Royal Conservatory Research Articles

George Lloyd - Music for Brass, from symphony to test-piece

Name: Pieter Koster Main Subject: Wind band Conducting Research Supervisor: Paul Scheepers Title of Research: George Lloyd – Music for brass, from symphony to test-piece Research Questions: 1. Did George Lloyd change his way of composing from Symphony no. 10 via Royal Parks to Diversions on a Bass Theme? a. In what way does George Lloyd treat the following compositional elements in each piece? i. Structure ii.Harmony iii.Thematic material iv. Musical Tension b. In what way does the treatment of these elements differ in each piece? 2. Did George Lloyd succeed in combining his own views with the demands of the test-piece commissions, to write an appropriate test-piece? Summary of Results: Cornish symphonic and opera composer George Lloyd has written several compositions for brass, starting with a symphony for brass ensemble (Symphony no. 10) and then several test-pieces for brass band. The commission of test-pieces for brass band contests appears to be guided only by implicit criteria for these sort of compositions. Lloyd’s first test-piece, Royal Parks, apparently did not meet the criteria and his second test-piece, Diversions on a Bass Theme, did. This thesis investigates if George Lloyd changed his way of composing to write an appropriate test-piece, by a detailed analysis of Symphony no. 10, Royal Parks and Diversions on a Bass Theme. Besides that the thesis will try to answer the question if Lloyd was able to combine his own musical views with the demands of the test-piece commissions. The main findings are that Lloyd remained within his own musical language when writing the test-pieces, however he made some decisive choices regarding structure, form and thematic material that influenced the compositions significantly. He did partially succeed in combining his own views with the demands of the test-piece commissions. Biography: Pieter Koster (1985) completed his Bachelor’s Degrees at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague as a student of Ad van Zon on the trumpet, and Alex Schillings for conducting. In September 2016 he successfully completed his Master-exam concert with the Bundes Polizeiochester München. Pieter has participated in multiple conducting courses with renowned (professional) orchestras and teachers. Today he is professional conductor of the fanfare orchestras ‘Ons Genoegen’ Hattem, ‘Wilhelmina’ Volendam and the Koninklijke Brassband Utrecht. He is also a brass teacher for numerous students. Since 2014 he is secretary and member of the board of the Dutch Association of Wind band Conductors (Bond van Orkestdirigenten en Instructeurs).

Adapting live classical music performance for different venues

Name: Gregor Dešman Main Subject: Classical Piano Research Supervisor: Anna Scott Title of Research: Adapting Live Classical Music Performance for Different Venues Research Question: In what ways can a musician adjust his or her performance approach by taking into account the characteristics of a specific type of venue? Summary of Results: Each performance is unique, and depends on many factors including a performer’s physical and psychological condition, their connection to the repertoire, and most importantly, the conditions presented by a given venue. In this research project I have concentrated primarily on the latter, and have sought to determine the particular challenges and possibilities presented by varying types of venues, and how such knowledge can be used to guide the conscious decisions performers make in order to adapt their performances accordingly. My methodology first involved carrying out background research, using relevant academic literature as well as my own experiences as a pianist. By focusing on three types of venues (concert halls, music clubs, and private homes), I was then able to compile a list of the advantages and challenges presented by each type of performance space. From this list I then prepared three different interpretations of Ferruccio Busoni's transcription of the Chaconne from J. S. Bach's Partita in D Minor, with each interpretation being specially adapted to the limitatons and possibilities presented by each of the three venue types. I then tested each interpretation by performing it in its respective venue, the results of which I documented via audio and video recordings. I was then able to analyse the effectiveness of my venue-specific interpretative decisions in these recordings, after which I compiled a table that can function as a guide for adjusting one's performances to specific venues. By carrying out this research project, I have found that in order to better communicate with their audiences, musicians can and should adjust their performances to specific types of venues. While musicians make many smaller adjustments instinctively, as related to voicing or phrasing for example, learning the logic and mechanics behind such modifications emboldens one to make larger changes as related to tempo and even character – an interpretive flexibility towards which all musicians should strive. Biography: Pianist Gregor Dešman studies with Prof. Naum Grubert at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. He completed postgraduate studies with Prof. Ruben Dalibaltayan in Zagreb and graduate studies in Ljubljana with Prof. Hinko Haas. Gregor has successfully competed in many international competitions and as a soloist has performed with the Ljubljana Opera and Ballet Orchestra and with the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra. Gregor performs across Europe with internationally successful musicians such as Tibor Molnar and Joachim Eijlander, and with the GUD Piano Trio, who have an international career and have studied with Prof. Tomaž Lorenz and Trio di Parma in Duino, Italy.

