Composer Research Articles

Sound and Space as Compositional Tools: Using the Reverberation of a Basilica as part of a Musical Composition

Classical composers such as Wagner, Mahler, Handel, and Debussy, among others, noticed that a space’s acoustic qualities affected their compositions, so they made intuitive arrangements to their performances to suit the space. Some contemporary musicians, on the other hand, incorporate those sonic characteristics as part of their composition. Pauline Oliveros, John Butcher, and Paul Bavister are some composers who produce site-specific works, compositions that include the site’s sound as part of their sound works. This project proposes site stimulation as a methodology to extract Basilica del Voto Nacional’s reverberation, a neo-gothic church in Quito, Ecuador, to produce a site-specific sound work: Composition for a Jazz Quartet and for a Basilica. This research aims not only to use spatial sonic qualities for music composition but also to propose a friendly, day-to-day activity, such as listening to music, as a learning method to acknowledge spatial sound phenomena.

Chord sense: Enhancing stylistic Chord Progression generation with fine-tuned transformers

Chord Progressions (CP) constitute a fundamental element within musical compositions. Skillful application of harmonies can captivate audiences through the colors and emotions they elicit. While existing research has predominantly focused on generating stylistically coherent CPs and accompaniments, relatively few studies have delved into the optimization of generating specific CPs of interest across diverse harmonic contexts. On this basis, this study aims to address this gap by fine-tuning a foundational CP model using datasets generated through three distinct strategies. Subsequently, the performances of the strategies are compared using both existing and novel evaluation metrics. According to the analysis, the results reveal that the model fine-tuned using the third strategy demonstrates proficiency in producing the target CPs across diverse contexts and modes of generation in a musically coherent manner. This approach opens up avenues for creative learning and sharing of stylistic chord progressions through exchanging customized fine-tuned chord models.

베토벤 피아노 소나타 Op. 106『함머클라비어』의 현대음악적 의의:『La Hammerklavier』와의 비교조명을 바탕으로

This thesis aims to re-examine the artistic value and academic significance of Beethoven's Op. 106 『Hammerklavier』. To this end, this thesis adopted as its theoretical basis a review of the distinct elements and musical expressions of Op. 106 『Hammerklavier』and an analysis of musical quotation techniques applied to 『La Hammerklavier』. The analysis yields the following results. First, the novel fugue styles, including third relations and Neapolitan harmony in Op. 106『Hammerklavier』, can be evaluated as distinctive techniques that transform the established musical conventions. Second, 『La Hammerklavier』seeks to pay homage to Beethoven and his work Op. 106『Hammerklavier』through various approaches, including the technique of ‘musical quotation’. In conclusion, the creation based on the technique of ‘musical quotation’ expands the scope and domain of contemporary music compositions in various aspects, and the distinctive elements of Op. 106『Hammerklavier』serve as a source of artistic inspiration for subsequent composers, demonstrating its artistic value and significance through the fusion with modernity beyond the classical era. Additionally, practical and fundamental pedagogical suggestions focusing on tempo, pedaling, and trills for effective performance will provide valuable guidance to learners studying Op. 106『Hammerklavier』.

Ligeti’s Sonic Odyssey. Music as a Gateway to the Unknown in 2001: A Space Odyssey

Music in Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey plays a crucial role in eliciting moods due to its sparse dialogue. Instead of using typical film score, Kubrick decided to use already existing recordings of four classical music composers. György Ligeti’s compositions stand out in a stark contrast to the overall soundtrack of the film and evoke a sense of eeriness. Film's plot unfolds through four segments, each marked by an appearance of a monolith, with Ligeti's music acting as a leitmotif. Micropolyphonic textures, characterized by dense musical layering and dissonance, reflect hidden and inaudible aspects of the unknown, comparable to the vastness of outer space. Keywords: György Ligeti, Stanley Kubrick, 2001: A Space Odyssey, film music, eeriness

Understanding Aesthetic Principles in Music and its Effect to Contemporary Music Composition: An Educational Psychology Perspective

Understanding Aesthetic Principles in Music and its Effect to Contemporary Music Composition: An Educational Psychology Perspective

