This paper will explain my current compositional work, which focuses on the thematization, deconstruction, and reconstruction of musical idioms. I give an overview of the historical and aesthetic background for my work, drawing connections between Afro-diasporic aesthetics and the 20th and 21st century phenomenological tradition. I explain how I apply literary critic Henry Louis Gates’ concept of Signifyin(g) in my music through intertextuality, anachronistic instrumentation, microtonality, and rhythmic transformation. I then give an in- depth analysis of three pieces from Orlando Furioso (2022), En Tornasol, Galliard, and Bootstrap Bernie. I show how these concepts and resources can be applied to composition in creative and productive ways.

People express their national identity not only through hot nationalist sentiments, but also in their daily conversations and practices. The theory of banal nationalism highlights the everyday routines and discourses through which mundane national sentiments are produced. In China, a number of young people are engaged in the creation of Ancient Chinese-style songs which, incidentally, reveal understanding of their national identity. Ancient Chinese-style songs (Gufeng 古风 in Chinese), a variety of digital songs that are created by young netizens online with special emphasis on traditional Chinese elements, provides data through which young people's interpretation and performance of national identity in their daily lives can be examined. Drawing on the theory of banal nationalism, this research analyzes the participants' construction of their national identity in music creating and listening activities. The research uses the qualitative method of web content analysis in order to understand the song lyrics and listeners' comments on the songs. The analysis presented here reveals various aspects of the participants' sense of banal nationhood. Findings show that the participants in Ancient Chinese-style songs not only provide multiple interpretations of national culture and history, but also engage in embodied performance of the nation through music creating and listening activities. In the process, the young people link their daily experience of online entertainment with national culture, and attach new meanings to the cultural elements they draw on. It is argued here that the young people exercise agency in their interpretation of the nation. Moreover, the diverse expressions of banal national sentiment created by the participants in this music style suggests that cultural traditions are not only the stereotyped concepts identified in hot nationalism studies, but that they also include everyday experiences that the young music lovers identify with. Key words: banal nationalism, national identity, Chinese youth, online music

Computers are used in the music field for generation of sound, for composing music, for analysis of music, and for musicological applications, such as cataloguing a bibliography of music literature. These areas are relatively new aspects of computer usage, and research is being conducted to stay abreast of current technological advancements. Avant-garde composers are challenged by new advances in music. Computer-generated music is one of the new trends, but the composer is usually limited in the use of the medium for two reasons: there are no computers to which he may have access, and/or there is not enough knowledge about computer-generated music. The composer sometimes feels that he must have vast knowledge of the computer before he can attempt to use it in musical composition; however, a limited amount of investigation of computer-generated music has shown that methods can be codified to the point where great technical knowledge is not required of the composer.

No description available.

This dissertation is an analysis of Elaine Mitchener’s structurally improvised work SWEET TOOTH, initially devised in 2017 and 2018 for an ensemble of four. I focus on the February 22, 2018 London premiere at St George’s Church in Bloomsbury, where Mitchener, an experimental vocalist and movement artist, performed the piece with Sylvia Hallett (accordion, violin and voice), Mark Sanders (percussion), and Jason Yarde (saxophones). I have previously examined this piece in a co-authored essay with Mitchener entitled, “‘Water long like the dead’: The interruption and flow of time in Elaine Mitchener’s SWEET TOOTH,” as part of the volume Composing While Black: Afrodiasporic New Music Today, edited by Harald Kisiedu and George E. Lewis. This essay concentrated on how, with its improvisatory performance style, SWEET TOOTH’s structure, including harmonic and pitch content, emulates the simultaneous interruptions and flow of what Antonio Benítez-Rojo refers to as the “Plantation Machine”: the mechanics of transatlantic slavery that have continued to repeat and reveal themselves in renewed but connected ways as part of an expanded framework, where the Caribbean exists as what Benítez-Rojo describes as a “meta-archipelago,” a de-centered, multidimensional nexus without boundary that is also realized through SWEET TOOTH. In this thesis, I argue that the air is as vital to the Caribbean’s borderless flow as the sea, in that its vibrational qualities also repeat and oscillate through space and time. Specifically, I explore what Ashon T. Crawley describes as the “choreosonics” of SWEET TOOTH: how the combination of movement and sound together displace the air, making the work multi-sensory, and enabling travel between the interconnected histories, time zones, and dimensions that form the conditions of the Machine: the hold of a slave ship, the deep seas of the Atlantic Ocean, a Caribbean sugar plantation, spiritual realms and unknown worlds. Furthermore, I consider how “in-between,” or “blue” zones are formed, which facilitate these connected sites to simultaneously exist and be disrupted, as well as how aural triggers conjure these spaces in the present through memory, real and imagined. Finally, I analyze the means through which the Afro-Jamaican religion kumina is incorporated and practiced as part of SWEET TOOTH in the hope of transcending into an otherworldly realm: an act of defying the Machine. Ultimately, I demonstrate that whilst SWEET TOOTH replicates, and even belongs to the Plantation Machine complex, the work simultaneously finds ways to cut through and resist it: to frustrate its repetitions with the desire to completely disrupt it in perpetuity. shouting forever into the receiver (2022), a musical composition for large ensemble, attempts to recreate the repetitious condition of the Plantation Machine. This is achieved primarily through auxiliary instruments and their resulting effects on the work’s overall sound world and temporal state. A two-way walkie-talkie device introduces feedback and radio interference into the soundscape symbolizing the Machine’s persistent looping system, also simulating the cries of the plantations. Furthermore, a confluence of separate time zones is created through a chorale-like section of massed harmonicas and seven wind-up music boxes playing well known pre-programmed melodies by Beethoven, Mozart and Strauss composed during the establishment of the Plantation. Thus, not only is the past connected to the present through these aural memories, the ties between Europe and the plantations are purposefully emphasized. Eight players play two harmonicas simultaneously, breathing independently, each creating their own time zone with every repeat of the exhale-inhale action. The music boxes wind down at their own rate generating additional cyclical layers of time, thus emulating the eccentric situation of the Caribbean, which is without center or axis. A “blue” space is formed as a result, an expansive new site of connectivity where it is possible for transformation to occur or to, indeed, transcend out of the Machine.

