Musical Performance Research Articles

Cultrure Acculturation among Vietnamese Catholics: A Survey of the Trắc Drum Set in Bắc Ninh Diocese

Cultural acculturation unfolds through a process of exchange, prolonged contact, reception, and transformation among diverse cultures. This phenomenon finds its most conspicuous manifestation in various forms of thought, culture, and art, particularly in the realm of musical performance. The symbiotic relationship between culture and religion is also an embodiment of acculturation, as the imperative to assimilate and innovate within distinct cultural and religious contexts consistently arises to align with the demands of each culture and religion within specific historical settings. A notable illustration of this phenomenon can be found in the realm of Catholicism, which serves as the focal point of certain research endeavors. Introduced to Vietnam during the early 16th century, Catholicism has exerted a substantial influence on Vietnamese culture, despite encountering resistance stemming from cultural and ideological disparities. In essence, the prolonged interaction with Vietnamese culture has engendered various unique art forms, including Catholic music, which have organically integrated into the fabric of Vietnamese Catholic cultural life. This article adopts a theoretical perspective on acculturation and the theory of cultural-religious relations to expound on pertinent subjects derived from investigations into the Trắc Drum instrument set employed in Catholic Masses within the Bắc Ninh Diocese of Vietnam. The analysis encompasses the instrument set’s origins, notational system, traditional aspects, and scholarly components. Furthermore, this study delves into the impact of this orchestra on the cultural and artistic landscape of the contemporary non-Catholic populace.

Classical music as ethical practice: A professional perspective

ABSTRACT This article examines the ethical foundations within classical music performance. It argues that phronesis (practical wisdom) is crucial in navigating the ethical challenges faced by musicians, addressing the tension between distinct normative constraints as well as enhancing musicians’ ethical awareness and decision-making in their practice. Among these ethical concerns is the responsibility to balance respecting the work’s integrity and pursuing originality. On these grounds, we argue further that phronesis serves a broader function, enabling musicians to fulfil effectively their role responsibility to composers, peers, and audiences.

“And All I Gotta Do Is Act Naturally”

This article analyses musicians’ performances on film, using the iconic Beatles film Help! (Richard Lester 1965) as a foundational case study. The study investigates distinctions between film acting and musical performance while exploring the defining characteristics of musicians’ performances within the context of cinema. Building upon established concepts of persona (Auslander 2021), metafiction and metareference (Waugh 1984; Wolf 2009), the author introduces novel conceptual frameworks of “metaperformance” and “intramedial transmediality”. “Metaperformance” refers to the doubling of the act of performance, whereas “intramedial transmediality” describes the coexistence of diverse media texts within a single media text. Due to their off-screen musical persona, musical stars in films often provoke a pronounced transtextual and transmedial network and convey an implicit claim to reality. Compared to film actors, musical stars on film frequently provide metaperformances, embodying not only (fictional) characters but also performing their (“real”) musical persona within them. Additional case studies of Ed Sheeran’s performance in Danny Boyle’s Yesterday (2019) and the Spice Girls’ performance in Bob Spiers’s Spice World (1997) further clarify these theoretical insights. Working deductively, these films serve as contemporary illustrations of the theoretical concepts under examination. The findings of this essay contribute to an enriched understanding of the intricacies in musicians’ performances on film and shed light on the interplay between music, cinema, and artists’ on-screen personas.

"I Don't Feel Hate"

In (media) popular music, “personas” are usually media personalities. They mainly appear in mass media. As the media landscape has changed over the last 150 years, so have the media appearances of these musician-personalities - from sheet music to radio, records, film, television, music videos and finally YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Popular music is dominated by stars, media personalities who present a musical performance - but the way this performance is presented has varied historically. In “old” media, record companies had considerable power with regard to access to markets, but also regarding production, marketing and perpetuation of star images. This has changed dramatically with the rise of the internet and various social media platforms. Now potentially everyone has access, everyone can present oneself publicly, everyone can have his or her “15 minutes of fame” (Andy Warhol). The article describes these transformations to the principle of stardom using a case study: the creation of the German entry for the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam 2021. The previously unknown singer Jendrik Sigwart talks about his application on TikTok and in particular about the production of a music video for it. His application on TikTok for one of Europe’s oldest TV events is an interesting moment in media history, in which old narrative strategies mix with new ones.

