Med detta masterprojekt har jag siktat på att göra ett album bestående av tolv låtar med syftet att skapa ett sammanhängande sound för mitt bandprojekt ”isolate”. Processen har varit en metod för att få djupare kunskaper om hur man skapar en sonisk signatur genom begränsning av konstnärliga och tekniska möjligheter. Detta examensarbete är en dokumentation av skrivprocessen, förproduktion, inspelning och ljuddesign, som undersöker min viktigaste fråga: Hur kommer jag till ljudet? Forskningen har genomförts som en autoetnografisk studie. Genom att fokusera de viktigaste instrumentrollerna på albumet har jag utforskat hur deras sound definierar albumets signatur och skapar ett soniskt narrativ. Inspelningen av albumet har genomförts både digitalt och analogt och jag har fokuserat mig på hur de tekniska verktygen främjar känslor i låtarna. I det här arbetet diskuterar jag även mitt ledarskap som musikproducent och musiker i bandsammanhang. / With this master’s project, I have been aiming for a record consisting of twelve tracks with the purpose of creating a coherent sound for my band project ”isolate”. The process of making this record has been a method to gain deeper knowledge on how to create a signature sound, limit myself in possibilities to gather inspiration and capture creativity. This thesis is a documentation of the writing process, pre-production, recording, and sound design, which investigates the main question: What brings me to the sound? The research has been done through an auto-ethnographic observation. By emphasising the main instrument roles on the record, I have been exploring how their sound defines the signature of the album and creates a sonic narrative. Both digital and analogue sound-shaping has been utilised during the recording stage and I have been focusing on how the technical tools facilitate emotions in the songs. This thesis also brings my leadership as a music producer, as well as musician in the band context, to the table.

Syftet med detta projekt var att jämföra individuellt arbete och samarbeten med andra, och studera hur de olika arbetsformerna mentalt påverkat oss som deltagit i detta arbete. Metoden som använts är genomförandet av tre delstudier som omfattat projekt där jag dels skapat musik tillsammans med andra och dels individuellt, samt en intervjuundersökning. En erfarenhet från detta projekt är att, när det kommer till samarbete och individuellt arbete inom kreativt skapande, är varje situation unik. Ett resultat av arbetet är att skillnaderna mellan hur de olika arbetsformerna upplevs är beroende av olika faktorer. Dessa faktorer är bland annat vilka som deltar, vilken uppgift som ska lösas, relationerna mellan deltagarna i en grupp och vilka tidsramar som gäller. För mig har en viktig insikt varit att jag fungerar allra bäst när jag både arbetar individuellt och samarbetar. För att kunna genomföra musikproduktioner och nå mina konstnärliga mål behöver jag, social gemenskap, dela och skapa idéer med andra, samt möjligheten att arbeta individuellt för att kunna skapa helt fritt utan att ta hänsyn till någon annan. / The purpose of this project was to compare individual and collaborative work, and to study how the different forms of work methods mentally affected me and the participants. The method used is the implementation of three sub-studies which included projects where I created music with others and individually, as well as an interview study. One experience from this project is that, when it comes to collaborative and individual work within music creation, each situation is unique. One result is that the differences between how the various working methods are experienced, depends on several factors. These factors include, who is participating, what task is to be solved, the relationship between the participants and what time frames apply. For me, an important insight has been that I prefer working both individually and collaboratively. To be able to make music productions and achieve my artistic goals, I need to, socialize with others, share and create ideas with different people, as well as the opportunity to work individually to be able to create music freely without taking anyone else into consideration.

