Social network analysis of classical music and possible uses in ubiquitous VR

Abstract

In network science one focuses on the relationships between the constituents of a complex system to unearth novel and intriguing patterns that may help us understand the underlying dynamics and principles of the system. The applicability of network science is truly broad, and most recently it has been found to be a very helpful tool in understanding the complex dynamics of human relationships. In this paper we show that network science can be applied to the study of arts and culture as well by analyzing the archival data of classical music recordings, exploring the complex patterns of collaboration among various musicians. Specifically, we study the network of classical musicians (composers and performers) constructed from the ArkivMusic.com database, a comprehensive digital source of information on classical music CDs. The goal of this paper is twofold: First, we show that the study of complex network patterns in the landscape of classical music recording can provide novel understanding and insights into culture and the arts, highlighting their potential as a subject of serious study in network science per se, Second, given how network analysis allows one to unearth the essential patterns of relations between things from complex large-scale data, we would like to explore how the findings can be applied to ubiquitous virtual reality research that aims to enrich user experience via exploiting the connections between the elements of an environment.