Oral Music Theory – music theoretical tools for performance expression in folk music.

Olof Misgeld, 50% seminarium:

Oral Music Theory – music theoretical tools for performance expression in folk music

Opponent: Luiz Naveda

Abstract

This doctoral project aims to identify and analyse concepts within Folk Music Theory, and to challenge them through artistic realizations in order to further develop and extend concepts and tools for artistic and pedagogical use within the field of folk music performance. In particular, the project focuses on strategies for interaction between musicians and dancers as a framework for artistic creativity. The rhythmical and metrical organization is assumed as a common ground for these music and dance performances and consequently the focus is on how rhythmic and metrical patterns and gestures are shaped and interpreted through sound and movements. This is done within the context of specific music and dance traditions: Scandinavian folk music traditions, that contain complex rhythmic and metrical features such as asymmetric beat. The motivation is to explore ways of performing folk music and dance and to gather understanding about aspects of the cognitive framework for artistic interaction that is produced by dance and music in conjunction: rhythms, accents, metric patterns, form etc.

Challenging the performance contexts with the help of interactive technology can assist the process of articulating and conceptualizing the related tacit knowledge. In extension, such exploration offers insight into the human capacity of cross-modal interaction between visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic perception domains and the experience of shared time in such interactions. Deconstructing and transforming movement expressions into other forms of visual and sonic output serve to develop new ways of artistic expression. These new ways of expression have a potential to bridge across performance contexts, between the traditional social dance and other interactive spaces and can thus allow for new audience experiences and new artistic output.

The overarching aim, questions and methods of the project will be presented, together with conducted studies and ongoing and planned future studies.