COMPARISON OF RELIABILITY AND ACCURACY OF RESEARCH RESULTS USING RANDOM AND QUOTA SAMPLING

The author analyses the reliability and accuracy of the results of sociological research conducted using quota sampling. The author discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using quota samples compared to random samples. The main focus is on the representativeness of the obtained data and the possibility of extrapolating them to the general population.In the problem statement, the author noted that a mechanical method of forming a random sample is most often used to study public opinion in Ukraine. The main feature of this method is to ensure an equal probability of selection of each element of the general population. The author emphasizes that although this method allows for easy calculation of possible errors and analysis of collected information, it has a disadvantage in representing specific groups of the population.To address this problem, the author proposes using an equal probability method of forming quota samples, which allows selecting respondents according to their quotas in the general population, thus providing a more representative model of the studied population. However, in the scientific community, there is no consensus on the use of indicators in forming quota samples, and all existing works remain at the level of theoretical assumptions.The author attempts to empirically substantiate the effectiveness of quota samples through experimentation. The hypothesis of the experiment assumes that the results of studies conducted according to quotas can be extrapolated to the general population with high accuracy and reliability using mathematical and statistical methods. During the experiment, both quota and random samples were used to compare the results.The general population consisted of 489 musical compositions represented in different proportions to eliminate the subjective component from the experiment and provide the opportunity to clearly assess and record the parameters of the initial general population for further comparison with the results of different types of samples. The musical compositions had two parameters: the name of the performer for identification and the duration of the track for digital and statistical evaluation. The analysis was carried out using a specially developed program for statistical data analysis. The collected data allowed for the assessment of the average track duration, median, skewness, standard deviation, and other statistical indicators.The results of the experiment showed that the quota sample provides more accurate results when the quotas are followed during the selection of elements of the general population. The sample obtained by random selection without adhering to quotas showed greater variability in indicators such as mean, median, skewness, and standard deviation relative to the general population. Thus, it was concluded that quota samples have advantages in sociological research, especially when specific groups of the population need to be considered.The author emphasizes the need for further research and improvement of quota sampling methods to enhance the accuracy and reliability of sociological studies, which are important for examining particular social issues.

Research on music AI composition systems from the perspective of cross-cultural aesthetics

Research on music AI composition systems from the perspective of cross-cultural aesthetics

Применение нейронных сетей в образовательном процессе студентов вуза

The article is devoted to the analysis and study of statistics on the relevance of the use of neural networks in the educational process of students. Based on the results of the survey, which was attended by 94 students of the Omsk branch of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation of various training areas, the following conclusions were made: the degree of relevance of the use of neural networks in a modern university according to a 5-point system of at least 4 points was estimated by about 57.4% of respondents. The actual goals of using neural networks were: improving the quality of the workspace (60.6%), reducing the duration of the workflow (59.6%) and assistance in writing papers (48.9%). It is worth noting that according to the results of the survey, Shazam became the most popular neural network using artificial intelligence. 71.3% of respondents use this neural network to facilitate the search for the right musical composition. The results of the study allow us to conclude that it is necessary to introduce neural networks into the educational plan of universities to facilitate the educational process of students. As well as a superficial study, to understand the general structure and relevance of the use of neural networks.