Vladislav Solotarjow and the Russian way of playing the accordion: a case study

Abstract Name: Elisa van Kesteren Research supervisor: Stefan Petrovic Title of the Research: The Russian way of playing the accordion: a case study related to the Chambersuite of Vladislav Solotarjow Research question: Does the Russian way of playing the bayan exist and if so, how can I achive this in my own artistic practice? Summary of the results: Russian music is very particular. Through the centuries of this huge country’s history, art has always been of great importance, no matter what the political situation was. The world still honors their cultural heritage, their literature, dance and music. Russian music has always touched and inspired me so it was obvious to specialize during my master in this subject. Becoming myself a performing musician I wanted to investigate what this Russian music is about. What are the characteristics and how do Russian performers play? I wanted to get as close as possible to the ‘Russian way of playing’. Focusing on Vladislav Solotarjow’s ‘Chambersuite’ or ‘Sentimental pieces to Alexander Blok’, made me develop my Russian way of playing. I have done this through listening, analyzing and comparing recordings, from Mika Vayrynen a Scandinavian bayanist and one of Russia’s most important bayanists Friedrich Lips and making my own recordings. This research has proved to me that the Russians play very expressive, with a lot of passion and freedom. Both their music and their instrument are very colorful. I have achieved many of these characteristics in my own playing, even adding my own personal style to it in the end. Only the colorfulness of sound was still missing sometimes. Wondering about my technique and musical decisions, I took the chance to compare the two instruments with each other. My accordion built in Western Europe (Castelfidardo, Italy) versus the Russian-built Bayan (Moscow). It was really helpful to investigate the history of the instrument, the history of Russia and their music in order to get as close as possible to the Russian way of playing. Furthermore, reading about Solotarjow’s life, analysing his composition and listening to different recordings, greatly improved my understanding of this music. These things have helped me to develop my artistic practice. The part of the research that directly involved my artistic practice has been of great value for me. It has enriched my expressive pallet by including more freedom in my playing in many different aspects. I have concluded that it is possible to achieve the Russian way of playing. I have also found that besides having background information about the history of the country, knowledge about the composer and the composition, it is important to have or to imagine the Russian soul. Next to this, it is also important to be open to a different way of playing. A way of playing that might be unfamiliar to a performer. Biography: My name is Elisa van Kesteren and was born in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. I started playing the accordion at the age of eight. After graduating for the Bachelor Degree here at the Royal Conservatory in 2014, I continued studying with An Raskin and will graduate for the Master degree this year. I am a member of the very recently founded accordion ensemble “The Blackboxes”, have a great interest for Russian but also contemporary music and teach at the moment in various music schools.

Parental involvement in children’s independent music lessons

ABSTRACT The purpose of the study was to examine types of parental involvement associated with independent music lessons. A self-report survey was designed to explore parent characteristics, parental goals, students’ musical progress, the teacher–student relationship, the practice environment, and parent behaviours during practice sessions. The extent to which the outcomes of enjoyment and progress could be predicted by parenting goals and values, time spent practising, teacher qualities, and student self-regulation was also examined. The survey was distributed through Canada’s Royal Conservatory, yielding 2583 surveys for analysis. Results indicated that parents were deeply invested in their children’s music lessons, as reflected in the years of commitment to music instruction, the thoughtful roles that they took in supporting their children’s evolution as self-regulating musicians, and the respect that they held for their children’s teachers. Evidence suggested that positive teacher–student relationships and parental involvement in practice sessions between lessons predicted student enjoyment of music and musical progress.

