate distance learning programme in music psychology at the University of Sheffield (opens in a new window) , where he also worked as a research assistant investigating the modelling of expressive timing and dynamics in performance. His published research has focused on the perception and production of musical rhythm and metre, expressive and cooperative timing in musical performance, musical collaboration, and the analysis and aesthetics of electroacoustic music.
- Expression and interpretation in musical performance
- Timing and motor control in music
- Creativity, collaboration and improvisation
- Ecological psychology (and its application to music)
- Semiotics, Critical Theory and music analysis
- Electroacoustic music
Luke’s research and teaching is mainly concerned with how we listen to, perform and interpret music and the critical and empirical tools we use to study musical behaviour. Current and past collaborators include former colleagues in the Music, Mind, Machine team at the NICI, Eric Clarke (University of Sheffield), Nikki Dibben (University of Sheffield), Amandine Penel (University of Provence), Bruno Repp (Haskins Labs) and Sam Hayden. Since 2002, he has been an associate editor of the journal Psychology of Music. He is currently working on the decomposition of timing in performance, the visual and auditory perception of musical excellence (with Karen Burland), timing in contemporary musical practice, improvisation, and on a number of scholarly works on the psychology of musical performance.
Current Modules
- MUSI1020 Music in History and Culture
- MUSI2025 Approaches to the Analysis of Popular and World Musics
- MUSI2923 The Psychology of Listening and Performance
- MUSI3920/40 Minor/Major Music Psychology
- MUSI382/2 Texts and Contexts C and D (The Music of Anthony Braxton)
- MUSI3120/40 Minor/Major Dissertation
- MUSI5060M Introduction to Musical Scholarship
- MUSI5162M Dissertation
Module Coordinator for
- MUSI2923 The Psychology of Listening and Performance
- MUSI3920/40 Minor/Major Music Psychology
Other Teaching
- MUSC1044 Aural Perception and Sight-Reading
- MUSC1120/MUSI1120 Music Study Skills
- MUSC1150 Introduction to Psychology of Music
- MUSI1320 Practical Skills (from 2001/2)
- MUSI1611 Introduction to the Science of Music
- MUSI1712 The Musician in Society
- MUSC2060/2161/2160/2161 Minor/Major Performance
- MUSC2220/MUSI2911 Music Perception and Cognition
- MUSC2221/MUSI2912 Musical Development
- MUSC2040 Aural Perception
- MUSC3180/MUS3911 Music, Emotion and Meaning
- MUSC3181/MUSI3912 Applied Psychology of Music
- MUSC5012 Music Research Seminar
- Deputy Director, Interdisciplinary Centre for Scientific Research in Music (ICSRiM)
Books (edited)
- Desain, P.; Windsor W.L. (eds.) (2000) Rhythm Perception and Production. Swets and Zeitlinger.
Contributions to books and conference proceedings
- Windsor, W.L. (in preparation, under contract) Retrieving Expressive Gestures from Performance. In: Anthony Gritten and Elaine King (eds.) New Perspectives on Music and Gesture, Ashgate.
- Windsor, W.L. (2008). Measurement and models of performance. In: Susan Hallam, Ian Cross and Michael Thaut (eds.) Oxford Handbook of Music Psychology (pp. 323-331). Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press.
- Windsor W.L. (2004) Data collection, experimental design and statistics in musical research. In: N. Cook and E. F. Clarke (eds.) Empirical Musicology: Aims, Methods, Prospects, Oxford University Press, pp.197-222.
- Windsor, W.L. (2000) Through and Around the Acousmatic: the Interpretation of Electroacoustic Sounds. In: Simon Emmerson (ed.) Music, Electronic Media and Culture, London: Ashgate, pp.7-35.
- Appleton, L.; Windsor W.L.; Clarke, E.F. (1997) Cooperation in piano duet performance. In: A. Gabrielsson (ed.) Proceedings of the Third Triennial European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music Conference, Uppsala University, pp.471-474.