Abstract Existing healthcare treatments and services for people living with serious mental illness pose a challenge for both the service provider and the recipient of care. While recovery oriented care is a priority, many healthcare practices and contextual factors pose a barrier to recovery. This study augments our awareness of the authentic lifeworld of people living with serious mental illness with the aim of gaining insights that can be used to develop healthcare practices which support recovery. This study explored the subjective experiences of people living with SMI as they expressed them through co-creative songwriting. Through a hermeneutic phenomenological analysis based in the philosophical groundwork of Heidegger and Gadamer, a thematic representation of the lifeworld of people living with SMI was developed. The findings are described in three parts: becoming broken, becoming whole and experiencing the lifeworld as transformed. Becoming broken is explored in four themes including fragmented inner and outer worlds, pain, despair and suicide. Becoming whole is achieved through catalysts of change that include connection, the sacred, beauty, and resilience. This representation is depicted using a tapestry metaphor to picture the lifeworld as torn, mended and transformed. The findings demonstrate that transformation is a spiritual process. Additionally the potential impact of the study on stigma and perceptions of mental illness is discussed. The findings are considered within the framework of Antonovsky’s theory of salutogensis. A resulting salutogenic model of mental illness and mental health as transformation is proposed. The implications for theory, research and practice are discussed in relation to the areas of recovery, salutogenesis, positive psychology and spirituality. The study recommends greater inclusion of spirituality, creative processes, and a focus on positive psychology as underutilized resources to enhance healthcare for people living with SMI. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This report explores the evolving landscape of songwriting and copyright protection, with a focus on the influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI). It highlights the need for objective measures of attribution in music co-creation, including collaborations involving AI. The study explores the potential of employing Natural Language Processing (NLP) methods in song lyric generation, to assign attribution more accurately and transparently. The report also discusses the perspectives of various stakeholders in the music industry highlighting the importance of attribution and addressing concerns related to AI-generated works. The research combines quantitative and qualitative methodologies, including surveys, interviews, and literature reviews, to provide comprehensive insights into the complexities of attribution in songwriting and the implications of AI’s involvement. The survey compared original song choruses to modified versions, gathering insights on the significance of text modifications. Statistical analysis and NLP techniques; levenshtein distance, plagiarism detection, sentiment analysis, and cosine similarity, were used to assess textual changes. The results indicated that primarily sentiment analysis, but also cosine similarity, aligned closer with the survey responses. Interviews provided valuable perspectives on challenges in attribution and copyright, as well as thoughts regarding AI in songwriting and ethical considerations. Current attribution methods often lead to unequal royalty distribution in co-created works. Objective metrics, including NLP techniques, could potentially offer a compliment for tracking attribution in a more quantitative way. Stakeholder analysis reveals the interests and power dynamics of songwriters, artists, labels, consumers, and lawyers. AI’s involvement raises questions about data sources, developer roles, and quantifying creativity, posing challenges in determining attribution, royalty distribution, and copyright protection. The report also underscores the importance of quantifying creativity, preserving creative integrity, and meeting the diverse needs of stakeholders within an AI-driven musical landscape. / Denna rapport utforskar det föränderliga landskapet för låtskrivande och upphovsrättsskydd, med fokus på artificiell intelligens (AI) påverkan. Studien belyser behovet av objektiva mått för attribution i musikaliskt samskapande, inklusive samarbeten som involverar AI. Studien undersöker möjligheterna att använda metoder inom språkteknologi (NLP) i låttextgenerering för att tilldela attribution på ett mer exakt och transparent sätt. Rapporten diskuterar även perspektiven från olika intressenter inom musikindustrin som betonar vikten av attribution och tar upp frågor relaterade till AI-genererade verk. Forskningen kombinerar kvantitativa och kvalitativa metoder, inklusive enkäter, intervjuer och litteraturstudier, för att ge en omfattande inblick i komplexiteten i attribution i låtskrivandet och konsekvenserna av AI:s inblandning. Enkäten jämförde originalversioner av refränger i låtar med modifierade versioner och samlade insikter om betydelsen av textmodifieringar. Statistisk analys och NLP-tekniker; levenshteinavstånd, plagiatdetektering, sentimentanalys och cosinuslikhet, användes för att bedöma textförändringar. Resultaten visade att främst sentimentanalys, men även cosinuslikhet, stämde bättre överens med enkätsvaren. Intervjuerna gav värdefulla perspektiv på utmaningar med attribution och upphovsrätt, samt tankar kring AI i låtskrivande och etiska överväganden. Nuvarande metoder för attribution leder ofta till ojämn fördelning av royalties i samskapade verk. Objektiva metoder, inklusive NLP-tekniker, skulle kunna erbjuda ett komplement för att spåra attribution på ett mer kvantitativt sätt. En intressentanalys avslöjar låtskrivares, artisters, skivbolags, konsumenters och advokaters intressen och maktdynamik. AI:s inblandning väcker frågor om datakällor, utvecklares roller och kvantifiering av kreativitet, vilket skapar utmaningar i att fastställa attribution, fördelning av royalties och upphovsrättsskydd. Rapporten understryker också vikten av att kvantifiera kreativitet, bevara kreativ integritet och möta de olika behoven hos intressenter inom ett AI-drivet musiklandskap.

