Smart acoustic drum and sing competition system

Abstract

A system that wirelessly integrates actual drum equipment and singing equipment with a computer and the internet to allow musicians and or singers remotely located from one another to play music a competitive simulated game of music and or singing. An individual musician may opt to play music solo or practice to improve basic drumming or singing techniques. The system includes smart drum systems, an audio detection system and a drum motion sensing device, all containing circuits and contact or motion sensors coupled with signal processing and radio frequency transmitter circuitry, thereby wirelessly communicate game performance information to a remote receiver-computer. The computer display musician and or singing information and visually simulates and controls a musical and or singing game between two musicians, via the internet, having similar equipment and remotely located from each other. Standard drums may be retrofitted with the sensors and associated circuitry to convert such drums into “smart drums” for use with the system. Standard microphones may be retrofitted with the sensors and associated circuitry to convert such microphones into “smart microphones” for use with the system or any music implement. The system employs specially developed computer software to process musician performance data, control game play music, communicate game information between musicians and or singers musicians, generate and control visual simulations and display music musician performance information.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

Priority is claimed from U.S. Provisional Ser. No. 60/13,722, filed May 12, 1999 for all subject matter common hereto. That provisional application is incorporated by reference herein. This is a divisional application and the parent application for this divisional application is, 09/570,233.

REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX

A microfiche appendix including 1 microfiche with 27 frames accompanies and forms a part of this application.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a smart musical instrument and smart singing system coupling music equipment, singing, and a computer. More particularly, this invention relates to a system wherein musical instruments and singers communicate wirelessly to a computer and thereby, if desired, to a remote participant or group via the internet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A number of patented drum and singing devices embody sensing components and software. Typically, these devices display music information that relates to drummer's stroke, and singing style. The information is displayed or signaled by the drum and smart singing systems or simulations of drum and smart singing systems via interactive software and electronics. None of these cooperates with drum strokes and singing styles that sense each actual drum stroke or strokes and singing styles for local and or remote interactive drum and singing musical interaction.

It is desirable to remotely communicate the actual performance location and music of the singing musician, whereby more sophisticated analysis and prediction possibilities are realizable via computer technology and state-of-the-art display music techniques. Further, it is also desirable to use such performance information in an expanded capacity to provide interactive music and singing competition amongst numerous music and singing musicians in locations remote from each other.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a system that interconnects real music musical instruments or other music instruments and or singers to a computer. In a preferred embodiment the computer is coupled wirelessly to one or more musical instruments and singers. Further, the invention, summarized below, allows one or more musicians and singers to enter into a competition against each other. Each musician and or singer logs-in to ask the computer who is available to practice or play music in a musical and or singing contest. Once a musician and or singer pairs up against another musician and or singer anywhere in the world and musical play and or singers sing and play ensues, the computer and display show each musical and singing participant's score via animation or graphics that preferably relate to a musician's and singer's individual performance statistics. A single singer and or musician may practice singing, or play music without a musician or singing opponent and improve basic musical rhythm and singing skills using the computer and music to track their performance. The system application is unlimited and much of this system can be used not only for music and singing competition on the Internet, but for other musical instruments and singers as well. Musical implements and singers with sensors attached according to this invention are used for training purposes, for interactive musical and singing internet competition. The technology can be used for training, competition, and the improvement of music response related reflexes and coordination. With little or no modification, the technology also has applications in medicine, particularly musical physical therapy.

1. Smart Drum Instrument

A wireless drum instrument is constructed to contain or alternatively, a standard drum instrument is modified to contain, a multiple drum triggers, sensors or transducer array located on the drum head or face or hitting surface. Upon impact of the head of the drum with a drum stick the impacted sensors produce detectable variances representing the magnitude and duration of the drum-drum stick impact force and the proximate location of such contact relative to the preferred location, on the face of the drum head. The variances are electronically processed into digitally coded information and remotely transmitted by an electrical communication circuit either contained within or attached to the drum head or face.