Thesis (D. Phil.)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The main objective of this study is to describe the nature and function of adolescent songwriting phenomenologically to ascertain the implications for music education. Secondary aims and research questions include ascertaining if and to what extent songwriting in adolescence serves as medium for emotional expression, self-therapy, socio-cultural cohesion and informal learning. Other secondary research aims are establishing the quality of the creative product and determining the implications for music education curricula in keeping with current curriculum development strategies. Adolescents’ engagement in music is considered as a socio-cultural phenomenon. Individuals’ interaction with music is thus considered on Doise’s (1986:10-16) four levels of social explanation: the intra-personal, the interpersonal, the positional level and the ideological level. On the intra-personal level music is viewed as a technology of the self (DeNora, 2000), a medium for selftherapy and mood control and technology of the body. On the inter-personal level music is discussed as a form of self-expression serving as communicative form. On the positional level music’s role in bonding between individuals, namely social cohesion, is expounded. Lastly, on the ideological level, music is considered as part of youth, youth culture and cultural identity. The compositional (songwriting) process is analyzed. Compositional modes, individual and collaborative, are identified and described and the creative process namely composing, is delineated according to creativity, creativity as social formation, creativity as process and the role and nature of informal learning. Adolescents use the process of songwriting to establish and enhance social cohesion, to further communication and expression with peers and to exert creative and intellectual activity in an informal learning environment. The creative product, adolescents’ songs, is analyzed and described. General perspectives and theories about musical analysis are addressed to include a broader, socio-cultural view of analysis to analyze adolescent music. The musical and lyrical features are analyzed within the context of their socio-cultural setting. The SOLO Taxonomy (DeTurk, 1988) is adapted and applied to propose an evaluation procedure for the lyrics. Dunbar-Hall’s (1999) five methods of popular music analysis are applied in combination with Goodwin’s (1992) soundimage model, synaestesia, to expand on the socio-cultural context of popular music analysis. The implications of musicology namely “formal music education” versus popular music styles and the effects of formal and informal learning strategies on songwriting are considered. A new understanding of musical analysis namely “musical poetics” (Krims, 2000) is adopted and the role that locality plays in this analysis is expounded. The role of notation and playing by ear is set out to validate the adolescents’ creative product. The research methodology employed in this research include group discussion, observation, experience sampling method (adapted from Larson & Csikszentmihalyi, 1983) and individual interviews and are described according to methodology, results and analysis of the results. General perspectives on music education curricula are considered in light of the possible contribution songwriting, as an informal learning activity, could bring to music education as composition is currently a high priority in international music education discourse and features prominently in current curricula. Recommendations and conclusions are made. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hoofdoelstelling van hierdie studie is om die aard en funksie van liedjieskryf in adolessensie fenomenologies te beskryf om sodoende die implikasies vir musiekopvoedkunde te bepaal. Sekondêre doelstellings en navorsingsvrae sluit in die vasstelling van of en hoe liedjieskryf in adolessensie dien as medium vir emosionele ekspressie, self-terapie, sosio-kulturele binding en informele leer. Ander sekondêre navorsingsvrae sluit in die bepaling van die kwaliteit van die kreatiewe produk en die implikasies vir musiekopvoedkunde kurrikula met inagneming van huidige kurrikulumontwikkeling strategieë. Adolessente se interaksie met musiek word beskryf as ‘n sosio-kulturele fenomeen. Individue se interaksie met musiek word dus ontleed volgens Doise (1986:10-16) se vier vlakke van sosiale verduideliking: die intra-persoonlike, die inter-persoonlike, die posisionele en die ideologiese vlak. Op die intrapersoonlike vlak word musiek beskou as ‘n tegnologie van die self (DeNora, 2000), d.w.s as ‘n medium vir self-terapie en stemmingsbeheer asook as ‘n tegnologie van die liggaam. Op die inter-persoonlike vlak word musiek bespreek as ‘n vorm van self-ekspressie wat dien as kommunikatiewe vorm. Op die posisionele vlak word musiek se rol in die binding tussen individue, d.w.s. sosiale binding, beskryf. Laastens, op die ideologiese vlak, word musiek oorweeg as deel van jeug, jeugkultuur en kulturele identiteit. Die komposisionele (liedjieskryf) proses word geanalisser. Komposisionele metodes, individueel en gemeenskaplik, word geïdentifiseer en beskryf en die kreatiewe proses, naamlik komposisie, word gedelinieer volgens kreatiwiteit, kreatiwiteit as sosiale formasie, kreatiwiteit as proses en die rol en aard van informele leer. Adolessente gebruik die proses van liedjieskryf om sosiale binding te vestig en te bevorder, om kommunikasie en ekspressie met die portuurgroep te bevorder en om kreatiewe en intellektuele aktiwitiet in ‘n informele leeromgewing uit te oefen. Die kreatiewe produk, adolessente liedjies, word geanaliseer en beskryf. Algemene musiekanalitiese perspektiewe en teorieë word aangespreek om ‘n breër, sosio-kulturele uitkyk op analise in te sluit. Die musikale en liriese eienskappe word geanaliseer binne ‘n sosio-kulturele konteks. Die SOLO Taksonomie (DeTurk, 1988) word aangepas en toegepas om ‘n evaluasie prosedure vir die lirieke voor te stel. Dunbar-Hall (1999) se vyf metodes van populêre musiekanalise word toegepas in kombinasie met Goodwin (1992) se klankbeeld model, synaestesia, om uit te brei op die sosio-kulturele konteks van populêre musiekanalise. Die implikasies van musikologie, “formele musiekopvoedkunde” versus populêre musiek en die effek van formele en informele leerstrategieë op liedjieskryf word oorweeg. ‘n Nuwe begrip van musikale analise, naamlik “musikale poëtika” (Krims, 2000) word aangeneem en die rol van lokaliteit in analise word verduidelik. Die rol van notasie en op gehoor speel word aangespreek om adolessente se kreatiewe produk te regverdig. Die navorsingsmetodologie toegepas in hierdie navorsing sluit in groepsbespreking, observasie, ondervinding-steekproef metode (aangepas van Larson & Csikszentmihalyi, 1983) en individuele onderhoude en word beskryf volgens metodologie, resultate en die analise van die resultate. Aangesien komposisie tans hoë prioriteit in internasionale debat geniet en prominent geplaas is in huidige musiekopvoedkunde kurrikula word algemene perspektiewe op musiekopvoedkunde kurrikula oorweeg in die lig van die moontlike bydrae wat liedjieskryf as informele leeraktiwiteit aan musiekopvoedkunde kan bring.

