Towards an Enactive Swimming Sonification: Exploring Multisensory Design and Musical Interpretation

Abstract

In this paper we present a design method that integrates the exploration of visual representations and musical expertise in the process of creating a swimming sonification, and initial results of the method’s application in an explorative study. Our focus lies on the creation of a sonic representation that facilitates the affective, intuitive reproduction of the crawl swim movement. The method integrates artistic creativity and a systematic design process. By combining the linguistic-conceptual, visual and auditory representation of the (imagined) movement, we aim to advance the expressive quality of the sonic representation as well as the design method in a crossmodal, holistic way. Finally we report on a qualitative evaluation of the potential of this approach to support the affective, intuitive re-enactment of the swimming movement.