La version intégrale de ce mémoire est disponible uniquement pour consultation individuelle à la Bibliothèque de musique de l’Université de Montréal (www.bib.umontreal.ca/MU). / Ce mémoire porte sur l’improvisation libre, pratique musicale apparue au cours de la seconde moitié du vingtième siècle en musique savante occidentale et en parallèle avec le courant du free jazz. Évoquée fréquemment par l’emploi du terme de « musiques improvisées », dans un premier temps, nous abordons le rapport entre cette appellation et la musique qui s’y rattache à travers son emploi chez certains auteurs en musicologie dans l’optique d’en montrer les différentes acceptions. Dans un second temps, nous réfléchissons sur la dualité des origines de la pratique d’improvisation libre afin d’expliquer en quoi celle-ci peut causer une certaine confusion lorsqu’elle est abordée en musicologie. Cette étude se concentre ensuite sur les aspects de pluralisme esthétique et de multiculturalisme qu’on peut rencontrer en improvisation libre. Nous explorons plusieurs explications quant aux fondements de la pratique musicale à partir d’une analyse de ses origines culturelles et historiques. Suite à cela est abordée la question de transculturation, un concept qui a été évoqué à plusieurs reprises ces quinze dernières années concernant les musiques improvisées, sans jamais avoir été appliqué de façon très spécifique à ces dernières. Le mémoire est complété par une analyse de l’improvisation The Usual Turmoil (1997) du tromboniste George E. Lewis et de la kotoïste Myia Masaoka, qui a pour objectif de mettre en application certains éléments de la réflexion théorique précédemment élaborée et de trouver les prémisses d’une méthode propre à l’analyse de l’improvisation libre. / This memoire treat about a specific musical practice which is free improvisation, and which appeared during the second half of the twentieth century in western art music and with the free jazz wave/trend. Frequently referred by the term « improvised music », we will first go through some definitions from authors in musicology to show the different underlying problematic of the term. We will return to the duality of the origins of free improvisation practice in order to explain why such duality caused confusion in musicology studies. We will then look at some specific aspects concerning multicultural and esthetic pluralism in free improvisation. We will try to bring forth some explanations from our analysis of the cultural roots of free improvisation. Furthermore, we will address the question of transculturation, a recent concept frequently used during the last fifteen years in improvised music studies and which had never been deeply studied. Finally, with the analysis of The Usual turmoil, a duet improvisation by the trombonist George E. Lewis and koto player Miya Masaoka, we will be able to consider free improvisation from an analytic point of view.

Le dessein de cette étude est de formuler une description adéquate de la création artistique. Elle part de l’hypothèse que les descriptions existantes de ce processus sont finalistes et, en conséquence, erronées. Elles sont finalistes, en cela qu’elles postulent la possibilité de prévision du résultat du travail artistique. Ce postulat repose sur l’erreur de construire une théorie de la création en partant de l’expérience de la réception, ce qui revient à se livrer à une « prophétie rétrospective ». Une fois établie la généalogie de cette erreur, il est possible de proposer une description concurrente, qui n’est plus finaliste, mais générative, concentrée non sur les éventuels objets visés par les pratiques, mais sur les modalités selon lesquels l’acte créatif se déploie. / My main concern is to offer a correct description of the way artistic creativity works. My starting point is to acknowledge that most existing descriptions of artistic creativity fail because they are “goal-oriented”: they operate as if it was possible to foresee what an artwork will be, even before this artwork is actually produced. They do so because they are, on a logical level, essays in reverse engineering: they start from the way we receive artworks, and they try to deduce from it they way we produce artworks. After establishing that this retrospective prophecy is an error, I show that a “means-oriented” and generative description of creativity is more convincing, and more fitting to both the organicity of artistic creation and the organic unity of artworks.

Les systèmes actuels d’improvisation musicales sont capables de générer des séquences musicales unidimensionnelles par recombinaison du matériel musical. Cependant, la prise en compte de plusieurs dimensions (mélodie, harmonie...) et la modélisation de plusieurs niveaux temporels sont des problèmes difficiles. Dans cette thèse, nous proposons de combiner des approches probabilistes et des méthodes issues de la théorie des langages formels afin de mieux apprécier la complexité du discours musical à la fois d’un point de vue multidimensionnel et multi-niveaux dans le cadre de l’improvisation où la quantité de données est limitée. Dans un premier temps, nous présentons un système capable de suivre la logique contextuelle d’une improvisation représentée par un oracle des facteurs tout en enrichissant son discours musical à l’aide de connaissances multidimensionnelles représentées par des modèles probabilistes interpolés. Ensuite, ces travaux sont étendus pour modéliser l’interaction entre plusieurs musiciens ou entre plusieurs dimensions par un algorithme de propagation de croyance afin de générer des improvisations multidimensionnelles. Enfin, nous proposons un système capable d’improviser sur un scénario temporel avec des informations multi-niveaux représenté par une grammaire hiérarchique. Nous proposons également une méthode d’apprentissage pour l’analyse automatique de structures temporelles hiérarchiques. Tous les systèmes sont évalués par des musiciens et improvisateurs experts lors de sessions d’écoute / Current musical improvisation systems are able to generate unidimensional musical sequences by recombining their musical contents. However, considering several dimensions (melody, harmony...) and several temporal levels are difficult issues. In this thesis, we propose to combine probabilistic approaches with formal language theory in order to better assess the complexity of a musical discourse, both from a multidimensional and multi-level point of view in the context of improvisation where the amount of data is limited. First, we present a system able to follow the contextual logic of an improvisation modelled by a factor oracle whilst enriching its musical discourse with multidimensional knowledge represented by interpolated probabilistic models. Then, this work is extended to create another system using a belief propagation algorithm representing the interaction between several musicians, or between several dimensions, in order to generate multidimensional improvisations. Finally, we propose a system able to improvise on a temporal scenario with multi-level information modelled with a hierarchical grammar. We also propose a learning method for the automatic analysis of hierarchical temporal structures. Every system is evaluated by professional musicians and improvisers during listening sessions