In each of the drum instrument device according to this invention, in a preferred embodiment the transducer are or include piezoactive elements and or drum triggers. As used herein “piezoactive” includes piezoelectric and piezoresistive components. Piezoactive components are defined as components the electrical properties of which, when the component is subjected to physical force, vary. A drum trigger converts energy produced by stick attack into electrical impulses. The impulses are then supplied to the drum module (brain of the system).

The smart drum instrument system uses biofeedback to create an intelligent drum training and entertainment system. The smart drum instrument system is a diagnostic and analysis tool used to improve a drummers skills by instantaneous by visual and acoustic feedback and cue's with little or no human intervention. The smart drum instrument system takes the generated data and reconstructs it into a useful visual format which can be presented in a variety of ways including 3-dimensional animation. The smart drum instrument system integrated circuit or circuits can be designed anywhere within the drum including the head and or drum stick.

The smart drum instruments has the means via its built in microcontroller to process, analyze, store, stick hitting pattern data and transmit it to the computer and or the Internet for further analysis. In playback mode the smart drum instrument system memorizes how many times each sensor was hit. This allows the drummer to know his or her hitting pattern. Using a computer algorithm, we can analyze and calculate a drum stroke pattern and having a musical personalized drum hitting detection system for each musician.

2. Smart Singing System

A smart singing system has a microphone attached or is detachable to a singer. The smart microphone can be held in the hand of a singer or worn on the singer's chess area. The smart microphone that is hand held or worn on the singer has a transducer built-in, when touched by the singer or impacted by the singer's hand, the sensor produces a detectable variance representing impact with the hand. The variance is electronically processed into display coded information and remotely transmitted by an electrical communication circuit. In one preferred embodiment the communication circuit is contained within the smart microphone. Preferably, the communication circuit for the smart microphone is located inside the stem.

The singing system uses biofeedback to create an intelligent sing training entertainment system. The smart singing system is a diagnostic and analysis tool used to improve a singer's skills by visual and acoustic feedback cues with little or no human intervention. The singing system takes the generated data and reconstructs it into a useful visual format which can be presented in a variety of ways including 3-dimensional animation.

In each of the drum set device and smart microphone device according to this invention, in a preferred embodiment the transducers are or include piezoactive elements. As used herein, “piezoactive” includes piezoelectric and piezoresistive components. Piezoactive components are defined as components the electrical properties of which, when the component is subjected to physical force, vary.

3. Wireless Signal Receiver and Computer

At each remote player site, wireless radio frequency equipment receives the digitally coded transmitted signals from the drum set, the microphone, and the drum swing motion sensing device and audio feedback. The signals are demodulated and processed into serial binary data suitable for communications to the computer via either serial or parallel ports. As the game progresses, the computer under the control of the musical software, monitors and directs the flow of communications between the musicians and singers via the internet and displays the music and singing game simulations and performance information.

4. Computer Drumming Software System

At each remote player site, a computer under the control of the drumming and singing software, monitors and controls the sequential play of the musical and singing game and interacts with the musical game and or singing player game at the site and also competing musical and singing players at the other remote sites via the internet. The software system generates the musical and singing game simulations for display and tracks each musical player's and singing player's performance as the musical and or singing game progresses. The above further features and advantages of the invention will be better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of preferred embodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of components of a computer implemented drum system according to this invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a drum with sensors and circuitry and used in the computer implemented system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 Smart Microphone with Sensor and Hand Grasping Smart Microphone with Sensor.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic front plan view of a putter with a drum head and circuitry forming a further, alternative embodiment of a drum for use with the computer implemented system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of a drum head electronics installation for use with the drum heads of FIGS. 1, 2, and 4.

FIG. 6 Tripad Sensor with three different activation areas or Top plan view of a drum stick sensing element with three activation areas for use in the drumming surface strokes of FIGS. 1, 2, and 4

FIG. 6 was previously FIG. 7.

FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram of a singing and drum electronics installation for communicating with the computer in a computer implemented system according to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 was previously FIG. 8.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a computer installation for use as the computer and information receiving interconnect of the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 replaces FIG. 10.

FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram of the software operation of the computer of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrative of a portion of the operation of the computer of FIG. 8 operating as indicated in the block diagram of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown in FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of the invention includes a wireless smart drum system 20, a wireless audio detection system 22, a wireless drum motion sensing plate 24, a wireless receiver 26 connected to a computer 28, and a display or monitor 30 with speakers 31 operated under the control of drum system software 32, and connected via the internet to an internet drum game server 34 (called herein the GGC server)

1. Smart Drum System

The smart drum system 20 has a head 40 and a stick 42. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the head 40 has a drum stick opening 42, a plurality of embedded contact sensors 46 (three are illustrated in the preferred embodiment), and the internal electronics circuitry 48 including a wireless radio frequency transmitter (58 in FIG. 5). As shown, at least one of the sensors 46 is located at or proximate to the optimal location on a drum face 47 for contact with the drum stick. The contact sensors may be, but are not limited to sensors employing piezoactive type transducers or drum triggers, specifically, either piezo-electric or piezo-resistive transducers (similar, but is not limited to the Cooper Instruments LPM 562).

In an alternative embodiment, FIG. 2, three sensors 46 are applied to the face of an adapted drum by a mylar tape or other means 49. Again, the electronic circuitry is internal to the drum head 40 and connects to the sensors 46 by leads 27.

In a second alternative embodiment, to retrofit a standard drum, contact sensors 46 are part of an adapter 40 attached to an ordinary drum head as seen in FIG. 4 and wire connected to an electronic circuitry 48 attached to the drum stick 42 or elsewhere on the drum. A drum stick contacting any sensor 46 produces a detectable variance indication the magnitude and duration of sensor-ball impact. The variance may be a change in resistance of a piezo-resistive transducer or a voltage change in the case of a piezo-electric transducer. As shown in FIG. 5, the variance is detected and amplified by an associated amplifier 52 and is the input to an associated integration circuit 54, the output of which represents the energy of the ball-drum contact event. Connected to the integration circuit 54, a microprocessor 56 is a multi-input signal processing circuit (similar, but not limited to a Motorola #68HCO5) having analog to digital signal converting circuits (ADCs), one for each input channel, and a sequential digital signal encoding circuit connected so as to convert the ADC outputs into a time multiplexed serial digital data stream containing a binary-coded word for each channel indicating the energy of the associated sensor-ball impact event.

A radio frequency transmitting circuit 58 receives the serial digital data from the microprocessor 56 and wirelessly transmits the information via an internal antenna 60 to a receiver 26 (FIG. 1) for subsequent processing by the computer 28. Using programming as contained in the accompanying microfiche appendix, one skilled in the art can readily accomplish the game programming described. Alternative programming too will be apparent from the foregoing functional description and the illustrations contained in the appended drawings.

2. Smart Microphone

The smart microphone uses 22 in FIG. 1, to allow voice inputs, as shown in FIG. 3. The smart microphone has a contact sensor pad 64, shown in FIG. 6, containing at least one contact sensor (three different activation areas 65, 66, and 67 are illustrated in the preferred embodiment). The internal circuitry includes a wireless radio frequency transmitter (as shown in FIG. 5). Additional sensor activation area 65 and 67 are adjacent, one on either side of the center area 66. In the preferred embodiment of FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, and like the sensor used at the face of the drum and smart microphone, the sensors may be, but are not limited to, sensors employing piezo-active type transducers, specifically, either piezo-electric or piezo-transducers.

A hand touching the smart microphone 60 and containing the sensor pad 65, 66, or 67 produces a detectable variance indicating the hand-sensor smart microphone event. The variance may be a change in resistance in the case of a piezo-resistive transducer (similar, but not limited to Cooper Instruments LPM 562) or a voltage change in the case of a piezo-electric transducer. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the variance is detected and amplified by an associated amplifier 71. The amplified signal then is input to a microprocessor 72 having an analog to digital signal converting circuit (ADC) and a digital signal encoding circuit connected so as to convert the ADC output representing the sensors signals into a serial digital data stream containing a binary coded word indicating the sensor-hand contact event. The microprocessor 72 may be the same or similar to the microprocessor 56 of the drum system electronics.