- Windsor W.L. (1997) Virtual and real listening environments in electroacoustic music. In: A. Gabrielsson (ed.) Proceedings of the Third Triennial European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music Conference, Uppsala University, pp.386-391.
- Windsor, W.L. (1996) Autonomy, Mimesis and Mechanical Reproduction in Contemporary Music. In: K. Norman (ed.) A Poetry of Reality: Composing with Recorded Sound, 15 , Harwood, pp.139-50.
- Windsor, W.L. (1996) Perception and Signification in Electroacoustic Music. In: Raymond Monelle and Caroline Gray (eds.) Song and Signification, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Faculty of Music, pp.64-74.
- Windsor W.L. (1994) Ecological constraints and the perceived structure of electroacoustic music. In: I. Deliege (ed.) Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress on Music Perception and Cognition, European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music, pp.305-306.
- Clarke, E.F.; Windsor W.L. (1994) Dynamic information for metre. In: C. Auxiette, C. Drake and C. Gerard (eds.) Proceedings of the Fourth Rhythm Workshop: Rhythm Perception and Production, pp.105-110.
Periodical articles
- Windsor, W.L. (in preparation). Timing in 12 performances of Varèse's Density 21.5. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.
- Windsor, W.L.; de Bezenac, C.E. (in preparation). The Affordances of Music. Musicae Scientiae.
- Hayden, S.T.; Windsor, W.L. (2007) Collaboration and the composer: case studies from the end of the 20th Century. Tempo, 61(240), pp.28-39.
- Windsor, W.L.; Desain, P.; Penel, A.; Borkent, M. (2006) A structurally guided method for the decomposition of expression in music performance. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 119(2), pp.1182-1193.
- Windsor, W.L. (2005) Analysing Coordination in Western Art Music: Lessons for Ethnomusicology. European Meetings in Ethnomusicology, 11, pp.111-115.
- Windsor, W.L. (2004) An Ecological Approach to Semiotics. Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, 34(2), pp.179-198.
- Repp, B.H.; Windsor W.L.; Desain, P. (2002) Effects of Tempo on the Timing of Simple Musical Rhythms. Music Perception, 19(4), pp.565-593.
- Timmers, R.; Ashley, R.; Desain, P.; Honing, H.; Windsor W.L. (2002) Timing of ornaments in the theme from Beethoven's Paisiello Variations: Empirical Data and a Model. Music Perception, 20(1), pp.3-34.
- Windsor, W.L.; Aarts, R.; Desain, P.; Heijink, H.; Timmers, R. (2001) The Timing of Grace Notes in Skilled Musical Performance at Different Tempi: A Preliminary Case Study. Psychology of Music, 29(2), pp.149-169.
- Windsor, W.L. (2001) Sound Objects or Sounding Objects: Electroacoustic Music and the Location of Musical Meaning. In: George E. Lasker, James Rhodes, Jane Lily (ed.) Systems research in arts : music, environmental design and the choreography of space, 2 , Institute for Advanced Studies in Systems Research and Cybernetics
- Dibben, N.; Windsor, W.L. (2001) Constructivism in Nicholas Cook's introduction to music: tips for a "new" psychology of music. Musicae Scientiae : the journal of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music, 5(2), pp.43-50.
- Heijink, H.; Desain, P.; Honing, H.; Windsor W.L. (2000) Make Me a Match: An Evaluation of Different Approaches to Score-Performance Matching. Computer Music Journal, 24(1), pp.43-56.
- Heijink, H.; Windsor, W.L.; Desain, P. (2000) Data Processing in Music Performance Research: Using Structural Information to Improve Score-Performance Matching. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, and Computers, 32(4), pp.546-554.
- Clarke, E.F.; Windsor, W.L. (2000) Real and Simulated Expression: a Listening Study. Music Perception, 17(3), pp.277-313.
- Desain, P.; Honing, H.; VanThienen, H.; Windsor, W.L. (1998) Computational Modelling of Music Cognition: Problem or Solution?. Music Perception, 16(1), pp.151-166.
- Windsor, W.L.; Clarke, E.F. (1997) Expressive Timing and Dynamics in Real and Artificial Musical Performances: Using an Algorithm as an Analytical Tool. Music Perception, 15(2), pp.127-152.