Adrien-François Servais’s contribution to the evolution of the cello technique

Student name and number: Aurore Montaulieu, 3048780 Main subject: Cello Research supervisor: Dr. Anna Scott Research Paper Title: How Adrien-François Servais (1807-1866) Improved the Cello Technique During the 19th Century Research Question: With particular focus on his scores, how did Adrien-François Servais advance cello technique in the middle of the 19th century, and with what implications for modern performers? Summary of Results: Widely considered to have been the 'Paganini of the Cello,' Adrien-François Servais (1807 - 1866) was one of the most famous cellists of the 19th century, and is best known today for his 6 Caprices Op. 11. Many modern performers however are unaware of Servais’s numerous and important contributions to the history of cello construction, playing style, and technique. After a brief overview of notable cellists (including Duport, Romberg, and Dotzauer) and playing techniques (including vibrato, portamento, and bow-holds) that coexisted at the beginning of the 19th century, this research paper goes on to examine Servais’s life and work as an independent concert artist. While Servais did not leave behind any methods or treatises, a close study of contemporaneous accounts of his playing style, technique, instrument preferences, concert programs, and his association with many of the leading composers of his day reveals his enduring contributions to the rise of the cello as a vehicle for the new Romantic virtuoso style. Most notable among these contributions were his standardization of the use of the endpin, his wide-ranging and successful career as a touring performer, and the invaluable impression he left on the younger generation of cellist-composers (including Davidov and Popper). It is however an in-depth analysis of his Fantaisie 'Souvenir de Saint-Pétersbourg' Op. 15 that ultimately reveals the most revolutionary and innovative aspects of his technique and playing style: from his fingering, shifting, and use of harmonics, to his bowing, phrasing, articulation, arpeggiation, use of thumb position, and extroverted approach - elements that have all gone on to form the basis of modern cello playing. During my presentation I intend to provide an overview of these findings, and to demonstrate evidence of Servais's technical and stylistic achievements as revealed by his Fantaisie Op. 15 on my own instrument. Biography: Aurore Montaulieu is a French cellist. Born in Cannes, she started her musical studies at the age of 4. In 2012, she graduated with her Bachelors degree from the Pôle Supérieur of Paris-Boulogne-Billancourt in Hélène Dautry’s class. Aurore is currently in the Orchestra Masters program at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague in Michel Strauss and Jan-Ype Nota’s class. She has had the opportunity to receive guidance from great musicians such as F. Helmerson, G. Hoffman, P. Wispelway and D. Geringas. In 2012, she joined the Orchestre de Paris’s Academy and is a member of the Gustav Mahler JugendOrchester since 2014. Aurore Montaulieu plays a Roberto Masini cello built for her in 2010.

Holding the violin and how it influences sound and playing in historical performance practice. Historical perspectives.

Name: Agnieszka Papierska Main subject: Baroque violin Title of research: Holding the violin and how it influences sound and playing in historical performance practice. Historical perspectives. Research coach: Margaret Urquhart Research questions: How much would the sound of the violin change with holding it in different position? Could this be a tool of expression? Does the way we hold the instrument influence other choices we make about performance practice e.g. regarding fingering, bowing? Could this knowledge be used in performance practice today? Summary of results: During the baroque and classical period many different ways of holding the violin existed, often at the same time. This paper investigates the way in which the different positions of holding the instrument could change the sound of it. After studying at sources and making experiments with different posture it can be confirmed that that the sound changes with different ways of holding the violin. The technique and interpretation are also affected. The main conclusion is that violin technique is not unchangeable. We can adjust it in order to develop sound that we desire. Biography: Agnieszka is an accomplished and experienced chamber music and orchestral musician. She started her professional career at a very early age. While still a student in Poland she collaborated with many professional orchestras where she worked with world-class conductors and soloists. After completing her Bachelor's diploma in modern violin an interest in historical performance practice let to her move to the Netherlands in order to study in the early music department of The Hague Royal Conservatory. In 2012 she also completed the master studies in Wroclaw Academy of Music in Poland. Currently she works with Theresia Youth Baroque Orchestra in Italy and also performs with other groups in the Netherlands and abroad. She plays an anonymous 18th century violin from the Klingenthal region.

Jazz Drummer Elvin Jones: His Musical Heritage

Abstract Name: Peter Primus Frosch Main Subject: Jazz Drums Research supervisor: Patrick Schenkius Title of Research: Jazz Drummer Elvin Jones – His Musical Heritage Research Question: What are the methods of Elvin Jones' playing and how did famous jazz drummers deal with his heritage? Summary of Results: The American jazz drummer Elvin Jones is one of the most famous musicians in jazz history. Nevertheless due to the writers' lack of ability to play the drums the existing research is very unsatisfying from a jazz drummer's perspective. Based on a wide array of transcriptions I put together several methods and concepts for accompaniment as well as drum solos developed by Elvin Jones. I also identified two predecessors to specfic stylistic approaches. The second chapter is about Jack Dejohnette, Jeff 'Tain' Watts and Brian Blade and how they dealt with his heritage. My main conclusion is that aspects of Elvin's style especially the method of 'play the drum set as one instrument' completely changed the approach of playing the drums in Jazz. Specific characteristics can be found in the better part of contemporary jazz drummers and therefore it is essential to deal with his concepts and ideas. This research helped me to increase my awareness of various stylistics of modern jazz drum set playing and at the same time I got an idea on how to apply those methods. CV: Peter Primus Frosch (drums) born on the 11.12.1990 He started playing drums at age 5. After school in 2010 he enrolled at the Konservatorium Wien Privatuniversität studying with the likes of Mario Gonzi and Walter Grassmann. Since fall 2014 he is now continuing his master studies at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, where he is under the guidance of the great dutch jazz drummer Eric Ineke. Awards: Fidelio competition finalist in 2012 and 2013, winner of the audience award in 2012; Most promising award“ by Marianne Mendt Jazznachwuchsförderung; winner of „New faces of Slovak Jazz“ 2014 best drummer at Generations International Jazzfestival Frauenfeld (Switzerland) - Jury: Lewis Nash, Seamus Blake, Don Friedman 2015: Winner of the Herbert Schedlmayer Jazz Stipendium workshops with Louis Hayes, Jimmy Cobb, Lewis Nash, David Hazeltine, Don Friedman, Seamus Blake among others; played with: Roman Schwaller, Clemens Salesny, Stephan Plecher, Jure Pukl, Daniel Nösig, Oliver Kent, Franz Hautzinger, Adrian Mears, Peter Herbert, Reinhard Micko, Klaus Gesing etc.