A radio frequency transmitter circuit 74 receives the serial digital data from the microprocessor 72 and wirelessly transmits the information via an internal antenna 76 to the receiver 26 (FIG. 1) for subsequent processing by the computer 28. The smart microphone configuration is susceptible to much variation. The smart microphone illustrated and described above is well suited to indoor use, on carpet for example.

3. Wireless Signal Receiver and Computer

At each player site, a wireless radio frequency signal receiver 26 is connected to the computer 28 by either the serial (USB) or parallel computer ports, as shown in the functional block diagram, FIG. 8. The wireless signal receiver 26 detects digitally coded radio frequency transmissions from the communication circuit associated with any of a smart drum system 20, a smart microphone 22, as shown in FIG. 1. The received transmission are demodulated by the RF receiver circuitry 122 (FIG. 10) connected to a microprocessor 124, which converts the demodulated data signal to serial binary coded data suitable for communications to a computer 28. The computer 28, under the control of the internally installed golf system software program, monitors and directs the flow of communications between remotely located players via the internet and displays the game simulations and performance information. In appropriate installations the wireless electromagnetic signals that communicate with the receiver may be infrared communications.

5. Computer Drumming Software

At each remote player site, the computer 28 (FIG. 1) under the control of the drumming software program (shown in the drumming software system functional block diagram, FIG. 9) monitors and control initialization and the sequential play of the drumming and singing game, or alternatively, the individual musician and or singer player practice session. Upon start up by a musician and or singer player at a particular site, the system input parameters are set and the system internet and music and or singer player port interfaces are initialized 130 as indicated by the arrows 130a and 130b. For internet communications, the serial port listener of the computer 28 is enabled in the preferred embodiment. A remote player event listener is initialized. It will communicate events from one or more of the smart drum system, the smart microphone and the motion sensor plate. The main operational software (program) thread is run 130, and the system awaits data input from the appropriate computer communications ports at 132 (port), 133 (Remote player Socket Event Listener).

If the competitive play mode has been selected, the program generates a player participation request and sends 134 the request to the GGC game internet server (GGC server) 34 (FIG. 1). Upon identification of a player opponent at 150 (FIG. 12) by the GGC server, the program initiates the player identification sequence 152 and sequential play begins 154 (This software sequence and control routine occurs at each remote site where play has been initiated. During the game play sequences 154, the program generates the appropriate animation, display, and audio data and commands 136 and 138 (FIG. 9), and communicates with the associated display and speaker devices 30 and 31 (FIG. 1). Upon the occurrence of a local player event, detected at 133, the main operating program at 130, displays the event at 136, and communicates the event at 132 by causing a device transmission at 137 to be send at 134 via the internet GGC server 135 which displays the event for the opposing player and alerts the opposing player it is his/her turn to play. The local player event may be, but is not limited to the smart drum system impacting a ball, the swing of a club across the sensing plate or the balls entry into the receptacle. The program contains time delay limits for the player action, and delays of play beyond these limits generate play quit and disconnect signals. The event at 133 also has the effect of indicating at 139 that it is no longer the local players turn and enables (as indicated by line 139) the serial port listener at 132 to detect an event from the remote player, again via the internet.

If the single music and or singer player practice mode is selected, the internet communications sequences are disabled, other software sequential operating routines continue as above described and the players drum system stroke, hand-smart microphone contact, and audio feedback information are communicated only to the computer located at the players site and the performance information analyzed and displayer only at the local players site.

When a game is won, lost, or terminated, the drum software system generates the appropriate output signals 156 (FIG. 10, displays the player performance information, and resets to initial pre-game conditions. If one player opponent quits the game or is “timed out” (due to excessive delay in play) and the remaining player wishes to continue play, the software resumes an internet search for another opponent 152 and 153.

Using programming as contained in the accompanying microfiche appendix, one skilled in the art can readily accomplish the game programming described. Alternative programming too will be apparent from the foregoing functional description and the illustrations contained in the appended drawings.

While a preferred embodiment has been described, it will be appreciated that many variations and modifications in the system, its operation, and its various components may be made without departure from the spirit and scope of invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A computerized interactive drum, music, and singing system comprising:

At least two remote player sites comprising:

Music implements comprising a drum, drum sticks, guitars, and a smart microphone comprising a microphone with sensors attachable and detachable to said guitar, drum, and drum sticks;

A first array of sensors mounted on the face side of said drum-head of said drum set; A second array of sensors comprising one or more contact sensors mounted to a smart microphone; A first computer programmed to process data derived from data acquired by said first and said second sensor arrays.

