Student Spotlight – Ivana Dama

Meet fourth-year undergraduate researcher Ivana Dama!

Ivana majors in Design Media Arts with a minor in Digital Humanities and is in our Undergraduate Research Scholarship Program. The title of her research project is “Music Map.”

How did you first get interested in your research project?

Before coming to UCLA, I never thought that the School of Arts and Architecture would be a great place for research. I believed that only scientists did research projects. I soon realized that most of professors were conducting research in the art field, and I got inspired to change my art practice approach. My work became an ongoing experiment in which I wasn’t only focused on the final project; the process became an important aspect of my work. During my second year, I became a member of the Art|Sci Center at UCLA, where I was able to work closely with scientists on research-based art projects.

What has been the most exciting aspect of your research so far?

My project is called a Music Map, and my goal is to explore untraditional ways to play an instrument. The users will be able to create a musical composition by changing their geographic location. The most exciting part of my project is testing the application and applying that knowledge to my research paper. Another exciting moment was in the initial stage of the process, when I searched for similar projects and experiments done in the past. It is fascinating to realize how many similar technologies were used for different purposes.

What has surprised you about your research or the research process?

The biggest surprise in my research project was a public interest in my work. Many people offered to test my application, and I was really grateful for that. When we are so focused on our projects, it is essential to hear different opinions and fresh perspectives on the same subject. As I’m moving forward with my research, I’m surprised each day with the Undergraduate Research Center’s generous support.

What is one piece of advice you have for other UCLA students thinking about doing research?

My biggest advice for all UCLA students interested in research is not to be afraid to ask for help or advice. Even though most of our professors and mentors seem busy, they are almost always interested in hearing new research ideas and projects in their fields. I was positively surprised by the incredible feedback I got from many of my previous professors.

What effect do you hope your research has in your field, at UCLA, in your community, or in the world?

My goal is to create an open-source application that will enable anyone to generate a musical composition. For centuries, only skilled people could play an instrument, and I’m hoping to change that. This application will allow UCLA to have a site-specific interactive map application with dynamic audio sources, users as audio sources, pervasive/ubiquitous games, and social networks.

Student Spotlight – Liv Slaby

Meet fourth-year undergraduate researcher Liv Slaby!

Liv majors in Musicology and is in our Undergraduate Research Scholarship Program.

How did you first get interested in your research project?

I’m pursuing a graduate degree in dramatic writing, so I knew I wanted my Musicology capstone project to be a creative piece. I constructed a plot that draws on several of my academic interests and takes place in an almost-underwater San Francisco in 2199. Two Earth-born college hockey players, hoping to move to Mars after graduation, find that their climb to the championships is complicated by the arrival of a new Martian teammate who reveals that the colony is no longer habitable. This project cites queer theory and literature as well as New Queer Cinema, which I use with sound and voice studies scholarship to explore queer, female, and non-binary embodiment in the context of sports and audio drama. I also employ science fiction techniques to explore the interpersonal and environmental concerns of my characters.

What has been the most exciting aspect of your research so far?

I’ve enjoyed reading, watching, and listening to the diverse scholarly and creative texts that comprise my bibliography. I’ve been influenced by the works of Deleuze and Guattari, Todd Haynes, Jack Halberstam, Timothy Morton, Samuel R. Delany, and Nina Eidsheim. Exploring the possibilities of sound as a dramatic medium is something I didn’t foresee myself doing as a writer, but it’s been fascinating getting to know my characters in the context of how their voices and sonic environments will embody them in listeners’ imaginations.

What has surprised you about your research or the research process?

When I applied for URSP, I thought I’d spend the year writing the script for a staged theatrical piece. However, due to the impact of social distancing on theatrical practice, I decided it would be more pragmatic to explore ideas of isolation, disorientation, and uncertain futures through an auditory medium. Now, I’ll finish the (shorter) script this winter and spend much of the year recording and producing the piece so I can present a fully realized audio drama at Undergraduate Research Week in May.

What is one piece of advice you have for other UCLA students thinking about doing research?

I recommend working with a mentor or project advisors with whom you connect and feel comfortable sharing your first drafts and half-formed ideas. Writing isn’t easy with only your own head as a sounding board, and it’s helpful to have a mentor who keeps your timeline on track and is available for you to discuss and develop your ideas through conversation.

What effect do you hope your research has in your field, at UCLA, in your community, or in the world?

I hope that I will encourage listeners to be aware of the assumptions they make about the “locations” of the voices, including demographic information like race, gender, and age. In our predominantly visual society, I aim to draw attention to sound’s multisensory forms and potential for interpersonal connection. By dealing with embodiment in a disembodied medium, I hope to illuminate the ways we orient ourselves to our own bodies and to entities we perceive as others, and to explore compassion through sonic perception.