SoundByNature Practice Room – Singing practice in a virtual reality environment

In 2016, I started SoundByNature to help my students sing in a safe, inspiring natural setting. That fall, I discovered a virtual dentist’s office and began exploring VR and accoustics in the classroom. I imagined an app blending nature and sound but didn’t finish it before COVID-19 disrupted plans. Years later, I presented my idea to tech students at Turku University. Two weeks later, a team of five chose SoundByNature for their capstone project. In 2024, we showcased the prototype, ‘SoundByNature Practice Room – Singing practice in a virtual reality environment,’ at the Turku ICT Showroom. The program is effective and fun to use, allowing you to enjoy virtual nature, adjust echo and acoustics, and interact without headphones or cables. A heartfelt thanks to the ‘Virtual Harmony’ team and the University of Turku for their support.

Year
2023-2024

Introduction

The SoundByNature VR application, developed by group Virtual Harmony, together with Sanni Orasmaa & SoundByNature Oy, is a virtual reality experience designed to alleviate performance anxiety and, in this specific application, to facilitate singing teaching. Our client (SoundByNature) takes students out to nature for singing practice, and with this VR experience the same calming natural environment can be recreated virtually. The user tunes into the atmosphere of their natural surroundings and can interact with the environment by experimenting with the echo of their own voice. The user benefits from the experience by decreased stress and alleviated performance anxiety.

Results

We successfully developed a virtual reality application using Unity, encompassing four different nature scenes: 1) a wide view from the top of a hill (inspired by the iconic Koli landscape in eastern Finland), 2) on the shore of a calm pond, 3) next to a flowing water in a forest, and 4) looking across a wide forest clearing. The application features a virtually created echo which simulates a realistic echo effect often experienced in nature and which also helps the user to tune into their own voice during singing practice. This echo can be customized by several parameters (delay, volume, threshold) in the settings. The product is compatible for use both with the Meta Quest 2 and Quest 3 devices.

Future possibilities

Already in its present state, the application is suitable for other uses besides singing practice. For example, any application areas where a calm and relaxed state of mind or a sense of immersion are sought could use this application. Examples would include the so-called relaxation rooms that are present in some shopping malls. With even minor modifications, this application could be further tailored for other uses as well, such as mindfulness meditation practice used in treating various medical conditions or just for recreational purposes.

Virtual Harmony is Eero Nirhamo, Atte Aapalampi, Jennica Harju, Joni Ranta, & Janek Tuisk.

Link to University of Turku site.