Narrative music: towards an understanding of musical narrative functions in multimedia

As the computer screen is replacing the book as the dominant medium for communication (Kress, 2003), questions about how meaning is constituted by the multimodal interaction of different media (including music) is becoming increasingly important in contemporary research of pedagogy, sociology and media studies. The overall aim with this licentiate thesis is to explore musical narrative functions as they appear in multimedia such as film and computer games. The thesis is based on three publications. Publication 1 proposes a classification of musical narrative functions, with 6 narrative classes(the Emotive, Informative, Descriptive, Guiding, Temporal and Rhetorical classes) and 11 categories. The relational interplay of music with contextual factors is emphasized. Publication 2 describes the design of a software tool, REMUPP (Relations Between Musical Parameters and Perceived Properties), to be used for experimental studies of musical expression. REMUPP is used for real time alteration of musical expression, by the manipulation of musical parameters such as tempo, harmony, rhythm, articulation, etc. Publication 3 describes a quasi-experiment using REMUPP, where a group of young participants (12-13 years old) were given the task of adapting musical expression – by manipulating 7 parameters – to make it fit 3 visual scenes shown on a computer screen. They also answered a questionnaire asking about their musical backgrounds and habits of listening to music, watching movies and playing computer games. Numerical data from the manipulations were analyzed statistically with regards to the preferred values of the musical parameters in relation to the different visual scenes. The results indicated awareness and knowledge about codes and conventions of musical narrative functions, and were to some degree affected by the participants’ gender, musical backgrounds and media habits

Music 2025 : The Music Data Dilemma: issues facing the music industry in improving data management

© Crown Copyright 2019Music 2025ʼ investigates the infrastructure issues around the management of digital data in an increasingly stream driven industry. The findings are the culmination of over 50 interviews with high profile music industry representatives across the sector and reflects key issues as well as areas of consensus and contrasting views. The findings reveal whilst there are great examples of data initiatives across the value chain, there are opportunities to improve efficiency and interoperability

Considerations for Recording and Editing Classical Music in an Era of Popular Music Dominance

As the structure of the music industry changes and arts programs steadily leave public school systems, we as musicians and technicians must collaborate and find a better way to share our craft with new audiences. In order to better market classical music and engender an appreciation by the next generation of audiences, we must better adapt to the on-demand world and develop new ways to capture and process music that, until recently, has been largely appreciated in a live concert setting. More and more, classical music is setting the mood as the anthem in major blockbuster films and being sampled and reused by more contemporary artists as the basis for new music. Recent examples include Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve, Road to Joy by Bright Eyes, Ridin\u27Solo Jason DeRulo, and many more. New York Times journalist Alex Ross explains this complex relationship saying, ...some of the liveliest reactions to contemporary classical music have come from the pop arena, roughly defined. The microtonal tunics of Sonic Youth, the opulent harmonic designs of Radiohead ... All these carry on the long-running conversation of classical and popular traditions (Ross, 2008, pg. 590). Additionally, pop music contains elements of art song tradition made popular during the romantic era. The same stories being told during that time period are still being told today, just with updated instrumentation and modern language. However, when listening to . classical radio in the car or at home, broadcast quality is often inferior to that of a commercial recording. Furthermore, young people are becoming more and more likely to listen to music on laptop speakers or cheap ear buds, neither of which is acceptable for enjoying a classical music recording. Much of this transition is attributable to a shift in the view of ownership of music. Many college students own little or no music of their own and turn to streaming services such as Spotify or YouTube when looking to listen to their favorite music. These outlets, especially YouTube, offer a much lower resolution version of the original studio recording that much of the population has come to accept as the standard. Additionally, when music is transferred to mobile devices, quality is again compromised by compression software in an attempt to fit as many files as possible onto a limited amount of memory. The question arises then, what does the label classical music mean in our society? What constitutes something as being part of popular music or classical music? James Parakilas explains this in the Journal of Musicology saying, To be sure, classical music is different from popular music in crucial and obvious ways, most of it was composed long ago. Audiences, as a result, almost never hear it performed by its composer. Those who perform it and those who discuss it constantly refer to its score. Its audience is by and large elite (Parakilas, 1984, p. 2). This statement brings to light a problem in our current society. Education of young people to appreciate and support classical music and art is dwindling, causing a rift in the cultural experiences afforded to the next generation. The first step in improving the situation is to make sure that the genre is readily available to anyone that should want to learn about it or experience it for themselves. Pa:rakilas goes on to say: The ways in which listeners become familiar with classical and popular music are likewise balanced. Beethoven\u27s most fervent devotees do not often listen to one symphony over and over without a break, the way teenagers typically listen to a new rock song. But many people listen to the same Beethoven symphony over and over in the course of their lives. The rock song has one kind of popularity because it is current; the symphony has another kind because it is classic, because it never becomes dated. (Parakilas, 1984, pg. 2) The problem with Parakilas\u27s rationale is that he does not seem concerned with the difficulty of continuing to have audiences interested in the classics. Classical recordings are, at best, enjoyed by a niche audience of listeners, who also support the music by attending live performances. These patrons of the arts will not be around forever to continue financially supporting the genre and thus there needs to be a heightened importance placed on continuing and revitalizing the history and culture within classical music