published_or_final_version / Music / Master / Master of Philosophy

This study seeks to discover the extent and manner of Debussy's use of the motive in thematic material. A total of 40 melodic examples were analyzed in order to show their relationship to a single motive, a three-note figure having a step-leap relationship. Using eighty-four series of examples, the study shows the melodies analyzed to be 85% motive-derived. The study concludes, therefore, that Images I is a remarkably economical work, using a single three-note motive as a unifying and developmental basis.

Orientador: Florivaldo Menezes Filho / Banca: Alexandre Roberto Lusqui / Banca: Fernando Henrique de Oliveira Iazzetta / Resumo: Este trabalho visa a investigar e analisar a dimensão temporal do som, tendo como ponto de partida as categorias temporais propostas por Iannis Xenakis: fora-do-tempo, notempo e temporal. Inicialmente, o fenômeno sonoro é analisado dentro de suas três dimensões - altura (freqüência), intensidade (pressão sonora) e tempo (duração) - considerando as pesquisas de Pierre Schaeffer e Abraham Moles. Segue-se a este tema uma análise especifica sobre a dimensão do tempo. A fim de construir uma visão abrangente sobre as acepções deste conceito, propomos uma divisão entre tempo objetivo (visão dos filósofos da Grécia Antiga) e tempo subjetivo (visão de Santo Agostinho e Kant). Ademais, são detalhadas as acepções sobre o tempo propostas por Husserl, Bergson e Bachelard. Sempre que possível, articulamos o pensamento de Xenakis aos conceitos apresentados. A partir deste referencial teórico, realizamos uma análise de três obras de Xenakis: Metastaseis (1953 - 54), Concret PH (1958) e Bohor (1962), retomando as categorias temporais definidas por ele, além de abordar seu método composicional implementado nos anos 1950, a música estocástica. Seu trabalho composicional tem como principais características multidisciplinaridade (sua obra musical abarca conceitos arquitetônicos, filosóficos e científicos) e a indissociação dos conceitos de tempo e espaço, formando um esquema no qual os eventos musicais são justapostos ou sobrepostos. Em anexo a este trabalho, apresentamos quatro composições nas quais o tempo musical foi refletido e trabalhado a partir do referencial teórico adquirido durante esta pesquisa / Abstract: This work intends to investigate and analyze the temporal dimension of the sound, departing from the temporal categories proposed by Iannis Xenakis: outside-time, in-time and temporal. Initially, the sound phenomenon is analyzed in its three dimensions - pitch (frequency), intensity (sound pressure) and time (duration) - considering the investigations of Pierre Schaeffer and Abraham Moles. Following to this topic, a specific analysis of the dimension of time is presented. In order to elaborate a comprehensive view about the meanings of this concept, a division between objective time (ancient Greek philosophers' view) and subjective time (Saint Augustine and Kant's view) is proposed. Moreover, significations of time by Husserl, Bergson and Bachelard are detailed. Whenever possible, Xenakis' thought is linked with the presented ideas. From this theoretical reference, three works of Xenakis are analyzed: Metastaseis (1953 - 54), Concret PH (1958) and Bohor (1962), recovering the temporal categories defined by him, and also addressing his compositional method implemented during the 1950's: stochastic music. His compositional work is characterized by multidisciplinarity (his musical work comprehend architectural, philosophical and scientific concepts) and by the indissociation of time and space concepts, conceiving a model in which musical events are juxtaposed or superposed. Attached to this work, four compositions are presented, in which musical time is thought and manipulated regarding the theoretical references acquired during this research / Mestre

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Music Johannesburg, 2016 / In this part-written, part-composed creative research project I consider the music of ‘indie’ video games, specifically exploring some of the myriad dynamic compositional approaches in this particular category of game development. In my written work I analyse three indie video games – Braid (2008), Fez (2012) and Journey (2012) – each of which use unique methods to apply music dynamically. I use interviews with the games’ creators, as well as close analysis and transcription of significant sections of each video game, in order to reveal how music is used to provide the player with a more immersive, satisfying, and involving gaming experience. I also consider the use of ambient music in indie video games, a common feature of a large number of contemporary games, weighing up its merits and limitations. Musical concepts and compositional approaches raised in my written work have informed the portfolio of compositions submitted for this degree, and, similarly, my creative work has informed my analytical research. My creative work explores, amongst other aspects, indeterminate form, ambient music, and ways of ‘looping’ material in the creation of unrepeatable structures. This thesis also considers music which functions narratively in games – a function that might necessitate a greater degree of musical linearity — and how this musical role might be incompatible with the demands of interactivity. After briefly introducing the concepts dealt with across this thesis in Chapter 1, Chapters 2 to 4 take the form of case studies of the indie games mentioned above, with each chapter tackling unique challenges that game composers face when writing music for non-linear games, by which I mean games structured so that not all players will experience the content in the same order due to player agency. More specifically, Chapter 2 deals with the game Braid and its use of pre-composed, licensed music and how the game’s developer applies this music dynamically to the game. Chapter 3 deals with Fez and its mainly adaptive musical approach, its built-in software music engine, ‘Fezzer’, which allows for a composer to input and manipulate musical loops in the game, and nostalgia in indie video game aesthetics. Chapter 4 centres on the video game Journey and on how autonomous, ‘narrative’ music in video games might be seen to exist in opposition to music’s ability to be truly dynamic. Finally, Chapter 5 reflects on my own creative work for this thesis; how concepts from the case studies have informed my creative work and vice versa. / MT2017