- Windsor W.L. (1994) Using Auditory Information for Events in Electroacoustic Music. Timbre Composition in Electroacoustic Music, 10(2), pp.85-93.
- Windsor W.L. (1993) Dynamic accents and the categorical perception of metre. Psychology of Music, 21(2), pp.127-140.
Keynote & invited lectures
- Windsor, W. L. (2007). The Transforming Power of the Acousmatic: Losing the Body and Gaining the Mind. Symposium François Bayle, University of Cologne, l’Institut National de l’Audiovisuel/Groupe de Recherches Musicales. (Invited Paper)
- Windsor, W. L. (2006). Retrieving expressive gestures from performance. 2nd International Conference on Music and Gesture, Royal Northern College of Music. (Invited Keynote Paper)
- Windsor, W. L. (2005). Structure and Expression: Staying Serious about Statistics in Music Performance Research. SMA study day, 'Accounting for Performance', Royal Northern College of Music. (Invited Paper)
- Windsor, W. L. (2001). Models and observations in musical performance research. SRPMME Day Conference, Cambridge University. (Invited Keynote Paper)
Conference papers (oral)
- Desain, P and Windsor, W. L. (2005). Dissecting expression into structural components. 10th Rhythm Perception and Production Workshop, Bilzen, Belgium.
- Ward, V. and Windsor, W. L. (2004). Development of expressive timing in student clarinet performances. 1st Conference on Interdisciplinary Musicology. Graz, Austria.
- Windsor, W. L., Ng, K., Davidson, J. W. and Utley, A. (2003). Investigating musicians’ natural upper body movements. International Conference on Music and Gesture, Norwich, UK.
- Windsor, W. L. (2002). Measurements, similarities and differences: when is the objective subjective. SMA Study Day, University of Sheffield.
- Windsor, W. L. (2002). The Affordances of Music. 7th European Workshop on Ecological Psychology, Bendor, France.
- Windsor, W. L. (2000). Sound Objects or Sounding Objects: Electroacoustic Music and the Location of Musical Meaning. 12th Annual Conference on Systems Research, Informatics, and Cybernetics, Baden-Baden. (Invited Paper)
- Windsor, W. L. (2000). Sound Objects or Sounding Objects: Electroacoustic Music and the Location of Musical Meaning. 12th Annual Conference on Systems Research, Informatics, and Cybernetics, Baden-Baden.
- Windsor, W. L., Aarts, R. Desain, P., Heijink, H. and Timmers, R. (1998). Graceful timing: ornaments, tempo and musical structure. Seventh Rhythm Perception and Production Workshop, Wassenaar.
- Appleton, L., Windsor, W. L. and Clarke E. F. (1996). Cooperation in piano duet performance. Third Triennial European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music Conference. Uppsala University, Sweden.
- Windsor, W. L. (1997). Virtual and real listening environments in electroacoustic music. Third Triennial European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music Conference. Uppsala University, Sweden.
- Windsor, W. L. and Clarke E. F. (1996). Grouping structure, timing and dynamics in Schubert's Impromptu, Opus 90. Sixth Rhythm Workshop: Rhythm Perception and Production, Max Planck Institute, Munich.
- Clarke E. F. and Windsor, W. L. (1996). Timing, Dynamics and Structure in Human and Algorithmic performances. 4th International Congress on Music Perception and Cognition, Montreal.
- Windsor, W. L (1996). “Everyday” and “musical” events in Yves Daoust’s Mi Bémol. British Musicology Conference, King’s College, London.
- Todd N. P. McA. Clarke E. F. and Windsor, W. L. (1994). Rhythmogram analysis of human and synthetic performance. 128th meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, Austin, Texas.
- Clarke E. F., von der Lippe, P. Windsor, W. L. (1994). Tapping and probing: empirical studies of metre. Fifth Rhythm Workshop: Rhythm Perception and Production, University of Sheffield.