STILL RECORDING AFRICAN MUSIC IN THE FIELD

Field sound recordings are an indispensable source of data for ethnomusicologists. However, to my knowledge there are no standards or guidelines of how this data should be captured and managed. With the progress made in machine learning, it has become vital to record data in a way that also supports the retrieval of information about the music. This article describes a model developed for field recordings that aims to aid an objective data gathering process. This model, developed through an action research process that spanned multiple field recording sessions from 2009–2015, include recording equipment, production processes, the gathering of metadata as well as intellectual property rights. The core principles identified in this research are that field recording systems should be designed to provide accurate feedback as a means of quality control and should capture and manage metadata without relying on secondary tools. The major findings are presented in the form of a checklist that can serve as a point of departure for ethnomusicologists making field recordings

Music studio operators from Germany’s “Ruhrpott”: Role, services and resources

The role of record producers has always been in the state of constant change. Following Howlett (2009) and Martin (2014), this article explores the work realities of ordinary but still professional “studio operators” from the Ruhr Area in Germany. Focusing on studio operators rather than on record producers pays special attention to the economic, material and administrative aspects often neglected. The findings indicate that aspiring producers see the need to have a studio of their own and to offer various services besides the core activities of recording, mixing and mastering. The results also reveal a type of creative entrepreneur in the true sense of a “studio operator”

A study of social relations in the recording of popular music

The production of recordings is examined from a social production perspective. It is argued that "conventional sociology of art" presents a partisan view of creative activity which prevents it acknowledging the reality of cultural production today as exemplified by the recording of popular music. Some recent developments in related intellectual traditions show how "art" and "artists" are social constructions and lead towards a more inclusive, phenomenologically influenced, "social production" perspective. It is argued that the production of recordings takes place in the shadow of earlier work, within a structure of aesthetics and concepts of creativity created by the various institutions of the "art world", especially those of the cultural market place. The development of recording as a business in the U.K. is traced and contexted within the contemporary development of both national and international entertainment and cultural industries. The impact of business arrangements on the production and distribution of recordings is examined. Wider social concerns are shown to be assimilated into the finished recording through the structure of the work organisation responsible for its production. This incorporates both the characteristic capitalist division of labour and the related artistic division of labour, which affect the finished recording through the impact of specific working relations and practices on the distribution of opportunities for decision making on aesthetic matters amongst recording personnel. Similarly, the technology of recording which has a profound effect on the shape of the finished artifact is shown to mediate the priorities of capitalist organisations. Differing aesthetics adopted by recording personnel are shown to be related to the dominant technology of the time

Acquiring skills in music technology

This chapter explores how individuals acquire music technology skills in various settings. We consider this acquisition with reference to the psychological theories of behaviourism, constructivism and metacognition/metalearning. We also discuss what it means to learn, be creative and pursue a musical career within a fast-moving, technology-driven world. What do professional musicians, sound engineers and educators regard as key skills and competencies in music technology, how have priorities changed over time and what attributes are considered as essential for the future? We illustrate our key findings using a wide range of examples drawn from varied cultures, musical and educational settings

Telepresence learning environments for opera singing, a case study

The present study analyzes the data obtained in the execution of the Opera eLearning project, a multidisciplinary effort to develop a solution for Opera singing distance lessons at the graduate level, using high bandwidth to deliver quality audio and video experience that has been evaluated by singing teachers, chorus and orchestra directors, singers and other professional musicians. The research work includes the phases of design, execution and evaluation of pilot tests, followed by further development and execution of several experimental exercises with the system, all of them carried out between July 2008 and April 2009. This is an empirical research, an exploratory case study that has provided enough data to arrive to a sustainable model for a telepresence learning environment. Different usability methods have been implemented in order to assure users of the quality of the product. The main objective is to prove whether the system or artifact proposed can be used to deliver a complete remote singing class at a higher education level; for that purpose, we have defined several research categories that describe the usability of the system in multiple dimensions. We have used “design as research” approaches to promote innovation in the technological area. The theoretical framework is based on a wide variety of fields; from acoustics, physics, music, professional singing to telecommunications and multimedia technology. However, the common thread and central issue under analysis is distance education, through the construction of a remote learning system. We have also included the corresponding justification of the scientific methodology employedEl presente estudio analiza los datos obtenidos en la ejecución del proyecto Opera eLearning, un esfuerzo multidisciplinario para desarrollar una solución que permita dar clases a distancia de canto lírico a nivel de educación superior, utilizando conexiones de banda ancha con el fin de proveer una experiencia de vídeo y audio de calidad, la que ha sido evaluada por profesores de canto, directores de coros y orquesta, cantantes y otros músicos profesionales. El trabajo de investigación incluye las fases de diseño, ejecución y evaluación de las pruebas piloto, seguido del posterior desarrollo y ejecución de varios ejercicios experimentales con el sistema, todos ellos efectuados entre Julio de 2008 y Abril de 2009. Esta es una investigación empírica, un caso de estudio exploratorio que ha obtenido datos suficientes como para definir un modelo sostenible de entorno de enseñanza por telepresencia. Diversos métodos de usabilidad fueron implementados con el fin de asegurar a los usuarios la calidad del producto. El objetivo principal es probar si el sistema o artefacto propuesto puede ser usado para realizar de modo remoto una clase completa de canto lírico a nivel de educación superior; con tal propósito, hemos definido varias categorías de investigación que describen la usabilidad del sistema en múltiples dimensiones. Hemos utilizado el enfoque de “diseño como investigación” para promover la innovación en el área tecnológica. El marco teórico se basa en una amplia variedad de campos; desde la acústica, la física, la música, el canto profesional hasta las telecomunicaciones y tecnología multimedia. Sin embargo, el hilo común y tema central bajo análisis es la educación a distancia, ya que se trata de la construcción de un sistema de aprendizaje remoto. También se he incluido la justificación correspondiente a la metodología científica empleada