Ambiguous Devices as an example of a networked relational encounter

ABSTRACT This article uses the author’s collaborative environment for networked music performance, Ambiguous Devices (developed with Paul Stapleton), as a case study for illustrating a shift in thinking from a transactional to a relational understanding of networked encounters. It draws on Gill’s notions of relational interfaces and Buber’s understanding of dialogic relations as a way of understanding ways that people might communicate with others at a distance. It looks at an embodied theory of interaction that relates to intersubjective and intercorporeal ways of knowing the other and then looks at ways that these relationships can be facilitated over spatially separate sites of interaction such as those found in networked performance scenarios. Finally, it puts forward a notion of relational encounters as a way thinking about these kinds of affective interactions at a distance and discusses the designed properties of Ambiguous Devices that support and facilitate this kind of interaction.

Relaxed performances: supporting aural diversity and neurodiversity among classical concert audiences in the United Kingdom

ABSTRACT Current discourse at the intersection between sound studies and disability studies has highlighted the phonocentric nature of conventional understandings of listening – especially in relation to engagement with classical music performance. The perpetuation of ableist notions of “normal” and “expert” listening risk overlooking multimodal and embodied listening practices of the kind advocated by aurally-diverse and neurodiverse concert audiences. In this article, we evaluate the extent to which Relaxed Performances (RPs) may offer opportunities for such diverse ways of listening, through surveying the existing provision of RPs in the United Kingdom and reviewing three examples of performances by the Graeæ Theatre Company, the English National Opera, and the BBC Proms. We conclude that further work needs to be undertaken for emergent RP practices to be codified and become widespread, but highlight the importance of this work in making classical music performance more accessible and beneficial for people who experience differences in sensory processing.

A Conversation with Nadina Hassan

Abstract: In a video interview with Journal of Singing Associate Editor Melissa Treinkman on May 19, 2023, musical theatre performer Nadina Hassan discussed her career and her experience playing Regina George in the first national tour of Mean Girls . She described what it felt like to be a role model for young performers of color, revealed the challenges of life on tour, and expressed her appreciation for her singing teachers. A QR code is included at the end of the article which contains the link to the recorded interview with Nadina Hassan, posted on the NATS YouTube channel.

Research on the Integration of Guzheng Performance and Music Aesthetic Principles

The purpose of this study is to explore the integration of guzheng performance and music aesthetics, and to reveal the unique status and value of guzheng art in modern music aesthetics. Through the method of literature analysis and theoretical discussion, this study first sorted out the historical development of guzheng performing art, and analyzed its aesthetic characteristics and evolution process in different historical periods. Then, the research deeply discusses the basic principles of music aesthetics, including formal beauty, emotional expression, cultural connotation and so on, combined with the specific practice of guzheng performance, analyzes its embodiment and application in music aesthetics. In the process of research, through the aesthetic analysis of the classical works of guzheng, it reveals the unique expression of guzheng music in the aspects of sound beauty, structural beauty and emotional beauty, and discusses how these aesthetic characteristics can be conveyed and sublimated through the performance art. The results show that the performance of guzheng is the display of musical skills, and the concrete practice and embodiment of the principles of musical aesthetics. Through its unique timbre, playing techniques and cultural connotation, guzheng music shows rich aesthetic value and can occupy an important position in the modern music aesthetic system. The research also points out that the aesthetic value of the performance art of guzheng lies in the inheritance of its traditional culture, and in its innovative application in modern music creation and performance. Through the integration of guzheng performance and music aesthetic principles, this study provides a new perspective and method for the theoretical research of guzheng art, and also provides theoretical support for the development and innovation of guzheng performing art.

