Abstract
The project focuses on researching the abstract concept of introducing spaces within composition, and the theoretical idea of repetitive musical materials. The created compositions in the research investigate how to create a listening environment that allows listeners to distinguish and discern the nuances in sound. In my music, the perception of sound has been explored through compositional techniques that emphasise ideas of repetition and space. Terms such as economy and lacuna have been insightful towards this project. Musical economy draws on the compositional technique of applying repetition and limitation in musical segments to generate entrainment through sound; the compositional technique of using spaces relies on the application of a tacet moment between segments, and the idea of unfinished to present musical elements. These related to specific ideas from the Japanese and Chinese cultural heritage in art, which are Ma and the lacuna.I contextualised my thinking by drawing on a range of compositional works, including the music of Laurence Crane (1961 -), Morton Feldman (1926 - 1987), and Brian Eno (1948 - ). Their compositional technique influences the formation of my compositions, particularly the method of applying lacuna spaces in sound and the formation of repetitive ideas. I have also analysed an installation artwork by James Turrell (1943 - ), which has offered me an understanding of his way of presenting gradual transformation in lights through visual ideas. My composition, Waves, specifically illustrates the musical ideas of gradual development and experimenting with sound effects with limited musical ideas. By incorporating more spaces in music and utilising fewer musical elements, in other words, working economically, the music lends itself to working with other forms. It is vast and spare enough to allow the interaction with another art form to develop. As a result, the pieces Falling Light, Wither, and Resplendent were produced in collaboration with visual artists, enhancing the nuance in sound by adding visual images.
| Date of Award | 2 Dec 2024 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Supervisor | Bryn Harrison (Main Supervisor) & Mary Bellamy (Co-Supervisor) |