The Music producer as creative agent : studio production, technology and cultural space in the work of three Finnish producers

In this dissertation, I have studied the creative agency of the record/music producer. The aim of the dissertation is to study what kinds of creative and social agents record producers are. Agency here means an individual or collective capacity to move within structures. Therefore, I approach my main question through examining how the creative agency of the producer is formed with respect to structures specific to record production; music technologies, studio spaces and sociocultural structures like the music industry and genre-related values. To achieve this, I have conducted ethnographically oriented multi-method case studies on three music production projects. I have mainly relied on field obervations, interviews and the music my participants produced. The novelty here lies in the fact that this study combines ethnographic case studies of pop, rock and classical in the same study. My main finding is that the music producer’s agency in the studio production process is constructed through an interplay between technological practices, social settings and studio spaces. Technological practices and studios influence the social aspects, the creative core, of music production. Furthermore, technologies together with genre expectations influence the producer’s role differently in different production settings. This is best visible in the idea of the pop producer as ‘tracker’, another novelty finding. I hope to have provided perspectives on how agenies can be formed at the grass roots level also outside the realm of music production. Furthermore, I have provided a model into studuying agencies in all kinds of technologically induced cultural processes.Tässä väitöstutkimuksessa olen tutkinut musiikkituottajan luovaa tekijyyttä. Tutkimuksen päätavoitteena on selvittää millaisia luovia ja sosiaalisia tekijöitä musiikkituottajat ovat. Tekijyys tässä tutkimuksessa tarkoittaa rakenteiden sisällä olevia toimintamahdollisuuksia. Tästä johtuen lähestyn tutkimuskysymystäni tarkastelemalla sitä, miten tuottajan luova tekijyys muodostuu suhteessa musiikin tuotantoprosessin rakenteisiin; musiikkiteknologiaan, studiotilaan sekä sosiokulttuurisiin rakenteisiin, kuten musiikkiteollisuuteen ja genresidonaisiin arvoihin. Tutkimuksessani olen tehnyt kolme musiikin tuotantoprojekteihin kohdistuvaa etnografisesti suunnattua monimenetelmäistä tapaustutkimusta. Aineistoni koostuu pääosin kenttähavainnoista, haastatteluista sekä tutkimuksiin osallistuneiden tekijöiden tuottamasta musiikista. Uutta tässä tutkimuksessa on pop-tuotannon, klassisen musiikin tuotannon ja rocktuotannon etnografinen tutkimus samassa työssä. Tärkein uusi tutkimustulos on havainto siitä, että tuottajan tekijyys studiotuotannossa rakentuu teknologisten käytäntöjen, sosiaalisten asetelmien ja studiotilojen välisen vuorovaikutuksen kautta. Teknologiset käytännöt ja studiotilat vaikuttavat sosiaalisiin näkökulmiin, jotka on luovan toiminnan ytimessä. Lisäksi havaitsin, että teknologiset käytännöt yhdistettynä genreihin liittyviin oletuksiin vaikuttavat tuottajan rooliin eri tavoilla erilaisissa tuotantoasetelmissa. Tämä näkyy parhaiten träkker-tuottajan ideassa, joka on toinen tässä tutkimuksessa tekemäni uusi löytö. Toivon, että tämä tutkimus tarjoaa laajempia näkökulmia siihen, miten ruohonjuuritason tekijyys voi muodostua myös musiikkituotannon ulkopuolella. Lisäksi tutkimukseni tarjoaa mallin, jonka avulla tekijyyttä voi tutkia kaikissa sellaisissa kulttuurisissa prosesseissa, joissa teknologia ja teknologiset käytännöt ovat olennaisia