Senza Parole: a Review

This is a charming radio feature of modest length in the form of a travel memoir. Its author-producer is Katharina Smets, a radio maker with a background in philosophy, theatre and philology with experience in teaching radio documentary at the Royal Conservatory in Antwerp, Belgium and as a reporter and feature maker for Radio 1, KLARA (VRT in Belgium) and Holland Doc Radio (VPRO in The Netherlands). Originally produced in Dutch, her English language version of Senza Parole has attracted attention at both the Third Coast International Audio Festival (2014), USA and the Sheffield Doc/Fest (2014) in Britain. In Senza Parole Katharina Smets takes her recorder with her on what appears to be an aimless outing in Paris, a city in which she’s a short term sojourner, courtesy of a cultural residency. By happenstance, in an overlooked corner of a small island in the Seine, she encounters another outsider, an apparently homeless woman, with whom she attempts to communicate. There is an obvious language barrier between them and some other unfathomable difference. Katharina returns with a useful gift, a watering can for the flowers in the woman’s little garden. It’s an act of kindness, a prop to further stimulate exchange, which occurs in fragments of elemental Italian and broken French. There’s a story here in who this woman is and how she’s come to be in these circumstances – displaced in a foreign land and homeless, sheltering in a plastic tent in a park. Is she mentally ill? Was she wronged in love? Is she sick? It’s a tantalising story that is beyond reach; it cannot be told by the two principals - or understood by any of us. But there is contact, perhaps a clue or two; and meaningful, touching communication that occurs ultimately without words, senza parole. Quite a feat in an audio medium.

Adjustable acoustics and musician adaptation at the concert hall in Aalborg, Denmark.

The concert hall at the Musikkenshus (House of Music) in Aalborg, Denmark, was opened in 2014. The architect, Wolf D. Prix of Coop Himmelb(l)au in Vienna was selected through a competitive process while Artec Consultants Inc. (Artec) was selected to be the acoustics consultant and theater designer1 through a parallel process. The architectural concept places the 1,300-seat concert hall at the center of a notional courtyard, with three levels of rehearsal, practice, teaching and support spaces surrounding on three sides. The facility is resident to three local organizations-the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Conservatory, and the music department of the Aalborg University- and is managed by an eponymous organization founded for the purpose.The acoustics and theater consultant was hired by a knowledgeable client on the premise that this concert hall should fit in with the quality level that defines the family of internationally recognized music spaces that this firm had developed under Russell Johnson's leadership. Many of these halls, including the Kulturund Kongresszentrum Luzern (Switzerland), Sibeliustalo in Lahti (Finland), Sala Sao Paolo (Brazil), Bartok Concert Hall in Budapest (Hungary), and Esplanade Concert Hall (Singapore) feature significant adjustable acoustics elements, including large and heavy multipiece canopies (reflectors) primarily above the stage, secondary coupled-volume acoustic and sound absorptive cloth systems. The client specifically indicated that this project, within the limits of the construction budget, should include such systems as necessary to achieve a quality acoustic environment for the entire range of expected usage.The design was developed also in specific response to discussions with the client, the size of the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra- typically 76 musicians but with a Mahler or similarly large (no more than 110 musicians) instrumentation orchestral performance once or twice every season-and the desire to incorporate a pipe organ under a constrained budget.Acoustical Design IntentA fundamental shift in acoustical design approach took place at Artec during the period between 2003 and 2008. During this period, listening experiences in Lucerne, Switzerland; Singapore; and Budapest, in particular, led to thinking that we should consider these concert halls as a single volume with adjustable panels dispersed within it, allowing users to variably couple volumes within that single space rather than thinking of a main concert chamber with add-on secondary volumes. This fundamental change was then applied to the design of multipiece canopies, resulting in generally greater coverage over the stage platform and a greater number of individually adjustable segments than had previously been designed by the acoustics and theater consultant. The intent was to provide acoustic coupling previously achieved through chambers via apertures between the individual canopy elements. The intent behind greater coverage was to provide greater flexibility in adjusting the openings while also providing the necessary support on stage.At the same time, access to this significant body of work with consistent design features led to the recognition that one of the main attributes that have made Artec rooms so popular with artists and audiences is an acoustical signature that has proven remarkably constant and recognizable to musicians and lay listeners, despite the obvious fact that each room has its own independent character. Musicians who perform in Artec's halls have described this signature as having a high level of perceived reverberance combined with a level of perceived clarity. Artec's designers determined that the incorporation of variably coupled volumes within the auditorium design is a key part of creating that sound signature by affecting the relationship between early and late parts of the acoustic decay. Experience in these halls has also led us to understand that the panels separating these volumes must be exceptionally massive with surface densities of 70 kg/m2 or higher to avoid the loss of warmth in low frequencies. …

