1 / 39

The transdisciplinary foundation of (European) music theory

Sysmus Graz. The transdisciplinary foundation of (European) music theory. Richard Parncutt Centre for Systematic Musicology University of Graz, Austria. Psychological Directions at EuroMac VII. Music T heory : A long History of Transdisciplinarity. Cosmic mysticism Pythagoras

montesj
Download Presentation

The transdisciplinary foundation of (European) music theory

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Sysmus Graz The transdisciplinaryfoundationof(European) musictheory Richard Parncutt Centre for Systematic Musicology University of Graz, Austria

  2. Psychological DirectionsatEuroMac VII

  3. Music Theory: A longHistoryofTransdisciplinarity CosmicmysticismPythagoras Theology Boethius Physics Rameau Philosophy Schenker Mathematics Forte CognitionLerdahl

  4. Music Theory:Modern TransdisciplinaryChallenges Ethnomusicology Neuroscience Computing

  5. 1. Howimportantis transdisciplinarity formusictheory? 2. Ifitreallyisimportant, howcanitbe promoted?

  6. Whythinkabouttransdisciplinarity? All academicdisciplinesareevolving • discussions on futuredirections Recentdevelopments in musictheory • USA 1980s: bignewimpulses  Europe 2010s? The inevitabilityoftransdisciplinarity • Iftwodisciplinesare relevant to a question, whynot?

  7. My relevant background Research Perceptionofmusicalstructure  Music theory, physics, psychology Co-founderofconferenceseries CIM: Conference on InterdisciplinaryMusicology SysMus: Student conference on SystematicMusicology cAIR: Conference on Applied Interculturality Research Politics Experience ofhumanities-sciencesconflict in musicology

  8. Transdisciplinarity

  9. Transdisciplinarity 1. Independent disciplines 1 2 2. Interaction (synergy) 1 2 3. Mutuallyenriched but still distinct 1’ 2’

  10. Transculturalitye.g. in modern cities 1. Independent culturalgroups 1 2 2. Interaction (synergy) 1 2 3. Mutuallyenriched but still distinct 1’ 2’

  11. Transdisciplinarityastransculturalitysomedangers Different… • Languages • Waysofthinking • Waysofdoing  Conflicts! due to • Ignoranceof Other, prejudice • Delusionsofownsuperiority

  12. Collegiality in transdisciplinary teamsespecially important in musicology! • common goals • research question • high standards • democracy • equal value and rights of team members • transparency • clear aims and intentions • quality control • evaluation – but only within disciplines • realistic appraisal of strengths, weaknesses • mutual constructive criticism

  13. Transdisciplinary Music TheoryatSysMus Graz Music theory Music psychology Psychoacoustics Physics, mathematics Ethnomusicology

  14. Was ist der Grundton dieses Akkords?Musiktheorie und Psychologie Welche Töne werden gehört? Welche Töne klingen wichtiger?

  15. Auditive Szenenanalyse Zusammenarbeit mit Annemarie Seither-Preisler, Inst. für Psychologie

  16. Listenershear a chordfollowedby a tone Task: Rate howwellthe tone goeswiththechord ? C Es Ges Ges Es C 20 musicians, 60 data per point Gottfried Reichweger, SysMus Graz

  17. Psychoakustik Musikgeschichte Wahrnehmung Indirekte Verbindung zwischen Psychoakustik und der heutigen Wahrnehmung über Musikgeschichte

  18. Mathematical modelingof musical expressionErica Bisesi, SysMus Graz • tempo and dynamics fluctuate gradually or suddenly • model gradual fluctuations (e.g. ritardando) by curve fitting • curves can be added together

  19. Wie beeinflusst Musik Bewusstseinszustände?Bernd Brabec, SysMus Graz • „trance-fördernde“ musikalische Strukturen? • körpereigene Rhythmen (Chronobiologie)? • Kontext: kulturell oder sozial? • Bewegung? Performance, embodiment? • Monotone Frequenzen? Obertöne?