Horeography in operetta performances – Case study: The ball of Prince Orlofsky from Die Fledermaus production by Johann Strauss – The Son, act II

Operetta is a musical and dramatic performance similar to, yet shorter than opera, composed to a dramatic libretto with humorous elements. It is a complex production engaging the viewer in an appealing visual and audible experience marked by a harmonious blend of movement, colour and form. From a choreographic perpective, operetta brings a particular approach in that nearly the entire performance consists of planned dance sequences or ample parts of scenic movement. The research topic is the ball organised by Prince Orlofsky of Die Fledermaus (The Bat) operetta by Johann Strauss – The Son, a part of Act II, staged by Matteo Mazzoni, choreographed by Roxana Colceag and acted out by Victor Bucur. The wide range of sequences of dance steps in an operetta performance is due to the themes of such performances which allow and even impose the existence of choreographic moments, on the one hand, and to the rhythmic, danceable music often inspired from various dances specific to the geographical area where the action takes place, on the other. The performers must accurately execute the dance technical elements. The method used in creating the choreographic moment under research is immitation–based learning. Immitation is the best-known and frequently used dance composition means and consists in the reproduction by the performer, as faithfully as possible, of a dance phrase given by the choreographer. The scenic movement and the planned sequences of dance steps are the valuable fruit of the choreographer's searches and of the performers' endeavours towards achieving a flawless creative behaviour on stage, always starting from the director's perspective. In embodying their character, the performer does not truly rely on the external models they refer to, but on a great amount of spontaneity and creativity.

Between Koenji and Brooklyn: Tokyo, New York, and the Circulations of Experimental Musics in a Global World

Using a group of Japanese‐born experimental musicians who make their lives in Tokyo and New York as a case study, this article examines how new musical genres are created, shared, and mediated through layers of circulations, identities, and locations. The author argues that these musicians’ lives and music have a kind of “noisy” quality, complicating genre boundaries and identity binaries in their wake. Through ethnographic “thick descriptions” and the words of the musicians themselves, the author shows the web of musical genres, languages, geopolitical identities, and gender relations that combine to make up the texture of musical performances. This article is also thinking through and with a sea change in the study of Japanese music. In recent years, building on the work of scholars of Japanese cultural studies, ethnomusicologists have critiqued how monocultural and mono‐ethnic mythologies have influenced the study and production of Japanese music. Ethnomusicology and area studies are Cold War enterprises, designed to create research that would help maintain that world order, educate Americans as global leaders, and change hearts and minds in foreign lands, leading to a cultural conservatism that often led scholars to focus on “traditional” Japanese music. Recently, however, research on Japanese music has increasingly focused on popular and experimental musics and examines how Japanese contemporary identity is created and maintained through music. Thus this article gives readers a view of how US‐based Japanese music scholarship is moving away from such Cold War paradigms and contributes to this shift in studies of Japanese music and culture.

Recent Research in Singing

Abstract: This "Recent Research in Singing" article chronicles three academic documents authored during 2023. Ester Bertain's MFA thesis "Overwhelming Prevalence of Music Performance Anxiety in Conservatory Musical Theatre Singers," and dissertations by Matthew Clegg, "A Singer's Guide to Gwyneth Walker's Songs from the High Sierra" and Tingyu Yan, "A Guide to Chinese Art Songs from 1970 to 2010" are covered. Each includes a complete citation and an abstract.

Virtual Instrument Performances (VIP): A Comprehensive Review

AbstractDriven by recent advancements in Extended Reality (XR), the hype around the Metaverse, and real‐time computer graphics, the transformation of the performing arts, particularly in digitizing and visualizing musical experiences, is an ever‐evolving landscape. This transformation offers significant potential in promoting inclusivity, fostering creativity, and enabling live performances in diverse settings. However, despite its immense potential, the field of Virtual Instrument Performances (VIP) has remained relatively unexplored due to numerous challenges. These challenges arise from the complex and multi‐modal nature of musical instrument performances, the need for high precision motion capture under occlusions including the intricate interactions between a musician's body and fingers with instruments, the precise synchronization and seamless integration of various sensory modalities, accommodating variations in musicians' playing styles, facial expressions, and addressing instrument‐specific nuances. This comprehensive survey delves into the intersection of technology, innovation, and artistic expression in the domain of virtual instrument performances. It explores musical performance multi‐modal databases and investigates a wide range of data acquisition methods, encompassing diverse motion capture techniques, facial expression recording, and various approaches for capturing audio and MIDI data (Musical Instrument Digital Interface). The survey also explores Music Information Retrieval (MIR) tasks, with a particular emphasis on the Musical Performance Analysis (MPA) field, and offers an overview of various works in the realm of Musical Instrument Performance Synthesis (MIPS), encompassing recent advancements in generative models. The ultimate aim of this survey is to unveil the technological limitations, initiate a dialogue about the current challenges, and propose promising avenues for future research at the intersection of technology and the arts.

