Content-oriented Information System for the Exploration of Brazilian Ethnic Music Phonographic Collections

Abstract

This project proposes the construction of a content-oriented information system,aiming at facilitating the exploration of phonographic collections containingBrazilian ethnic music. Commercial systems for collection exploration arefrequently based on characteristics that are specific of popular music, such asthe large number of content viewings and the use of labels with known meaning.These characteristics are not present in the context of exploration of ethnicmusic. The exploration of collections of this musical genre can befacilitated by a recommendation system that considers, simultaneously, theacoustic content of phonograms -- which can be calculated using digital signalprocessing techniques -- and the user's preference -- which can be estimatedusing machine learning techniques. Therefore, this project approaches differentfields of engineering, potentially representing contributions to all of them.Also, the processes and algorithms used in this study rely on interdisciplinarystudies on music theory and musicology, comprising a new field of researchcalled \textit{computational ethnomusicology}.Additionaly, the final product -- the information system -- is valuable for thegeneral public, since it facilitates access to a musical genre with greatcultural meaning.This project will be developed in the School of Electric and ComputerEngineering, with institutional support from theInterdisciplinary Nucleus of Sound Studies, both located at the University ofCampinas. (AU)