Research Catalogue

an international database for artistic research

• 3. Internal publication Research published in this issue are only for internal circulation within the Royal Conservatoire, The Hague.
• 2. Royal Conservatoire Investigations Royal Conservatoire Investigations
• 1. Master Research Projects All research in KC

• Music in films (2024) author(s): Konstantinos Avlonitis Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  Miklós Rózsa, the famous Hungarian composer, is well known for his film compositions. During his life, he composed music for some of the greatest scores of all time, including Alfred Hitchcock’s Spellbound (1945) and William Wyler’s Ben Hur (1953). Aside from his film compositions, Rósza also composed one sonata for solo classical guitar, which was completed in 1986. With this research, I aim to explore the life, influences and techniques used by Rósza, in order to gain knowledge and enrich my interpretation of the sonata op.42 for solo classical guitar.
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• Harmony in Health: Investigating the Influence of Nutrition on Focus During Playing. (2024) author(s): Eline de Vries Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  Music students practice a lot of hours during the day and always look for ways to improve their practice sessions: how to be even more efficient and what is the best way to stay focused? These improvements are generally sought in for example trying new practice methods. However, a lot of our practice sessions find place when our energy is low or when we are not really in the mood for practicing. This makes having an efficient practice session hard. In this research I try to find out how we can make sure that we actually have the energy to focus by fueling our body in the right way. Nutrition can have a significant effect on our wellbeing, which will be further explained in this research. The research exists of two parts: a literature research and an intervention. The literature part explains the theory behind the ways nutrition influences our whole wellbeing as well as information about different kinds of nutrition and how they influence us. Accordingly, an intervention was conducted in which a part of the literature research was tested. For a period of ten days, participants filled in surveys about their focus during a practice session, which was either with or without eating a specific snack beforehand. Outcomes of both the literature and practical research help us understand how to prepare our body for an efficient practice session.
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  Exploring the Intersection: Freedom and Constraints in the Role of Pianists across Cross-Disciplinary Artistic Practices (2024) author(s): Miki Barabino Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  While the world is advancing swiftly with remarkable technological, scientific, and societal progress, the ways of being an instrumentalist have also been changing rapidly. One has to be creative to find their own space in a musical scene, finding the original path of learning while comprehending the overwhelming amount of information. Most of the conservatoires offering tuition in classical music are teaching in a way as if they would like to produce ‘gatekeepers’ of the classical music scene. However, with technological advancement and globalization the scene of becoming a selected few amongst performing pianists is becoming increasingly competitive and unattainable. Acquiring the flexibility to adapt and change the skills of playing an instrument has become a crucial aspect of being a professional musician in general and a pianist in particular, both to survive and to be creative in an artistic sense. It is obvious that each musical genre does not always have the same learning process and skill set required to be mastered, and therefore, I have gone through a process of facing various genres of music myself throughout these six years of studying in a conservatoire for understanding the thoughts during the musical creation process in the perception of musicians who are specified in a different fields (Jazz, Early Music, Classical Music, Contemporary Music- Ensemble and solo playing, Composition). The study consists of the use of Stimulated Recall Method, seven different video recordings of myself facing and creating music in 7 different processes analyzed using Grounded Theory. Thus, finding out more about the common and the different constraints in the creation of music from a classically trained pianist's perspective, this study reveals factors in which difficulty arises while learning to be professional as a cross-discipline pianist.
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• A deep dive into the violin bow hold: advantages and disadvantages of different ways of holding the bow (2024) author(s): Emiel de Jongh Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  This research focused on the technical and expressive advantages of the different bow holds for the violin and viola. To explore these topics, I have conducted a literature study and practical experimentation. Literature shows that there are roughly three periods during which different bow holds and basic principle in holding the bow developed. In the Classical period the foundation for the bow hold was laid alongside advancements in the bow making profession. The Romantic period saw a competition between the Franco-Belgian, German and Russian bow holds, of which two survived into the Modern Period. In the Modern Period further consolidation of the different schools of bowing occurred, resulting in a dominance of the Franco-Belgian bow hold. Although the Russian school is not taught widely anymore, there may be advantages as to using this bow hold. Modern violinists like Aaron Rosand and Ray Chen are examples of violinists using both bow holds for specific ends. During my studies I have experimented with both bow holds. My experience is in line with literature and with the experiences expressed by Aaron Rosand and Leonidas Kavakos. In conclusion, it is valuable to explore both bow holds and how it affects violin playing and sound.
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  MOTIVATIONAL CLICKS AND THE INTEGRATION STAGE: IDENTIFYING CREATIVE DECISIONS IN CONTEMPORARY COMPOSITION THAT CONTRIBUTE TO EFFICIENT WRITING (2024) author(s): Gijs van der Heijden Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  This research examines the creative decisions and thought processes that occur in contemporary composition, with the aim of identifying and making concrete the critical, often subconscious choices that lead to efficient and productive writing. In particular, the paper focuses on the creative phase of integration , the stage where sketches and generated material take the form of one continuous whole of music. In addition, the research also attempts to define and isolate more clearly the occurrence of so-called motivational clicks. Through a threefold methodology involving the research of existing documentation, introspective documentation of the author’s own composition process, and interviews with peers, this paper explores the possibility of improving and making more efficient the writing approaches of composers. These three methods have been done in parallel, and the research takes an open-ended, exploratory approach, recognizing the inherent struggle in the creative process and seeking to document and share thought processes to benefit the general discourse of the composer’s community.
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• Exploring Surveillance Elements in Interactive Art Installations: A Study on the Impact of Participatory Art on Perception and Experience (2024) author(s): Alice Yeung Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  This artistic research explores the use of surveillance elements in interactive art installations and the impact of participatory art on audience perception and experience. Through the development of interactive art installations that incorporate various forms of surveillance technology, including cameras, microphones, sensors, tracking devices, et cetera, this study investigates how audience participation affects the perception and experience of surveillance art, and how to raise the privacy consciousness of the audience. Drawing on theories of participatory art and surveillance, the research aims to explore how surveillance elements can be used to create engaging and immersive art installations, and how audiences respond to the presence of surveillance elements in the artwork. The research employs a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods, including literature studies and review, participant observation, and my own artistic practice, et cetera, to gather data on the artworks. The findings of the study contribute to a deeper understanding of the role of surveillance elements in my artistic practice, and provide insights into the ways in which participatory art can impact audience perception and experience, eventually supporting the idea and outcome of my final work The Lounge.
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