In Memoriam

On February 18, 2014, the international scientific community of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) lost our friend and colleague, Offie P. Soldin, PhD, MBA. Offie was a long term member of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Editorial Board, and the first Review Editor of the Journal. She was a loving mother, grandmother and wife, and in addition to her scientific career she completed an MBA and was a licensed pilot. During her high school years she completed Cume Laude the London Royal Conservatory of Music (piano). The term “impossible” did not exist in her vocabulary. Offie, a Georgetown Lombardi member in DC since 2003, was an associate professor in the Departments of Oncology, Medicine, Physiology and Obstetrics and Gynecology. Her research focused on thyroid disease and tobacco control, and she was equally comfortable and effective working with both clinical and population science colleagues. Publishing 80 peer review papers and well funded by the NIH and other agencies, Offie was a committed educator: she directed two graduate courses; co-directed a pharmacology elective for second-year medical students; and taught thyroid cancer genetics, tumor biology and radiation health within the Department of Oncology. Offie focused her research making excellent innovative contributions regarding the simultaneous quantification of free triiodothyronine and free thyroxine by tandem mass spectrometry. With regard to TDM, Offie Soldin established and published pediatric reference ranges for various clinical chemistry, toxicological and endocrinological parameters. In the field of toxicology, she had a long-standing cooperation with the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and the Motherisk program, which focuses on the effects of drugs, chemicals, radiation, and infection in pregnancy and lactation. Of special note, Offie presented an excellent comprehensive review article on developmental neuropathology of environmental agents such as methylmercury, lead, antiepileptic drugs, and ethanol. Dr Steven Lamm of DC, who introduced Offie to the field of thyroid therapeutic monitoring wrote: “Offie made a considerable name for herself in the American Thyroid Association where she brought her keen mind and laboratory skills to establishing trimester-specific thyroid parameters.” As the president of Georgetown Women in Medicine (GWIM), she created a mentorship program for women at the rank of associate professor. Offie also served on the university senate steering committee, was the chair of the American Thyroid Association clinical laboratory services committee, and the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Program for Women. Most recently, Offie received the GWIM Fall 2013 Estelle Ramey Mentorship Award in honor of her exemplary teaching and mentoring work at Georgetown University Medical Center. She believed that knowledge is transformative and exemplary teaching essential, a belief clearly evidenced in her interactions with her students and mentees. She continuously sought to have a noteworthy impact in multiple communities through her clinical research and proactive work within Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Prior to her arrival in DC, Offie was a member of the Motherisk Program in Toronto, and she continued as a consultant to the Program until her death. In DC, Offie commenced her interest in therapeutic drug monitoring while working with Steven Lamm. This work had initiated her interest in fetal thyroid function, an area she excelled in until her passing. Dr Janine Polifka of Seattle commented: “Offie was a beautiful, talented and extremely bright person. She was a joy to be with and so committed to her work and the people in her life.” When Offie told her close friends that she planned to come to the Summer 2013 scientific meetings, they were surprised, being aware of her grave situation. But she said: “I am on the program talking about thyroid in pregnancy, so I need to be there.” And she was—no one could tell how gravely ill she was. And during the party that evening she was smiling and joking as if everything would be okay. Offie’s legacy will certainly be highlighted by her unique way of doing everything with great passion, combined with talent, creativity and outstanding relationships with colleagues. And above all, an individual for whom the term “impossible” did not exist.