I och med de senaste decenniernas digitalisering och tekniska utveckling inom musikproduktion har det i högre utsträckning blivit möjligt för enskilda utövare att stå för alla led i produktionskedjan - komposition, produktion, ljudteknik, mixning och mastring. Dessa möjligheter har otvivelaktigt satt sin prägel på den moderna musikproduktionen och termer som laptop-producent och engelskans bedroom producer kan idag användas för att beskriva många av vår samtids mest framgångsrika artister och producenter. Jag själv tillhör denna nya generation, för vilken musikproduktion närmast är synonymt med laptop-produktion, och har i min egen praktik upptäckt ett par återkommande problem som jag misstänker har med denna totala kontroll över arbetsflödet att göra. I det här arbetet utforskar jag enkla demos som ett verktyg för att skapa och bibehålla perspektiv på produktionsarbetet av min egenkomponerade musik. Genom kvalitativa intervjuer med andra som också ägnar sig åt att producera egenkomponerad musik fördjupar jag dessutom min problembeskrivning ytterligare och visar att den i all väsentlighet delas av andra som arbetar på liknande sätt som jag gör. / Is temporary loss of perspective an inevitable part of any artistic process? In this project, I explore a strategy to deal with such problems in music production, namely the demo. With the advance of digital audio workstations and the internet, music production has become more accessible than ever before. The term bedroom producer has gone from being slightly derogatory to nowadays aptly describe many of our most influential and popular contemporary artists and producers. Historically, the music production process has been defined by a clear division of labor: artist/songwriter, producer and engineers that record, mix and master. Today, however, artists and producers have the possibility to control most, if not all, of these stages of production on a single computer. The advantages are many to this development, as it increases an individual’s ability to have detailed control of their output. There is, however, a risk that such solitary work becomes unnecessarily frustrating as a consequence of the insistence on doing everything oneself. Put simply, one might overwork and lose perspective on one’s art because so much uninterrupted time is spent with the project at hand. Being of this generation of producers myself, I have lately come to wonder whether my process - writing, producing and mixing my own songs - could become less ridden with temporary loss of perspective by applying a more clear division in my own labor. More precisely, I focus on the earliest part of the production process, the demo. Instead of laboring over longer periods of time with the entire production chain - from inception to final mix - I want to explore a different workflow, which allows me to better sustain a constructive perspective on my songs and productions. In this project, I dedicate time specifically to produce simple demos, the sole purpose of which is to document an idea and guide the potential final production at a later stage. I also interview others who produce their own songs in order to deepen my analysis and strengthen the relevance of my project.

Under det gångna året har jag studerat min kreativa process. Syftet är att skapa förståelse för hur jag som låtskrivare och musikproducent kan förändra min kreativa process för att uppnå resultat som jag finner tillfredställande.  Jag har skrivit, spelat in och producerat åtta låtar inom ramarna för projektet. För att belysa och utvärdera mina processer har jag testat olika metoder och tillvägagångssätt. Hälften av musiken har jag skrivit på egen hand, resten har skrivits i varierande former av samarbete. Utöver samarbete eller ensamt arbete har varje process getts specifika förutsättningar i form av olika begränsningar och friheter. Hälften av musiken har även mixats i samarbeten. För att analysera mina upplevelser av processerna och musiken lyfts ett antal teoretiska perspektiv som berör kreativa processer samt identitet från ett sociologiskt perspektiv.  Jag har inte upptäckt någon allmängiltig nyckel till framgång. Flera av mina metoder har emellertid fungerat som bidragande faktorer till mer tillfredställande resultat. Grundlig analytisk reflektion har varit den mest effektiva metoden. Projektet kretsar kring mina upplevelser, men mina frågor, tankar och metoder kan vara användbara även för andra. / In the past year I have studied my own creative process as a music producer and a songwriter. My purpose is to gain a greater understanding of how I can change my creative process to achieve results that I can be more satisfied with.  I have written, recorded and produced eight songs within the project. Half of them I have written by myself, the other half were written in varying degrees of collaboration. To study and develop my creative processes I have collaborated and worked in solitude. In addition, each process has been given a specific set of circumstances such as limitations in time and tools or the freedom to create in any way I choose. Four of the songs have been mixed in collaboration. To analyze my experiences, I raise theoretical perspectives within the artistic and the sociological field of study.  I haven’t discovered any one big truth or key to success, but during the project I have found many contributing factors to creating something that in my own opinion works. Thorough reflection and analysis have been the most universally applicable method. The project is focused on my own experience. I do however believe that my questions, thoughts and methods can be of use to others.

