Mar 072016
 

Illustration by Naruto Maki: http://pixiv.net/i/28390209

While the teaching of Vocaloid software in schools is something that’s been around a while, it’s not too often you see the Hatsune Miku and Vocaloid phenomena studied at universities. In particular, it is being studied at at the oldest and most well-known English university in the world: The University of Oxford.

The book is titled “The Oxford Handbook of Music and Virtuality”, and the juicy bits relating to Vocaloid can be found under part 2, “Vocaloids, Holograms, and Virtual Pop Stars”. Below are the chapter titles:

  • 6. Vocaloids and Japanese Virtual Vocal Performance: The Cultural Heritage and Technological Futures of Vocal Puppetry
    Louise H. Jackson and Mike Dines
  • 7. Hatsune Miku and Japanese Virtual Idols
    Rafal Zaborowski
  • 8. Hatsune Miku, 2.0Pac, and Beyond: Rewinding and Fast-Forwarding the Virtual Pop Star
    Thomas Conner
  • 9. “Feel Good” with Gorillaz and “Reject False Icons”: The Fantasy Worlds of the Virtual Group and Their Creators
    Shara Ramberran

As a college textbook, it’s a bit pricey if you want to purchase it (although unless you’re attending Oxford, it’s more of a novelty item). It’s $150 for a physical copy, and $120 for the full digital version. Luckily, most of it is available for free reading on Google Books, minus chapter 9 and a part of chapter 8.

Read it on Google Books → https://goo.gl/EqkXo4

A listing of the book can also be seen on Oxford University’s press site here.

Source: Vocaloid Otaku

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About jrharbort
A Hatsune Miku fan since December 2007, jrharbort joined MikuFan as the Head Writer in October 2011. Follow on Twitter at @jrharbort.