The Early Violone

Name: Margaret Urquhart Main Subject: Master of Music Research Coach: Peter Holman Title of Research: The Early Violone Research Question: What were the earliest violones, how can they be defined and how were they used till 1700? Summary of Results: After looking at evidence of the emergence of the first low bowed string instruments in Europe, this paper follows the types and use of the main instruments which could be termed violones till 1700, mainly centered in Italy. Through the study of treatises referring to the violone, scores using the term, iconography, secondary sources and the reconstruction of a copy of a violone from 1590, it follows the development of the violone till it becomes an octave-doubling instrument. The presentation of the extended paper will include a closer look at the issues surrounding the history of, and the term, violone, and live performance of music demonstrating the early violone, together with two viola da gambas in a consort. Biography: Margaret Urquhart studied double bass and violone with Anthony Woodrow and viola da gamba with Anneke Pols at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. She subsequently joined many notable Baroque ensembles. In 1986, she became a member of Frans Bruggen’s Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century of which she is the first bassist. In addition to a busy performing schedule, she teaches at Amsterdam and The Hague conservatories, gives master classes internationally and coaches at the European Baroque Orchestra courses. She performs on the Viennese bass, the 8’ violone in various tunings and the 16’ violone and double bass.

"Art of drumming within jazz piano trio"

Name: Pauls Pokratnieks Main subject: Jazz Drums Research Coach: Yvonne Smeets Title of Research: “Art of drumming within jazz piano trio” Research Question: How can I through historical and stylistic understanding of jazz drummers in significant piano trios during jazz history, improve my skill as an interactive trio member? What are the differences and similarities in drummers playing within significant jazz piano trios during the history of jazz? What are the characteristics of these great jazz piano trios? How can understanding of these differences, similarities and characteristics help me to react appropriately in different musical situations and combinations? Summary of Results: As I remember myself jazz piano trio was always my favorite band format in jazz music. I like the simplicity of it and in the same time the magic how great players could get it to sound like an orchestra. Especially in this band format we can see how great musicians are as listeners and supportive players, there is a much bigger role and responsibility for everyone to make the music interesting and happening than in bigger settings. Individual levels are equally important because every one of the musicians can choose directions where the music will go. Music is really about collective improvisation and truly listening to each other. This “platform” is great to explore dynamics, interaction and to become as a one – a great rhythm section. After listening to all these albums and analyzing what the drummer chooses to play I understood that it’s not just the drummer’s personality that counts, but big impact to drummers decisions are what the other two band members are doing and suggesting in music. One needs always listen to each other and go one way musically. One’s job within jazz trio setting is to make other musicians sound good and make their job easier and more comfortable. This setting is really fragile and it can work only if each member of trio is working towards the same goal. In different jazz styles the basic fundament of drummer is the same – to keep music going with nice feel and energy. During my presentation I will show and explain how I applied specific exercises/concepts in my playing and I will perform with my own jazz piano trio to show different ways, approaches to play within this setting in different styles, with knowledge gained from this research. Biography: Pauls Pokratnieks is jazz and other improvised music style drummer and composer. Up until the age of 18 he actively performed in various local and international orchestras as a classical percussion player and took first prizes in competitions. At the age of 16 Pauls began to play a drum set and first developed an interest in jazz music. At the age of 18 he enrolled in the Riga Dome Choir School (RDCS) in the Jazz department, and there started to deeply study drums, jazz theory, harmony, bass, composition and other subjects. After graduating RDCS in 2009 Pauls decided to continue his music studies in Royal Conservatory in The Hague, The Netherlands. Now he is doing Master studies in Royal Conservatory in The Hague and working as freelance musician and teacher.