Study on the Structuring of Music for Buddhist Folk Funeral Rituals in Bijie

I think I have made an in-depth study of folk Buddhist funeral ceremony music in Bijie area, which aims to explore the origin, development, evolution of folk Buddhist funeral ceremony music in Bijie area, as well as its position and role in society and culture, and education. This study adopts a variety of research methods such as field survey, literature study, and music analysis. A large amount of musical materials were collected through field surveys and recordings of different folk Buddhist funeral ceremony music in the Bijie area. Relevant historical documents, folklore and oral history materials were also sorted out and analyzed to understand the historical origin and cultural background of funeral ceremony music. The results of the study show that the folk Buddhist funeral ceremony music in the Bijie area has a long history and a unique style. These musical compositions usually consist of elements such as Buddhist scriptures, mantras, Buddhist music and folk music, forming a unique musical form. In funeral ceremonies, these musical compositions are used to pay homage to the deceased, transcend the spirits of the dead, and protect the living, etc., and they have both religious ceremonial and social functions (ethics and morals, Buddhist education, and rituals). In addition, the study also found that folk Buddhist funeral ritual music in the Bijie area was influenced by a variety of factors during its evolution, such as regional culture, religious sects, and social change. With the development and change of society, the funeral ceremony music also evolved and innovated, gradually forming unique local characteristics. In general, the music of BiJie folk Buddhist funeral rituals is characterized by its solemnity, solemnity, sadness, and mourning, and adds a unique atmosphere to the funeral rituals through various forms of Buddhist scripture recitation, gatha and music performance, so that people are more able to feel the presentation of cultural phenomena such as memorialization and prayers for the deceased, and expectations and teachings for the living, and so on. It reveals the historical origin, cultural background and evolution process of the music of Bijie folk Buddhist funeral ceremony, and provides theoretical and practical guidance for the protection and inheritance of this unique music culture.

Art and Language After AI

By ingesting a vast corpus of source material, generative deep learning models are capable of encoding multi-modal data into a shared embedding space, producing synthetic outputs which cannot be decomposed into their constituent parts. These models call into question the relation of conceptualisation and production in creative practices spanning musical composition to visual art. Moreover, artificial intelligence as a research program poses deeper questions regarding the very nature of aesthetic categories and their constitution. In this essay I will consider the intelligibility of the art object through the lens of a particular family of machine learning models, known as ‘latent diffusion’, extending an aesthetic theory to complement the image of thought the models (re)present to us. This will lead to a discussion on the semantics of computational states, probing the inferential and referential capacities of said models. Throughout I will endorse a topological view of computation, which will inform the neural turn in computer science, characterised as a shift from the notion of a stored program to that of a cognitive model. Lastly, I will look at the instability of these models by analysing their limitations in terms of compositionality and grounding.

GPianoroll: a Deep Learning System with Human Feedback for Music Generation

We present a human-feedback-based evaluation pipeline for deep learning generative models, tested on music composition. Leveraging Bayesian Optimization and asking users to grade the generated songs, we efficiently find the point of a given model’s latent space that yields each volunteer’s favorite without retraining.

Assessing Spatial Audio: A Listener-Centric Case Study on Object-Based and Ambisonic Audio Processing

The research explores the production and critical evaluation of two distinct mixes of “Dancing Ends”, a musical composition by Łukasz Pieprzyk. These mixes were engineered using two cutting-edge spatial sound technologies: Dolby Atmos and Ambisonics. The recording process incorporated overdub and multitrack recording techniques. Once created, the mixes were evaluated using a method of direct rating, based on an average rank system from 1 to 5, adhering strictly to the (ITU-R, 2015) BS.1116-3 and (ITU-R, 2019) BS.1284-2 standards. Evaluation criteria included factors such as mix selectivity, depth, width, and height of the sound stage, sound envelopment, tonal brightness, and quality of source localization. Additionally, some criteria were specifically tailored to evaluate characteristics unique to the composition. The evaluations were performed on three different listening systems and environments: surround systems of 5.1 and 7.1.4, and binaural listening. Although Ambisonics’ mix received higher ratings in several categories, Dolby Atmos’ mix was preferred across all listening environments. The results underscore the potential benefits of employing spatial sound technologies in music production and evaluation, offering insight into the capabilities of Dolby Atmos and Ambisonics.

Using Kurdish Songs in the Piano Method

The nations of the world have paid attention to preserve their musical heritage in many fields, including education system and teaching music, and have used their musical heritage in their educational music programs, including the method of playing the piano which is the main aim of this research. Some of music composers have used popular and famous songs as an educational approach to teach the piano. Therefore, the researcher has selected some examples of famous Kurdish songs and used them for the beginner level. "Using Kurdish Songs in the Piano Method" is the combination of Kurdish song heritage with a very important instrument of music, which has a very important and influential role in the art of music in general, in the process of music education in particular. In this regard, this study uses Kurdish song heritage as an educational model for piano playing at the beginning level for adults. Many studies confirm that pieces of music and exercises that use the melodies of traditional and popular songs are the best teaching materials for teaching music. It also helps music learners to know their music heritage and it can strengthen their cultural identity as well.