PRINCIPLES OF TEACHING IN THE FORMATION OF ACADEMIC CULTURE OF FUTURE PIANISTS

The principles play an essential role in solving the problem of musicians’ training. It is proved that the implementation of the principle of humanistic orientation requires the recognition of the intrinsic value of the personality of music; adherence to the principle of academic knowledge helps to form a deep understanding of musical aspects and a responsible approach to music performance; the involvement of the principle of integration allows to take into account the diverse professional activities of future pianists; the principle of musical consciousness forms the value of music.

Spotlight on festival travellers: Profiles, Motivations, and Experiences of Dieng Culture Festival Travellers, Indonesia

The study found a change in the motivation of visitors to the festival. This study aims to identify visitors' memorable experiences related to tourist attractions at the Dieng Culture Festival, held from 2020 to 2022. The research was conducted using a quantitative-interpretative approach, with research instruments designed to determine visitors' profiles, purposes, and experiences. The sample size consisted of 398 respondents and 5 key informants. The research methodology involved data collection through online surveys and in-depth interviews with key informants. The research findings are presented below. Based on the respondents' characteristics, it can be inferred that most visitors to the Dieng Culture Festival are over 20 years old. The primary purpose of their visit was to experience and participate in the jazz music performances held above the clouds, as indicated by 271 respondents (67.9%). The most prominent attendees are private employees, with 143 respondents (38.5%), followed by students. Notably, 321 respondents (80.5%) learned about the Dieng Culture Festival online. The gender of visitors is dominated by women, with 177 (44.4%) male respondents, while the number of female respondents is 222 (55.6%). Jazz music above the clouds is a memorable programme because it represents visitors' needs. The commodification of the Ruwatan procession of cutting dreadlocks is needed to increase the impression for visitors and strengthen the image of local cultural recognition.

Construction of Sports Music Integration Training and Performance Practice System Based on Virtual Reality Technology

The development of a virtual reality-based system that incorporates audio into physical routines presents an innovative approach to games performance and training practice. By leveraging virtual reality technology, athletes are immersed in simulated environments where they can engage in synchronized movements with musical accompaniment, enhancing their overall performance and training experience. The system provides customizable training sessions tailored to individual athlete needs, allowing for real-time feedback and performance analysis. Through the integration of music, athletes are able to synchronize their movements with rhythmic cues, fostering better coordination, timing, and rhythm in their athletic routines. The virtual reality environment offers a highly immersive experience, replicating real-world training scenarios and allowing athletes to visualize and practice their routines in a dynamic and interactive setting. Additionally, the system incorporates performance metrics and analytics to track progress over time, enabling athletes to monitor their development and make adjustments to their training regimen as needed. Ultimately, by utilizing virtual reality technology and music synchronization, the development of this sports music integration training and performance practice system represents a cutting-edge method of athletic training. By providing athletes with a highly immersive and customizable training experience, this system has the potential to enhance athletic performance, improve training outcomes, and revolutionize the way athletes train and prepare for competition.

Bentuk Pertunjukan Tambua Tansa dalam Mengiringi Takbiran di Nagari Maninjau Kabupaten Agam Sumatera Barat

Tambua Tansa is a beating instrument originating from Minangkabau, a traditional music performance that combines two musical instruments Gandang Tambua and Gandang Tansa performed on a raft or rakik. Rakik is the name for a boat made from an arrangement of bamboo pieces that are decorated as beautifully as possible using Led lights or torches. The purpose of this study was to investigate the form of Tambua Tansa performance in accompanying Takbiran in Nagari Maninjau, West Sumatra Regency. The method used in this study is to use qualitative methods using a descriptive analysis approach. The theories used in this study are structure theory and form theory. The results of this study found that the form of Tambua Tansa performance is the unique processing of Tambua Tansa motifs and rhythms which are played with changing tempos and dynamics, played in groups on rafts or rakik with takbir shouts that illustrate the spirit and enthusiasm of the Maninjau community in welcoming the night of Takbiran.