Detta är ett konstnärligt examensarbete där jag utforskar den grafiska linjen, en kvalitativ analysmetod som kartlägger musikens struktur, instrumentering, arrangemang och ljuddesign i en DAW. Arbetet utförs genom en kombination av musikproduktion, analys och teoretisk undersökning. Med fokus på elektronisk dansmusik (EDM) och dess snabba utveckling inom populärkulturen, analyserar jag tre EDM-låtar med den grafiska linjen i Ableton Live och skapar tre nya låtar baserade på dessa analyser. Syftet är att främja musikalisk praxis genom att identifiera viktiga processer och händelser i musiken samt att skapa verktyg för musikproduktion. Den grafiska linjen är en metod som har sitt ursprung i mitt behov att upptäcka mönster i den musik jag arbetar med. Genom denna forskning har jag kunnat artikulera min arbetsprocess och mina insikter i användningen av musikaliska mallar. För att fördjupa förståelsen av den grafiska linjens tillämpning inom EDM har jag integrerat tidigare forskning om tonalitet, rytm och andra musikaliska aspekter inom genren. Denna forskning bidrar till studien av elektronisk dansmusik och ger perspektiv på användningen av den grafiska linjen som ett verktyg för musikalisk utforskning och skapande. / In this artistic thesis project, I explore the graphic line, a qualitative analysis method that maps the structure, instrumentation, arrangement, and sound design of music in a DAW through a combination of music production, analysis, and theoretical inquiry. By focusing on electronic dance music (EDM) and its rapid evolution within popular culture, I analyzed three EDM tracks using the graphic line in Ableton Live and created three new tracks based on these analyses. The aim is to promote musical practice by identifying key processes and events in music and creating tools for music production. The graphic line is a method that originates from my need to discover patterns in the music I work with. Through this research, I have been able to articulate my workflow and insights into the use of musical templates. To deepen understanding of the graphic line's application within EDM, I have integrated previous research on tonality, rhythm, and other musical aspects within the genre. This research contributes to the study of electronic dance music and provides perspectives on the use of the graphic line as a tool for musical exploration and creation.

La version intégrale de cette thèse est disponible uniquement pour consultation individuelle à la Bibliothèque de musique de l’université de Montréal (www.bib.umontreal.ca/MU). / WAG! The Musical est la seconde comédie musicale d'Aleksey Shegolev ainsi que la première à être exécutée dans un théâtre off-Broadway à New York durant l'été 2013. Une des premières comédies de William Shakespeare, Peines d’amour perdues, a servi d’inspiration pour son partenaire Julian Silverman (dramaturge) et lui (compositeur et librettiste) dans la composition de WAG!. Afin de moderniser le sujet shakespearien traité dans les Peines d’amour perdues, plusieurs ajustements ont été nécessaires. Dans le but de maintenir l’attention des spectateurs, le niveau d'intensité dans l’action doit constamment s'élever. Cette thèse traitera notamment des divers procédés musicaux employés dans le but de soutenir l’action. Le rock ' n' roll, ainsi que le jazz furent les principaux langages musicaux à avoir une forte influence sur cette composition. Conséquemment, à travers une analyse détaillée, Shegolev explique comment le rythme, l'harmonie et la texture construisent sa comédie musicale. De plus, la manière de rendre l’humour en musique, si nécessaire au genre comique, sera également objet de discussion dans cette dissertation. La dissertation sera clôturée par un chapitre qui traitera de l'expérience personnelle que Shegolev a accumulée au cours des ateliers de lecture et des répétitions aux quelles sa pièce a été assujettie, afin de monter WAG! dans un théâtre de production à petite échelle à New York. / WAG! The Musical is Aleksey Shegolev's second full-length musical and it is the first to be performed in an off-Broadway theatre in New York during the summer of 2013. The idea for the plot was inspired by William Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour's Lost, and he and his partner, Julian Silverman, created a story fit for modern times. Shegolev was the composer and lyricist, while Silverman was the book writer. Good storytelling and strong songwriting depends on the characters having a goal to pursue as they overcome the obstacles in their paths. As the story progresses, the level of intensity must always rise to keep the audiences’ attention. Jazz and rock ‘n’ roll were the main musical influences on this piece and we will see how rhythm, harmony and texture played a part in creating WAG!. Musicalizing comedy by using various techniques in composition is another topic that will be explored. Finally, this dissertation will close with Shegolev's experiences during the workshop from dealing with the director to the endless revisions and cuts that had to be made before opening night.