Research on the Pathways for Innovative Cultural Development of University Music Courses Based on Music Education Concepts

In order to improve the music education in colleges and universities for cultivating students' comprehensive quality and enriching students' cultural literacy. In this paper, firstly, we optimize the music teaching mode, based on the theory of multiple intelligences and centered on the characteristics of students' intelligence structure, we innovate the teaching mode of music courses in colleges and universities, and emphasize the authenticity and context of the teaching environment. Secondly, the ant colony algorithm is used to find the optimal solution of music course classroom-time. In the solution process, hard constraints and soft constraints are considered to set up a class schedule that teachers and students are satisfied at the same time. Next, the optimal results of music course scheduling without and with conflicts are calculated. The traditional teaching model was set as a control class, and the final validation found that the experimental class scored the highest 90.2 ± 9.4 for music knowledge mastery and was statistically significant. In terms of music composition and music understanding, the experimental class fully agreed with 43% and 48%, higher than 41.0% and 40% of the control class, and the innovative music teaching content was above the students' psychological acceptability, with an average cultural satisfaction score of 4.2487 and an average cultural recommendation score of 4.5347. Therefore, colleges and universities should base their curriculum on the concept of music education, constantly explore and innovate, improve the rationality of curriculum arrangement, and promote the dissemination and development of music culture.

A Theoretical Review Towards a Conceptual Framework for Creating ‘Neoclassic Big-Band Highlife Music’

It is a truism that highlife, Ghana’s first acculturated popular music, presents various styles employing various musical ensembles and playing to different audiences. However, the diverse highlife stylistic trends have declined in musical works recently due to generational differences and tastes. As a result, modern-day recorded highlife compositions sound similar and, in some cases, the same. Despite its iconicity in Ghanaian popular music, it is also quite surprising that highlife music still struggles for compositional and theoretical relevance in Ghanaian academic programmes of schools, colleges and universities. This paper, therefore, presents a characterisation of the diverse highlife music trends as an attempt to develop a conceptual framework for creating ‘neoclassic big-band highlife music’ that transcends diverse styles and generational tastes. Drawing on my experience as a highlife practitioner and music educator, I reviewed theories, concepts, and literature relevant to highlife music to conceptualise a framework for creating works that transcend the generational differences and tastes of highlife music. This paper expands the frontiers of highlife music practice and scholarship. Therefore, it is not just a recommendation but a call to action for Music composition professors to adopt this conceptual framework as a blueprint to begin a taught course on ‘Highlife Music Composition’ in music institutions. The involvement of Music composition professors in this process is crucial to enhancing the structural and theoretical trajectory of highlife music.

Handheld controller-based locomotion in Virtual Reality as an approach to interactive music composition: insights from composers’ preferences

ABSTRACT In this paper, we propose a novel interactive composition approach in which locomotion within a virtual environment is used as a means to trigger predefined sound events, attenuations of sound parameters, immersive sound spatializations, and reverberations. To implement such an approach, we developed a virtual environment consisting of a large auditorium shaped like a nautilus, where users move via handheld controllers. We tested the proposed virtual environment and composition approach by conducting a user study with 15 expert composers, where we compared the 3 locomotion techniques most used in VR to move in a 3D virtual space using a handheld controller: continuous (i.e. walking), discrete (i.e. teleporting), and mixed movement (i.e. walking and teleporting). Our results showed a preference for the mixed locomotion technique. We provide a critical reflection on such a result as well as on various insights that arose from the composers’ comments.

Study on the Influence of AI Composition Software on Students' Creative Ability in Music Education

Generative AI technology for human-assisted tools has made great strides in recent years, and studying the impact of this technology on students' compositional abilities plays an important role in promoting changes in music education. Previous studies have focused on the performance of music composition software itself in terms of composition, with less consideration given to the impact of creators' compositional ability after using assistive composition tools. Thus, this paper designs a controlled experiment to investigate the changes in students' compositional ability before and after using AI composition tools. This paper finds that students' compositional abilities in all areas of composition improved to varying degrees after using AI composition tools. This paper compares the differences in compositional abilities of students with and without the education of AI composition tools, which has practical implications for vigorously promoting the adoption of AI composition tools in university music education teaching.