Research on Music Performance Anxiety from the Perspective of Music Education

This study and experimentation focus on understanding the origin of Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) and the relationship between music education and alleviating MPA. It reveals the crucial role of music education in inhibiting and mitigating Music Performance Anxiety. Both domestic and international research indicate that various psychological therapies can alleviate MPA, and these therapeutic approaches can be integrated into music education. This implies an inseparable connection between the occurrence and alleviation of Music Performance Anxiety in music classrooms.

Internal Listening and Musical Creativity: A Study of Brain Function

The relevance of the chosen research topic lies in the fact that inner listening plays a fundamental role in musical creativity and performance. In the context of contemporary music education and performance practice, there is a growing interest in understanding the processes that occur in the musician's brain during musical perception and recreation. This study aims to expand knowledge of the relationship between inner hearing, brain function and musical creativity. The aim of this paper is to study the influence of inner hearing on the process of musical creativity and to identify the neuroscientific mechanisms underlying this interaction. The object of the study is the inner hearing of musicians, and the subject is the relationship of inner hearing with musical creativity and brain functions. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the integrated approach to the study of inner hearing from the point of view of neuroscience and musical creativity, which allows us to update the ideas about the influence of inner hearing on musical activity. The structure of the thesis includes an introduction, two main chapters touching upon the key aspects of inner hearing and its connection with brain functions, as well as a conclusion summarizing the results of the research.

On Intonation in Chamber Music Ensemble

As an important form of music performance, chamber music ensemble requires a high skill and cooperation of the player. Among them, the pitch is particularly critical, which directly affects the harmony of the performance and the feeling of the audience. This article aims to explore the causes, effects and solutions of the pitch problem in chamber music ensemble. Through the combing of relevant literature, combined with practical experience, it analyzes many factors of the pitch problem, and proposes targeted solutions.

The concept of Tritangtu at Tarawangsa music performance in Pasir Biru Village, Rancakalong, Sumedang

This study aims to reveal the aesthetics of the concept of Tritangtu (the trinity) in the Tarawangsa music performance in Kampung Pasir Biru, Rancakalong, Sumedang. Tarawangsa is a ritual ceremony related to religious magic to honor Keursa Nyai (goddess of fertility). The music in this ritual is not just an accompaniment or ritual compliment but even deeper shows a strong connection with the concept of Tritangtu, namely the world of heaven, the human world, and the underworld. This study uses the ethnographic method, by performing an in-depth recording of the event. The recording is to find out in more detail why Tarawangsa music is played, in what context, and how do people believe in it. In addition, the concept of Tritangtu, belief in three main elements (metacosm, microcosm, and macrocosm) shows a thought of the Rancakalong people about the balance of human life with God and nature. The study results show that the cultural customs of the Pasirbiru community, in general, indicate how this balance is maintained. They believe there will be a significant impact if one of the Tritangtu elements is not fulfilled, and Tarawangsa's music is an essential element in this effort.Konsep Tritangtu pada pertunjukan musik Tarawangsa di Desa Pasir Biru, Rencakalong, SumedangPenelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengungkap estetika konsep Tritangtu (urutan tiga unsur) dalam pertunjukan musik Tarawangsa di Kampung Pasir Biru, Rancakalong, Sumedang. Tarawangsa adalah upacara ritual yang berhubungan dengan ritual keagamaan untuk menghormati Keursa Nyai (dewi kesuburan). Musik dalam ritual ini bukan sekedar pengiring atau pujian ritual, tetapi lebih dalam lagi menunjukkan keterkaitan yang kuat dengan konsep Tritangtu yaitu dunia surga, dunia manusia, dan dunia bawah. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode etnografi, dengan mencatat secara mendalam suatu peristiwa. Pencatatan itu untuk mengetahui lebih detail mengapa musik Tarawangsa dimainkan, dalam konteks apa, dan bagaimana masyarakat mempercayainya. Selain itu, konsep Tritangtu, kepercayaan pada tiga unsur utama (metakosmos, mikrokosmos, dan makrokosmos) menunjukkan pemikiran masyarakat Rancakalong tentang keseimbangan hidup manusia dengan Tuhan dan alam. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahwa adat budaya masyarakat Pasirbiru secara umum menunjukkan bagaimana keseimbangan itu dijaga. Mereka yakin akan ada dampak yang signifikan jika salah satu unsur Tritangtu tidak terpenuhi, dan musik Tarawangsa menjadi unsur penting dalam upaya tersebut.