Este trabalho propõe uma fundamentação teórica para investigação de determinadas técnicas de composição de música popular cantada que surgiram e se consolidaram a partir da década de 1960. Considera-se que o desenvolvimento tecnológico desse período permitiu à música popular cantada, a partir de então, realizar operações composicionais por processos de montagem, diretamente em fita. Adaptando para o campo da música formulações cunhadas originalmente por Mikhail Bakhtin para o discurso verbal, propomos um entendimento do álbum de fonogramas como um gênero complexo do discurso musical que se organiza na forma-momento. Considerando cada fonograma como um momento distinto no sentido sugerido por Stockhausen estuda-se, especialmente, a construção das sonoridades em contraste, tendo como referência as ferramentas de análise propostas por Didier Guigue para a música do século XX. Nesse contexto, discutem-se, também, as interações rítmicas de base que particularizam a música popular das Américas, resultantes do embate entre os ciclos assimétricos herdados da música tradicional africana e os compassos simétricos da música europeia dos séculos XVIII e XIX. Como conclusão, as ferramentas apresentadas são aplicadas na análise da montagem do álbum Minas, de Milton Nascimento. / This work puts forward theoretical grounds for an investigation into some musical composition techniques to sung popular music introduced and consolidated since the 1960s. It is believed that technological advances in the period enabled sung popular music artists to begin to explore new compositional approaches by physically editing recorded tapes. Transposing concepts of verbal discourse introduced by Mikhail Bakhtin into music, we advance the understanding of a recorded album as a complex genre of musical discourse organized in a moment form. Assuming each phonogram to be a self-contained moment as suggested by Stockhausen , we primarily study the weaving of contrasting sonorities by using Didier Guigues analytical framework for the music of the 20th century as reference. In this context, we also discuss the rhythmic interplay so characteristic of popular music in the Americas, which arises from the clash between the asymmetrical patterns inherited by the African music tradition and the symmetrical measures of Europe-based music of the eighteenth and nineteenth century. In conclusion, the proposed tools are applied to the analysis of the editing of Milton Nascimentos album Minas.

Este trabalho propõe uma fundamentação teórica para investigação de determinadas técnicas de composição de música popular cantada que surgiram e se consolidaram a partir da década de 1960. Considera-se que o desenvolvimento tecnológico desse período permitiu à música popular cantada, a partir de então, realizar operações composicionais por processos de montagem, diretamente em fita. Adaptando para o campo da música formulações cunhadas originalmente por Mikhail Bakhtin para o discurso verbal, propomos um entendimento do álbum de fonogramas como um gênero complexo do discurso musical que se organiza na forma-momento. Considerando cada fonograma como um momento distinto no sentido sugerido por Stockhausen estuda-se, especialmente, a construção das sonoridades em contraste, tendo como referência as ferramentas de análise propostas por Didier Guigue para a música do século XX. Nesse contexto, discutem-se, também, as interações rítmicas de base que particularizam a música popular das Américas, resultantes do embate entre os ciclos assimétricos herdados da música tradicional africana e os compassos simétricos da música europeia dos séculos XVIII e XIX. Como conclusão, as ferramentas apresentadas são aplicadas na análise da montagem do álbum Minas, de Milton Nascimento. / This work puts forward theoretical grounds for an investigation into some musical composition techniques to sung popular music introduced and consolidated since the 1960s. It is believed that technological advances in the period enabled sung popular music artists to begin to explore new compositional approaches by physically editing recorded tapes. Transposing concepts of verbal discourse introduced by Mikhail Bakhtin into music, we advance the understanding of a recorded album as a complex genre of musical discourse organized in a moment form. Assuming each phonogram to be a self-contained moment as suggested by Stockhausen , we primarily study the weaving of contrasting sonorities by using Didier Guigues analytical framework for the music of the 20th century as reference. In this context, we also discuss the rhythmic interplay so characteristic of popular music in the Americas, which arises from the clash between the asymmetrical patterns inherited by the African music tradition and the symmetrical measures of Europe-based music of the eighteenth and nineteenth century. In conclusion, the proposed tools are applied to the analysis of the editing of Milton Nascimentos album Minas.