A first communications link for transmitting data derived from said data acquired by said first sensor array to said first computer; A second communications link for transmitting data derived from said data acquired by said second remote sensors to said first computer; and A display monitor connected to said first computer; A second computer programmed to communicate with at least two remote player sites;

A third communications link for transmitting data derived from said data acquired by said first computers to said second computer; and A fourth communications link or medium for transmitting data derived from said data acquired by said second computer to at least one of said first computers; Wherein said first computer is further programmed to analyze the performance of a person drumming said drum set and or singing said song so that said drum sticks strike a drum head and said sound acoustics from voice modulation with said performance analysis being based on said derived data transmitted by said first and second communications links; and to further control said display monitor to display the results of said performance analysis; Wherein said second computer is programmed to cause the transfer of local player events from a remote player site to another remote player site for presentation to another musician, person, and or singer, notify musician and or singer when it is their respective turn to play music and or sing, measure player time delays, disconnect musician and or singers remote sites with excessive time delays, and conduct an Internet search for another musician and or singing opponent if the remaining player wishes to continue play.

2. The computerized interactive music and singing system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first computer is further programmed to send the results of said performance analysis to said second computer upon completion of said performance analysis via said third communications link.

3. The computerized interactive music and singing system as recited in claim 1, wherein said third sensor comprises motion sensing devices or a motion detector mounted internally or externally to said drum set or a music implement, or internally or externally to said smart microphone or sound implement.

4. The computerized interactive music and singing system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first sensor array comprises piezoactive transducers, drum triggers, pressure, and or force sensors.

5. The computerized interactive music and singing system as recited in claim 1, further comprising electronic circuitry for outputting to said first communications link a signal representing the energy and momentum of a drum stick contact event derived from data acquired by said first sensor array.

6. The computerized interactive music and smart singing system as recited in claim 5, wherein said electronic circuitry comprises a computing device mounted to said drum set, music implement, or music device, said smart microphone, audio implement, or audio device programmed to convert data acquired by said first, second, and third sensor arrays into a time-multiplexed serial digital data stream containing a respective binary coded word for each channel.

7. The computerized interactive music and singing system as recited in claim 1, wherein said second computer comprises a music implement and music and singing competition server connected to said first computer via a network, which comprises the fourth communications link, wherein said first computer is further programmed to process data from said music implement and music and singing competition server representing the user performance of a competition at a remote site during the turn of said competitor; wherein said music implement and music and singing competition server selects remote players from a queue of awaiting players in response to a first musician and or singer indicating a readiness to play or compete.

8. The interactive competition server system as recited in claim 7, wherein said music implement and music and singing competition server is programmed to establish connections amongst subscribing players at a plurality of remote locations via said network.

9. The interactive competition server system as recited in claim 7, wherein said second computer is further programmed to create and manage a plurality of music and singing games and music and or singing competitors or players wherein said games comprise one or more said first computers of opponents connected to said first computer; Wherein each first computer comprises a network port for connecting to said network, a serial data port for receiving a serial data stream from a respective set of sensors designed to detect the motion of respective music or singing equipment items or controllers being manipulated by a respective musicians and singers and a port for connecting to its respective display monitor where each first computer is programmed to perform the following: Processing the digital data stream from said respective set of sensors into music and singing game data having a format representing music and singing game results for said first computer player; controlling the respective display monitor to provide visual feedback concerning the progress of the game; Transmitting said game data from said first computer player to said second computer that comprises said competition server; and Polling said competition server for receipt of game data and or messages from opponents or players at remote sites.

10. The interactive competition music and singing system as recited in claim 9, includes electronic music and singing equipment further comprising an electronic drum set or standard drum set retrofitted with electronic devices and an electronic smart microphone or standard microphone retrofitted with electronic devices operably connected to said first computer and said music and singing competition server via a network.