Komposisi Musik Semarak Sipai Bersumber Dari Beruji Dol Dalam Upacara Tabot Di Kota Bengkulu

Music is a means of expressing the soul to communicate and interact between living creatures. Through music we can express various ideas with various colors of sound produced by any object that can accommodate the idea itself. Sounds and voices are arranged well so that a musical work is created as a harbor for ideas that are full of messages and meaning. This work begins with research on the Bruji Dol performance and from the results of the analysis, a conclusion is drawn to take one part, namely the song Girik" which is contained in the Bruji Dol performance in the Tabot ceremony in the city of Bengkulu. Beruji dol is a depiction of the spirit of war carried out by two groups, namely Tabot Bangsal and Tabot Imam. Beruji dol has an interesting musical case, namely that there is a game concept that is "freely bound" in the tasa game of the Tamatam repertoire called "Girik". To create the musical composition "Semarak Sipai" it was worked on using the Analytical Descriptive method using a Re-interpretation of Tradition approach. Through the creation of the musical composition "Semarak Sipai", the creator tried to present several forms of novelty in various aspects of the work in accordance with the concept offered. The Tradition Re-interpretation approach is used to share musical experiences as a contribution to the development of the musical composition itself.

“HILANG DI MATE” TERINSPIRASI DARI KESENIAN TRADISI LISAN NANDONG DI DESA RAWAJADI KECAMATAN RENGAT KABUPATEN INDRAGIRI HULU

In the Malay community in the city of Rengat, the oral tradition is called Nandong, which in oral literature is used to put children to sleep, usually conveyed with poetry or rhymes and sung rhythmically or humming, this is because Malay culture is always synonymous with poetry or rhymes. Based on the results of the artist's analysis of Nandung art, the artist found uniqueness in the rhythm which has vibrations or vibrato in the swing of the sentences. Then the creator also saw the strength of the poetry or rhyme found in Nandung, where the poetry or rhyme contained in the pantun contained a moral utterance or message conveyed. This is the idea in creating musical compositions using a traditional approach. The author divides it into two parts, beginning and end. In the first part, the focus is on presenting the Nandong pantun as an opening to start this composition, then we move on to the pantun that the author developed accompanied by melodic instruments using working techniques. The author presents the final part of this composition with a work that has developed a vocal melody into a varied and melodic playing, especially on the vocals and rhythm patterns that the author has developed using the work technique.

Composing Music for Choreographic Projects: Cases and Trends

All over the world the studies on the collaboration between music composers and dance creators are highly sought after. This is driven by the rapid evolution of musical and choreographic art fields in today’s creative industries. Organizing and promoting such cultural practices is crucial to complement the creative aspect. That’s why the present study examines the tendencies of compositional creativity in Kazakhstan in terms of its integration into choreographic projects. It can also be considered as a projection on cultural management. The article aims to the analytical review of the recent years’ implemented cases, that demonstrate the ways and formats of interaction between music and dance. The article considers the following questions: the interaction of music and choreography in a historical context; the creation of music and compilation of music for ballet; the design of music for dance and dance video, as well as the ways to support compositional creativity.This study of temporal and spatial art forms is built at the interface of several sciences. For the conceptual analysis the authors of the article required a wide range of historical and socio-cultural sources in the specified areas of art. The work was divided into several stages and used analytical, comparative and historical methods projected onto the Kazakh musical theater and other institutions related to the dance art. Also, an interviewing method was applied for the survey of practicing composers and directors, music editors and performers.The design of music and choreography has a wide range of relationships and demands that are necessary for the execution of audiovisual projects.This article with its understanding of cases in the field of ballet theater, dance troupes or video clips may be interesting both theoretically and practically not only for the scholars, but also for composers and choreographers who are only at the beginning of their creative paths. In addition, the article raises the problem of promoting and supporting compositional creativity. A thorough understanding of the music creation process for dance can foster more effective collaborations among creators, as well as the development of cultural management and clusters of creative industries.