- Windsor, W. L. (1994). Ecological constraints and the perceived structure of electroacoustic music. 3rd International Congress on Music Perception and Cognition, Liège.
- Clarke E. F. and Windsor, W. L. (1993). Probing Metre. Annual conference of the Society for Music Perception and Cognition, Philadelphia.
- Windsor, W. L. (1993). Using Auditory Information for Events in Electroacoustic Music. 3rd Conference on Science and Music, City University.
- Windsor, W. L. (1993). The 'motivated sign' in electroacoustic music. Theory and Analysis Graduate Students Day, City University.
- Windsor, W. L. (1992). Perception and Signification in Electroacoustic Music. Third International Congress on Musical Signification, University of Edinburgh.
- Windsor, W. L. (1992). Cultural and Natural Affordances in Electroacoustic Music. 2nd European Conference on Ecological Psychology, University of Strathclyde.
- Clarke E. F. and Windsor, W. L. (1992). Dynamic Information for Metre. Fourth Rhythm Workshop: Rhythm Perception and Production, Bourges.
- Contribution to SRIF funding to ICSRiM (£560, 000)
- 2005 – present: MA Psychology for Musicians, University of Sheffield
- MPhil: Yu-Lee Hong, Tempo and Timing Fluctuation in Violin Performance, University of Central England, 2004
- PhD: Peter Lennox, Spatial Music and Spatial Perception in Auditory Environments, University of York, 2005
- PhD: Rasmus Reed, University of Sheffield, 2006
- Assistant Editor, Psychology of Music
- Rhythm Perception and Production Workshop, Wassenar, NL, 1998 (with Peter Desain)
Current Research Students
- Ian Gallimore: Categorisation in Music
- Sue Miller: Performance, flute Improvisation in Cuban Charanga (with Kevin Dawe)
Past Research Students
- Vicky Ward: analysis, performance and pedagogy (awarded PhD 2005)
- Rosemary Fitzgerald: Oboe timbre: perception and analysis (awarded PhD 2003; with David Cooper)
- Petter Fadnes: Performance, improvisation, Saxophone (awarded PhD 2004);
- Matt Bourne: Performance, improvisation, Piano (awarded PhD 2006);
- Christophe de Bezenac: Performance, improvisation, Saxophone (awarded PhD 2007);
Abstract
A Perceptual Approach to the Description and Analysis of Acousmatic Music
This thesis investigates the problems of describing and analysing music that is composed for, and presented from, a fixed medium, and diffused over loudspeakers with minimal intervention, especially where such music resembles everyday sounds as much as it does traditional musical material. It is argued that most existing theories of acousmatic music are closely tied to prescriptive rather than descriptive concerns, and concentrate upon intrinsic aspects of acousmatic music to the detriment of its extrinsic potential. In contrast to such approaches a method of description based upon an ecological theory of listening which accounts for the relationship between structured information and the perception of events is proposed. This descriptive approach is used as the basis for analysing acousmatic pieces, revealing a complex interpretative relationship between listener, piece and environment. Such an approach, it is argued, accounts for those aspects of acousmatic music excluded by most current approaches, but more importantly provides a theoretical framework within which descriptions may be arrived at which avoid the prescriptive bias of exisiting theories. The perspective provided by this analytical approach is reinterpreted through a critical approach to aesthetics, showing how acousmatic music can be seen as both autonomous and mimetic and how the dialectic between these two aspects is potentially critical of our relationship with the world. The relationship between musical techniques, materials and technology is discussed in response to this perspective showing how acousmatic music might be regarded as part of a broader aesthetic context. In conclusion, it is argued that acousmatic music does not merely challenge the view that music is primarily self-referential, but also that it reaffirms the possibility that music may be both intrinsically and extrinsically significant.
- Former member of experimental improvising rock band ‘Old Fruit’
- Society for Education, Music and Psychology Research: http://www.sempre.org.uk/
- Society for Music Perception and Cognition: http://www.musicperception.org/
- Music, Mind Machine: http://www.nici.kun.nl/mmm/
- Music Cognition Group University of Amsterdam: http://cf.hum.uva.nl/mmm/