How to use feedback, advice and judgement after an exam

Abstract Name: Barbara Bekhof Main Subject: Viola Research Coach: Susan Williams Title of Research: How to use feedback, advice and judgement after an exam Research Question: How can feedback, advice and judgement be used in such a way, that it contributes to the learning process of the students? Summary of Results: This research paper is to conclude the study at the Royal Conservatory. This paper answers the question of how to use feedback, advice and judgments during an exam, and during the preparation of it. Feedback is information about how we are doing in our efforts to reach a goal. Important when giving feedback is that the learner is aware of receiving the feedback, and that the comments are objective. Advice is an opinion or recommendation offered as a guide to action. Important when giving advice is that the person receiving the advice is willing to receive advice and understands on what feedback the advice is based. A value judgment is a judgment of the rightness or wrongness of something or someone, or of the usefulness of something or someone, based on a comparison or other relativity. Judgement is an important part of an exam. For students it is important to know what the criteria are, and towards what they have to work to. To understand more of the learning process, different aspects of playing a string instrument are discussed in the fifth chapter. These aspects are technical facility, musicality and performance quality. The different phases in a musician’s preparation are discussed in the sixth chapter. From learning the score till mastering a piece. In this research all those aspects are combined to offer a guideline for juries and guideline for teachers during the preparation. Recommended for the examinations of the Royal Conservatoire would be to draw up a set of criteria, which are clear for the students and for the teachers who will grade the students. Biography: Barbara Bekhof (1991) first started playing the violin at age 6. From age 12 she attended the external preliminary program of the Royal Conservatoire, where she was taught by Koosje van Haeringen and from 2008 viola with Liesbeth Steffens. After graduating from the gymnasium, she went on to study Building Engineering at the TU Delft, while simultaneously continuing the viola. In 2013 she received her bachelor diplomas for both Building Engineering as Viola. Her masters at the Royal Conservatoire enabled her to go on exchange to the Haute Ecole de Musique in Lausanne, where she studied under the renowned violist Alexander Zemtsov. After her return, she continued her master with Michael Zemtsov, as well as the master Urbanism at the TU Delft.

The advent of the transverse flute in Italy and its use in mixed consorts during the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries

ABSTRACT Title of Research: The advent of the transverse flute in Italy and its use in mixed consorts during the sixteenth and ear-ly seventeenth centuries Research Question: Which were the possible combinations of instruments that included flute and which occasions saw performances of these mixed consorts? Summary of results: The performance of vocal polyphony on instruments during the sixteenth century appears to be guided by two main ideas. On the one hand, musicians tried to imitate the a cappella choir with homogeneous instrumental consorts, or whole consorts, where the instruments belonged to the same family. On the other hand, they tried to maintain the polyphonic texture clear, letting instruments with a very different timbre play in a mixed choir, or mixed consort. Based on a wide array of sources (letters, chronicles, iconography, inventories, instruction treatises, and surviving instruments) my Research Paper investigates the possibilities of combining the flute with other instruments and with voices in mixed consort settings. My main conclusion is that whole and mixed consorts did not follow a completely separate development, but the two choirs would often overlap and integrate in many different combinations, with much freedom and invention. This consideration should encourage modern performers of secular Italian music of the sixteenth century to keep their mind open to the possibility of transforming a cappella compositions into colorful ensembles mixing voices and different instruments. Biography: Giuditta Isoldi studied at the Conservatory of Florence, where she graduated in Flute with Paolo Zampini. In 2010 she moved to the Netherlands where she focused her studies on Historical in-formed Performance Practice of the flute and she obtained a Bachelor in Traverso with Barthold Kuijken at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. Next to Traverso, she studies baroque Oboe with Frank de Bruine. She is currently attending a Master in Traverso at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague with Barthold Kuijken, Kate Clark and Wilbert Hazelzet.

Poly-rhythmic structures as frameworks for improvisation.

Name: Giovanni Bermudez Main Subject: Jazz Double Bass Research Coach: Jarmo Hoogendijk Title of Research: Poly-rhythmic Structures as Frameworks for Improvisation Research Question: How can poly-rhythmic structures be used as generators of form when composing for improvisation? Summary of Results: When thinking about the relationship between composition and improvisation, a composition can be seen as a set of predetermined musical structures that function as a sort of "map" for the improvisers to navigate, while at the same time providing a cohesive character or "vibe" for the musical performance. The improvisation then occurs in relation to these structures. I want to know how can rhythm be used as the guiding element in the construction of these structures. Particularly how poly-rhythms can provide structures that have a clear contour, alternating between moments of tension and release. For that, I have defined the following research question: How can poly-rhythmic structures be used as generators of form when composing for improvisation? In order to answer that question I have looked into the musical traditions of West Africa and Cuba, as well as the work of the saxophonist Steve Coleman. The final product of this research is a series of four compositions for small jazz ensemble in which I try to apply, in my own way, the ideas and concepts compiled during this process. Biography: Giovanni Bermudez is a jazz bass player born and raised in Quito, Ecuador. Initially a self-taught rock musician, he eventually became attracted to the possibilities of improvisation and the rich tradition of Jazz. While studying in Quito, he worked as an independent bass player performing with numerous bands and soloists in jazz, Latin, and pop/rock music. In 2009, looking to develop further skills on the double bass and to challenge himself in a more competitive musical environment, he moved to the Netherlands to pursue studies at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. The international environment of the Netherlands gave him the opportunity to perform all over Europe.