  20. Music andtheintegrationofculturalminoritiesAngelika Dorfer & Martin Winter, SysMus Graz • Cultural minorities in Graz • Germany, Italy, Australia… • Egypt, Albania, China, Irak, Nigeria, Serbia… • Music in everyday life: Daily realities • Role of active music making • Promotion of integration through music • “Transmusic”: fluid multiple musical identities

  21. The Journal of Inter-disciplinary MusicStudies(JIMS)

  22. Conference on Interdisciplinary Musicology CIMJournal of Interdisciplinary Music Studies JIMS Forafor constructive interaction among all subdisciplines or paradigms of musicology: analytical, applied, comparative, cultural, empirical, ethnological, historical, popular, scientific, systematic, theoretic ...and all musically relevant disciplines: acoustics, aesthetics, anthropology, archeology, art history and theory, biology, composition, computing, cultural studies, economics, education, ethnology, gender studies, history, linguistics, literary studies, mathematics, medicine, music theory and analysis, neurosciences, perception, performance, philosophy, physiology, prehistory, psychoacoustics, psychology, religious studies, semiotics, sociology, statistics, therapy

  23. Conference on Interdisciplinary Musicology CIMJournal of Interdisciplinary Music Studies JIMS promote interdisciplinary collaboration within musicology All contributions have at least two authors. They represent at least two of the following three groups: humanities, sciences, practically oriented disciplines. focus on quality rather than quantity Academic standards are promoted by anonymous peer review of submitted abstracts by independent international experts in relevant (sub-) disciplines. The review procedure is transparent, and the reviews are impersonal and constructive. promote musicology's unity in diversity CIM promotes all interdisciplinary music research and treats all musically relevant disciplines and musicological subdisciplines equally.

  24. Conference on Interdisciplinary Musicology CIMprevious events

  25. Conference on Interdisciplinary Musicology CIMfuture events

  26. Why CIM?The fragmentation of musicology historical systematic ethnological 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000

  27. Alterity in musicology • in-group (“the” musicology) • elite Western history out-group(Others) • acoustics • psychology • physiology • computing • intermediate • theory/analysis • ethnomusicology • pop/jazz research • sociology • philosophy • performance research

  28. Power games with ambiguous labels for academic disciplinesSubtle forms of discrimination What do you mean by “musicology”? Which “science” are you talking about?

  29. Power games with ambiguous labels for academic disciplinesSolutions “Science” Wissenschaft = academia, scholarship, research NOT science wissenschaftlich = academic, scholarly NOT scientific “Musicology” Don’t abbreviate “historical musicology” to “musicology” Include musical sciences (psychology, computing etc.)

  30. Conference on Applied Interculturality Research (cAIR) • Graz, 2010; Porto, 2012 • Bring together practice and research • like music theory! • All areas of interculturality

  31. Keynotes at cAIR10 Graz

  32. Conclusion Concreteideasforthefuture

  33. Inclusive music theory • Take advantage of all relevant expertise Diversity = academic quality!  Equality/promotion of traditional Others • Women • Non-Western researchers, non-English speakers • Different sexual preferences and gender identities • “Too old”, “too young”, “disabled”, “strange ideas”…

  34. Invitingwomen Reasons for inviting 4♂ and 0♀ • “We could not find women with appropriate expertise” • “The first women we contacted declined” But there are also good solutions: try harder - ask for advice - try repeatedly Leading Euro cognitive music theorists: • Nicola Dibben, Sheffield, GB • Barbara Tillmann, Dijon, France Tip for EuroMac VIII: Optimal ratio 3♀:1♂  Women experience being a majority  Men experience being a minority  New insights, new approaches, new creativity

  35. Transdisciplinarypeerreview Goal: Transdisciplinary quality! • evaluate both disciplines independently (the only reliable way to avoid “bullshitting”)  Recognition of music theory!! • equal status, no longer a “Hilfswissenschaft” • more money, jobs, infrastructure, PhD programs…

  36. Globalise music theory • Balance Euro & North American • No longer provincial! • Include non-Western… • musics, composers, theorists… • Consider music’s global roles • Cultural understanding • Global development • Conflictresolution • Continue to promote local… • traditions, languages, composers, theorists

  37. Dare to ask difficult questions • Why is major-minor tonality so popular? • Theory, history, psychology… • Music-structuraluniversals? Implications? • Theory, ethnomusicology, psychology • The musicalmind-body problem • Theory, neuroscience, philosophy • Algorithmictestsofmusictheories • Theory, computer science

  38. Work together • EuroMac VII: • lessthan 5% ofpaperswith >1 author! • Suggestion forthefuture: • Collaboratewith expert fromanotherdiscipline! • Developinfrastructures in musictheoryto promote synergetictransdisciplinarity

  39. The “transdisciplinary music theorist” • Curious • adventurous, courageous, broad-minded… • Solid basis in musictheory • goodundergraduatedegree plus original research • Someknowledgeofotherdisciplines • Oneortwo relevant ones • Knowledge/experienceofcollaboration • esp.betweenhumanitiesandsciences

More Related