Abstract

The many ways, music is used in sports opens the possibility to augment existing training and measurement systems to improve technique training in elite sports. The potential for real‐time sonifications to enhance attention for specific movement sections in athletics has led to a growing interest from the elite sports community. Early examples of sonifications for swimming and (ergometer) rowing have demonstrated the functionality of this idea. These pioneering sport sonifications use simple sound sequences to achieve real‐time responsiveness. However further improvements in technology will enable more complex sounds opening up the design possibilities. During the COST‐SID workshop on sonification, different design possibilities were explored using the rowing movement and data as a case study. The results identify the potential to include the motive and physiological aspects of music and the richness of natural sounds. As a sonification for elite rowing, a trial of the sine‐wave sonification in action demonstrated the effectiveness of sonification. Athletes’ response to a questionnaire about the sound indicates that functionality is a primary dimension in the aesthetics of a sonification in elite sports. The functional and aesthetic success of the sine‐wave sonification is encouraging. However, the results from the workshop combined with the questionnaire identified many issues and raised questions about function and aesthetics in sonifications designed specifically for elite sports applications. Just what are the aesthetic dimensions of sonification? And, is functionality the only thing that matters? That leads to the question if the aesthetics of sonification do include the psychological and emotional effects that music has on athletic performance? In further work we will present other versions to the athletes to discover the best representative and most effective version for elite sport athletes. Verf.-Referat