The ARC Ensemble committed to Remembering the Forgotten

Music. The Artists of the Royal Conservatory (ARC) is a chamber music ensemble based in Toronto, devoted to performing scores composed during the prolific years of the twentieth century. Their discography (Ben Haim Weinberg) demonstrates their commitment to the rediscovery of forgotten composers. Simon Wynberg, co-founder and artistic director of the ARC, explains their philosophy and projects.

A Different Tenor: Songs of Love and Sorrow—Re-Engaging the Social Ethics of Music

Abstract: The question of how music relates to our existence as ethical beings has not always elicited the same response. For much of the twentieth century, the relation between music and ethics was addressed from the angle of music's autonomy. Music was fenced off from society so that it might better fulfill its own internal demands. Thus, in answer to the question whether music has, or should have, an ethical dimension, the predominating philosophical answer of the twentieth century was solidly negative. The article that follows, a response to this negative point of view, reproduces a panel discussion that took place in April 2010 during a conference entitled “Songs of Love and Sorrow: Re-Engaging the Social Ethics of Music.” Co-organized by the Institute for Christian Studies, the Toronto School of Theology, and the Royal Conservatory of Music, the conference attempted to bring to the musical arts a concern to re-evaluate the social significance of artistic experience and practice. Though not argued like an essay, the article highlights significant themes about the relationship of music to ethics, including the innately social character of music, its possible effect on our behaviour, the potential social content of sound itself, the positive social effect of music's ambiguity, the need to break down the barriers between music practitioners and interpreters, the role communities might play in sponsoring the work of musicians, and the possible compatibility between music's formal requirements and its potential for social engagement.

A Different Tenor: Songs of Love and Sorrow—Re-Engaging the Social Ethics of Music

Abstract: The question of how music relates to our existence as ethical beings has not always elicited the same response. For much of the twentieth century, the relation between music and ethics was addressed from the angle of music's autonomy. Music was fenced off from society so that it might better fulfill its own internal demands. Thus, in answer to the question whether music has, or should have, an ethical dimension, the predominating philosophical answer of the twentieth century was solidly negative. The article that follows, a response to this negative point of view, reproduces a panel discussion that took place in April 2010 during a conference entitled “Songs of Love and Sorrow: Re-Engaging the Social Ethics of Music.” Co-organized by the Institute for Christian Studies, the Toronto School of Theology, and the Royal Conservatory of Music, the conference attempted to bring to the musical arts a concern to re-evaluate the social significance of artistic experience and practice. Though not argued like an essay, the article highlights significant themes about the relationship of music to ethics, including the innately social character of music, its possible effect on our behaviour, the potential social content of sound itself, the positive social effect of music's ambiguity, the need to break down the barriers between music practitioners and interpreters, the role communities might play in sponsoring the work of musicians, and the possible compatibility between music's formal requirements and its potential for social engagement.

Decompartmental: Conversing with Clarence Barlow

Clarence Barlow (see Figure 1) is a prominent com poser of electroacoustic and instrumental music. He studied composition under Bernd Alois Zim mermann (1968-1970) and Karlheinz Stockhausen (1971-1973) and became a pioneer in the field of computer music. He has made advancements in in terdisciplinary composition that unite mathematics, computer science, visual arts, and literature. Nev ertheless, his music is firmly grounded in tradition and incorporates much from the past. Between 1961 and 2009, Mr. Barlow produced over 60 works of various types, including electroacoustic (see Table 1 and Table 4), orchestral, chamber, choral, vocal, piano, and organ works. The many performances of his music include 28 concerts in Germany and else where from 1976-2009 that were devoted entirely to his compositions. Mr. Barlow has also attained dis tinction as an interdisciplinary researcher, author, and software developer. One of his many publica tions (see Table 2) is an extensive study on tonality and metricism, Bus Journey to Parametron (1980, 1984). His software (see Table 3) notably includes Autobusk, a modal and metric pitch and rhythm gen erator (2001), and the notation program }KSC (1984). Clarence Barlow currently serves as the endowed Corwin Chair of Composition at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His past teaching posts include twelve years as professor of composition and computer music at the biennial summer courses of the International Music Institute at Darmstadt (1982-1994); over twenty years as lecturer in com puter music at the Cologne Musikhochschule (1984-2005); four years as artistic director of the Institute of Sonology at The Hague's Royal Conser vatory (1990-1994); and twelve years as professor of composition and sonology at the Royal Conserva tory (1994-2006). Since 1994, he has been associated with the International Academy of Electroacoustic Music in Bourges, France. This interview was conducted in May 2008 at Clarence Barlow's home in Noleta, located

There's Music in These Walls: A History of the Royal Conservatory of Music (review)

There's Music in These Walls: A History of the Royal Conservatory of Music (review)