11. A computerized interactive drum and Of music system, wherein said first computer programming comprises:

A serial port listener software program that receives acquired data from said first, second, and third sensor arrays; a socket event listener that receives data from said competition server; and a main thread for alternately processing data received by either said socket event listener or said serial port listener in accordance with sports competition format wherein acquired data from said first, said second, and said third sensor arrays are processed by said first computer and the results are sent to said music and singing competition server only if data has been previously received from said music and singing competition server indicating that it is that musician and or singer's turn to play a music implement, sing, and or sound implement, otherwise, acquired data from said drum set, said drum set motion sensing devices, said audio system, said audio system motion sensing device and said computer if data has been previously received from said music and singing competition server indicating that it is a remote player's turn to play a musical implement and or sing; Wherein controlling the reception of data received from said first, said second, and said third sensor arrays is allowed only on that musician's and or singers turn thus allowing sequential play, the use of one or more said drum sets, guitars, music implements, and the use of one or more said smart microphones.

12. The computerized interactive smart music and singing system as recited in claim 5, wherein said computer programming further comprises single-musician training software providing training as a function of the data received from said drum, said drum motion sensing device, music implements, and said audio system.

13. The computerized interactive music and singing system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first computer further comprises audible drumming music image simulation and display software for displaying images that simulate the results of said performance and analysis and comprises audible songs from singer's image simulation and display software for displaying images that simulate the results of said performance.

14. A computerized interactive drum system comprising:

A drum or music system comprising a drum, drum sticks, and a smart microphone comprising a microphone with sensors attachable and detachable to said drum and drum sticks;

A row of sensors mounted on said face of said drum set of said drums for acquiring data from respective channels, and said acquired data representing the force, time of contact, energy, frequency, and position of the impact of a drum stick relative to each impacted sensor on drum head;

An accelerometer attached to said drum set, music and or singing tool, music implement and or audio implement to detect spatial translational motion and or rotational orientation of a drum stick and or smart microphone, music implement or audio implement adapted to sense acceleration along three orthogonal axes;

A first computer having a data input port for receiving data and an output port for communicating with said display monitor of said first computer;

A first communications link for communicating data derived from said impact data acquired by said row of sensors in said respective channels to said data input port.

15. The computerized interactive music and singing system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first communications link comprises a telemetry system and comprises a wireless transmitter housed inside or attached to said drum set and or smart microphone and a wireless receiver coupled to an input port of said first computer as said first communications link to said first computer.

16. The computerized interactive smart music and singing system as recited in claim 6, wherein said first computer further comprises audible image simulation and display music software for the display of real and simulated musical implement images, participants, quality, and the results of said analysis.

17. The computerized interactive smart music and smart singing system as recited in claim 5, wherein said computer programming further comprises single-musician training software providing training as a function of the data received from said drum, said drum motion sensing device, and said audio system.

18. The computerized interactive music and smart singing system as recited in claim 5, wherein said second communications link further comprises a wireless transmitter mounted inside said audio system in a wireless receiver coupled to an input port of said first computer is said second communications link to said first computer.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the first computer processor is adapted for at least one of identifying a stroke, recognizing an event, inferring the commencement of an event, inferring the conclusion of an event, identifying a stroke cycle, and calculating at least one of a distance-per-stroke, a measure of force, a measure of efficiency, quality, and a measure of intensity, based on at least some of the information sensed by the first sensor.

20. The interactive music and smart singing system as recited in claim 15, wherein said second computer is further programmed to create and manage a plurality of games for musicians wherein said games comprise one or more said computers of musical opponents connected to said first computer;

wherein, each first computer comprises a network port for connecting to said network, a serial data port for receiving a serial data stream from a respective set of sensors designed to detect the motion of respective musical equipment items or controllers being manipulated by a respective musician and a port for connecting to its respective display monitor where each first computer is programmed to perform the following:

Processing the digital data stream from said respective set of sensors into game data having a format representing game results of said musician; controlling their respective display monitor to provide visual feedback concerning the progress of the game;

Transmitting said game data from said first computer musician to said second computer that comprises said music and singing competition server; and

Polling said competition server for receipt of game data and all messages of musicians at remote sites.