Syftet med denna studie är att ta reda på hur kompositörer inom genren svensk folkmusik idag går till väga när de komponerar ny musik, hur deras arbetsprocess ser ut och vilka arbetssätt de använder sig av. Det teoretiska perspektivet är hämtat från Stan Bennet och Max Grafs tidigare forskning om hur kompositionsprocessen ser ut för kompositörer inom konstmusikgenren. Ett didaktiskt perspektiv används också som utgångspunkt. Bakgrunden till arbetet baserar jag på tidigare forskning om kompositionsprocessen, forskning om gehörsmusik och kreativitet och idé-skapande. Jag ser även till vikten av att tränas i sitt divergenta tänkande som komponerande innebär. Undersökningen har gjorts genom kvalitativa intervjuer med tre kompositörer inom genren svensk folkmusik. Studien fokuserar på deras respektive processer och ifall det finns gemensamma drag de tre kompositörerna emellan. Resultatet visar att processen kan se väldigt olika ut, och att såväl intuitivt eller omedvetet som aktivt och medvetet komponerande sker. Något som är viktigt för kompositionen är att det finns en naturlighet i processen, att låten inte ska vara framtvingad även om kompositören arbetar aktivt med komponerandet av låten, samt att arbetsprocessen är individuell på så sätt att varje kompositör kan ha flera tillvägagångssätt Slutligen diskuteras även hur komponering kan användas i en undervisningssituation. / The purpose of this study is to see how composers in the genre “Swedish traditional music” work as they compose new music, to see their working process and what working methods they use. I will be using the theoretical perspective of Stan Bennett and Max Graf earlier research on the process in composing music in classical music. A didactic perspective is also used. I base my work on earlier researches in the area of composing, the creative process and creation in other areas. I also see to importance of divergent mind processes, which is a part of the process of composing. The study has been done by qualitative interviews of three composers in the genre of Swedish traditional music. The study focuses on their separate processes and common features. The result shows that the process can be diversified, and both intuitive and active thinking processes are being used. It is important that there is naturalness in the process. Although it´s an active process of composing, the song can´t be forced. I will present each composer one at the time and then summarize, this because the working process is so individual and each composer can have various processes. Finally I see to how composing can be used in the art of teaching.

With examples from a single classroom situation, several educational moments show what goes on between the teacher and the student. The teacher’s responsibility in the learning process is, with a gesture frozen in the air of the moment, to lead and follow the student in her tentative efforts at seeking knowledge. Initially, it is an attempt to shed light upon the "not yet seen" with a certainty that the student herself possesses the capacity and the aptitude to reach greater insight and clarity in her understanding. The Validation/Feil Method presented in this instructional situation illustrates how best to communicate with elderly people suffering from Alzheimer’s dementia. This essay examines thoughts, reflections and somewhat deeper studies concerning the importance of the moment, or rather the various moments that appear along our journey. From this wandering, the importance of being open-minded, spontaneous and perceptive come to light as well as new concepts such as improvisation and lingering along the way. The art of perceiving is enhanced by concepts such as reading and intuition with the help and support of earlier philosophical tradition, primarily Aristotle’s various forms of knowledge and Hans-Georg Gadamer with his work within the hermeneutic tradition. The author also offers an example of knowledge and learning which, taken together, display the importance of being aware of the body of knowledge incorporated in the area of Practical Knowledge. This is one way of gaining understanding in harmony with others of existing reality and of life itself.

