Melbourne Conservatorium of Music - Theses
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ItemThe essence of performance on the acoustic drum kit: a study of feel( 2018)This practice-led research investigates and discusses the terms and applications of ‘feel’ and ‘time’ in acoustic drumming, and through various performance settings I break down and examine how these phenomena exist within my performance. Topics of this research include feel, time, groove, improvisation, pulse, liveness, and motif, all of which are looked at through the various effects they can have on performance. This dissertation includes both written and recorded documentation of my own performances, as well as drawing on sources of information such as music notation (transcriptions), sound waves, various publications, liner notes and experiential descriptions of each performance setting. The creative works presented in this research are made up of various recorded performances, which can be identified in the ‘List of Embedded Audio’. As sections of this dissertation are based on specific recordings, the relevant audio is also listed within the text. This should allow the reader to listen to each recorded performance before or after the relevant section is read. Each recorded work for this research is presented in an mp3 format.
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ItemElliott Carter's rhythmic language: a framework for improvisation( 2011)Musicians are often categorised into narrow genres such as ‘classical’, ‘jazz’, and ‘popular’. This categorisation conceals the fact that musicians often draw influence from outside their sphere of music practice. The thesis draws upon Elliott Carter’s piano piece 90+, which, in its form and content, demonstrates a highly developed rhythmic language that informs my practice of contemporary improvisation. This thesis answers the question: how can I make use of Carter’s rhythmic language as a framework for improvisation? Chapter One details the personal context, a statement of need for this project, and a synopsis of methodology. It continues with a literature review that identifies a gap in other research concerning Carter’s rhythmic language. Chapter Two is a comprehensive presentation and examination of theoretical properties of the terms and concepts I use to analyse Carter’s rhythmic language in 90+. Chapter Three provides an analysis of 90+ using the language outlined in Chapters One and Two. Chapter Four, informed by a personal journal charting my progress in assimilating chosen aspects of Carter’s rhythmic language, provides examples and analyses of original compositions and improvisations that represent the research outcomes of this project.
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ItemIssues of indeterminacy, metric modulation and “interference” in an individual compositional practice( 2011)This thesis consists of a folio of compositions and a dissertation. The folio comprises eight works that range in forces from full orchestra to piano trio: the largest piece is a (mostly wordless) song cycle for string quartet, electric guitar, spoken word and samples which spans fifty minutes, and is followed by two multi-movement works each of approximately twenty minutes in length. The remaining five compositions are shorter, single-movement pieces. The folio contains the scores to these compositions, accompanied by two CDs containing recordings of the works. The introduction to the dissertation presents an overview of the primary issues of indeterminacy, metric modulation and “interference”, and the secondary concerns of borrowing and allusion, Jewishness and septuple metre as aesthetic elements in the new works composed for this PhD project; following this is an overview of five of the compositions from the folio. The dissertation is then divided into two parts: Part I addresses the issues, Part II introduces and discusses each of the five compositions in detail. Each primary issue is discussed in a discrete chapter, beginning with definition, followed by a review of the literature, in addition to examples from my own work. The secondary concerns of borrowing, Jewishness and septuple metre are discussed in a composite chapter and are each treated similarly to the primary issues in tone and format. Musical examples, figures and tables are used throughout the dissertation to clarify, explicate and strengthen argumentation. The dissertation addresses the creative work itself, forming with the folio interdependent, mutually supportive constituents of the one argument. As a composer who is Australian, Jewish and a global citizen of the twenty-first century, I am part of a compositional continuum that is addressing the aforementioned problems now, and attempting to design relevant and meaningful solutions that may lead to a contribution to the literature and advancement in the field of music composition. Although certainly not the first, I am part of a burgeoning area of research investigating the nexus between jazz and Jewish music.
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ItemCreativity and improvisation in classical music: an exploration of interpretation and ownership( 2010)Creativity is an intangible yet very much real element of the human condition, an abstract concept or process proven by its representation in the material and metaphysical products of innovative human pursuits. In terms of music, creativity is demonstrated in the efforts of composers of musical works, whose preparatory undertakings result in a specific product of amalgamated intentions, and conversely in the spontaneous inventions of improvising performers, who both create and perform their works in real time. What of the many so-called classical musicians out there, who while rigorously and comprehensively trained in the creation of the ideal sound on their respective instruments via employment of the ideal technique, complete such training with a view towards the performance of the musical realisations of another’s creative urge? It is as a classical musician myself challenging the artistic merit of what I do that I embark upon this line of questioning, with a view towards clarifying the potential representation of creativity within the constraints of performing already-composed works, and identifying the role improvisation could play in interpretation as the bridging of the gap between articulating another musician’s notes and conveying those notes’ perceived meaning with a sense of personal voice. In doing so I call upon the perspectives of musicians from the genres of repertoire performance, improvisation, and composition through a survey process which presents a practical exploration of these musicians’ motivations, experiences of creativity, notions of sound, voice, interpretation and ownership and opinions of the personal impact on all of these that musical improvisation has had or may have. The original research is grounded in examinations of the historical and contemporary contexts of improvisation’s role in classical music performance. Responses indicated that experimentation with one’s own musicality in the form of spontaneous composition – ideally a pure, direct and honest self-expression – is an immensely useful exercise. Indeed as an exercise, and because of its immediate nature, improvisation can aid in the expansion and deepening of a musician’s knowledge of, and facility on, their instrument – the performer moves from the cycle of purely repetitious execution into a more direct and informed exploration of the notes, and thus an awareness of and contact with the more meaningful communicative potential of said notes.
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ItemConstructing the collective consciousness: individual player identity within the collective jazz ensemble( 2009)This study investigates the role of the individual improviser within the ensemble context as a means of observing the interplay of the ‘creative language’ between individuals and its manifestation within a group dynamic. Criteria as exemplified by the Miles Davis Quintet were used as a means to ascertain the quality, level of interaction, elasticity of compositions, ensemble ecology, musicianship, playfulness, role-play, and other relevant factors in an improvised music setting. The attributes of the Miles Davis Quintet were used to examine the individual and collective identities within the By a Thread ensemble, with the prime intention being to facilitate the construction and development of a collective consciousness within the ensemble. The research topic arose from the author’s aspiration to obtain a deeper connection and sense of community with other practitioners in which to undertake a collective musical journey. The purpose of approaching the research from a practitioner led perspective was to obtain a greater understanding of the author’s art, to achieve insight into the processes of improvisation, and to create contemporary jazz that was inventive in structure and detail. A review was conducted on current literature pertaining to collective creativity, collaboration and improvisation; additionally, the interaction, creativity, and individual and collective identities within the Miles Davis Quintet. An in-depth examination of this distinguished modern jazz ensemble was undertaken to elucidate their relevance to this research. The preparation, processes and development of the By a Thread ensemble were analysed to establish outcomes for this study. This included an examination of the ensemble’s common language, compositions, rehearsals, cues, co-creation, live performances, elasticizing of the musical parameters, role-play, ecology, exploration and risk taking, simultaneous improvisation, contrasting voices, repertoire variety, performance environments and recording. The process of identifying key attributes of interaction, play, identity, and creativity of the Davis quintet as a model for By a Thread resulted in tangible strategies and outcomes. The strategies facilitated the development of By a Thread’s identity, collective consciousness, cues, co-created language, elasticity of compositional parameters and approach to performance.