Despite a widely held view that serialism is incompatible with jazz improvisation, there are many instances of jazz musicians successfully engaging with this concept. This conflict seems likely to have arisen from differing interpretations of ‘serialism’; however, the question of how a jazz improviser’s approach to serialism might, or perhaps should, differ from a classical composer’s, has been left unasked. In addition, most attempts at the use of serialism within improvisation remain undocumented by the musicians concerned. The chord stranding techniques of Lutoslawski are less well known and less controversial than serialism. Connections between Lutoslawski’s twelve-note chords and traditional twelve-note rows are obvious, as are connections between the concept of harmonic ‘strands’ and the jazz harmonic device of superimposition. The possibilities for use of Lutoslawski’s ideas within a jazz context are interesting and worthy of consideration. This research project involves the composition and performance of jazz pieces applying serialism and chord stranding, as well as the exploration of precedents for these ideas within the jazz tradition. The four CD recordings within this thesis present the initial development of these concepts (CDs 1 and 2); an exploration of serialism in the music of John Coltrane (CD 3); and an album of original material demonstrating the integrated application of these concepts (CD 4). The exegesis describes the broader context of this project and examines the relevant music theory concepts. It uses analysis of transcriptions to show the specific application of techniques. The key outcomes from this research are (i) the development and (ii) the demonstration of techniques for pitch organisation based on serialism and chord stranding that are appropriate for jazz improvisation. The recordings and exegesis show the successful integration of these techniques with existing melodic and harmonic ideas familiar to jazz musicians. It is argued that the approach to jazz improvisation explored within this research represents a novel and radical reinterpretation of the traditional concept of serialism and that this approach is helpful when considering the effective use of serialism in a jazz context. From a broader perspective, this research offers a case study of an improviser grappling with the challenges of synthesis and stylistic integrity and, as such, it has the potential to inform contemporary debates concerning tradition and innovation within jazz. / v. 1 Exegesis -- v. 2 CD Recordings: CD1. Serialism concept development ; CD2. Chord stranding concept development ; CD3. Chris Martin Trio play A love supreme ; CD4. Triptych, 1+1=1 / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1341787 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, Elder Conservatorium of Music, 2008

Despite a widely held view that serialism is incompatible with jazz improvisation, there are many instances of jazz musicians successfully engaging with this concept. This conflict seems likely to have arisen from differing interpretations of ‘serialism’; however, the question of how a jazz improviser’s approach to serialism might, or perhaps should, differ from a classical composer’s, has been left unasked. In addition, most attempts at the use of serialism within improvisation remain undocumented by the musicians concerned. The chord stranding techniques of Lutoslawski are less well known and less controversial than serialism. Connections between Lutoslawski’s twelve-note chords and traditional twelve-note rows are obvious, as are connections between the concept of harmonic ‘strands’ and the jazz harmonic device of superimposition. The possibilities for use of Lutoslawski’s ideas within a jazz context are interesting and worthy of consideration. This research project involves the composition and performance of jazz pieces applying serialism and chord stranding, as well as the exploration of precedents for these ideas within the jazz tradition. The four CD recordings within this thesis present the initial development of these concepts (CDs 1 and 2); an exploration of serialism in the music of John Coltrane (CD 3); and an album of original material demonstrating the integrated application of these concepts (CD 4). The exegesis describes the broader context of this project and examines the relevant music theory concepts. It uses analysis of transcriptions to show the specific application of techniques. The key outcomes from this research are (i) the development and (ii) the demonstration of techniques for pitch organisation based on serialism and chord stranding that are appropriate for jazz improvisation. The recordings and exegesis show the successful integration of these techniques with existing melodic and harmonic ideas familiar to jazz musicians. It is argued that the approach to jazz improvisation explored within this research represents a novel and radical reinterpretation of the traditional concept of serialism and that this approach is helpful when considering the effective use of serialism in a jazz context. From a broader perspective, this research offers a case study of an improviser grappling with the challenges of synthesis and stylistic integrity and, as such, it has the potential to inform contemporary debates concerning tradition and innovation within jazz. / v. 1 Exegesis -- v. 2 CD Recordings: CD1. Serialism concept development ; CD2. Chord stranding concept development ; CD3. Chris Martin Trio play A love supreme ; CD4. Triptych, 1+1=1 / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1341787 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, Elder Conservatorium of Music, 2008

Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of Communication, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 43-45).

No description available.

This thesis draws on a video ethnography of music activities in a preschool setting in Sweden. It focuses on the participants’ co-construction of music activities and on their use of semiotic and material resources to constitute and sustain these activities. The videos document musicking (Small, 1998), that is, events involving a series of musical activities: work with instruments, dancing and movements, singing and listening. The data were collected during one year and includes 24 hours of video films (altogether 30 musicking events). The participants in the study are 1-3 years old children and their music pedagogues (preschool staff members who worked in the preschool on a daily basis). In terms of theoretical influence, the study is inspired by conversation analysis (Sacks, 1992), linguistic anthropology and work on aesthetic processes (Duranti & Black, 2012; Sawyer, 1997; 2003), as well as sociocultural theorizing (Lave, 1996; Rogoff, 1995; Wenger, 1998). The findings show that the individual young children (2-year-olds) engage in musicking, and that they also initiative various novel activities: such as conducting, dancing, singing, and exploring instruments. In these activities, mobility in the room is essential for the children`s access to instruments and other artifacts and for their possibility to participate in specific activities. The musicking events evolve as multimodal events, where different participation strategies are allowed and creative improvisations involve both musical and extra-musical actions. But a major finding is that the music pedagogues’ responsive uptake and creative improvisations are critical for the individual children`s ability to participate in specific activities and for bringing together the individual child and the group in collaborative musicking. / Forskarskolan: Globalisering, literacy och utforskande lärprocesser: Förskolebarns språk, läsande, skrivande och matematiserande (GUL).