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

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  Influence of storytelling on emotional intensity (2023) author(s): Ilja Venema Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  This exposition is part of the Classic Expression Research Project. The ability of music to induce emotion in listeners has been known for millennia and is used by movies, commercials, plays and even in therapeutic circumstances to influence listeners in a specific way. There are different mechanisms behind the induction of emotion through music. In this research, visual imagery is used through storytelling to give an (emotional) context to a piece. To answer the main research question “What is the effect of storytelling on the induced emotional intensity of a piece by children between the age 6-10?", two versions of the same concert were developed – one with a story and one with a control text. Children from three different primary schools in The Netherlands attended these concerts in the Classic Express, a concert truck belonging to the Prinses Christina Competition, and answered questionnaires during the performance about their emotional involvement. Next to the questionnaires, observations were made by the researchers and musicians to assess the effect of the story on the children. It was hypothesized that children attending the story version of the performance would have overall higher emotional intensity ratings, but no significant differences between the groups were found. It was observed that the presence of the teacher had a big impact on the children, that all emotional intensity ratings were quite high and that sudden changes in dynamics and flow got big reactions from the audience. The outcomes of this study give clear indications for future experiments and encourage performers to explore dynamic and rhythmic differences.
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  Improving educational material on spatial audio (2023) author(s): Leonardo Santos Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  Dolby Atmos is a rapidly growing technology that is changing how music is perceived. Thanks to the push being made by streaming services and record labels, there is an increasing demand for Dolby Atmos content, which requires audio engineers to be well-prepared to work with the technology. However, there is a steep learning curve involved, and the lack of introductory content makes it difficult to acquire the necessary skills to create high-quality spatial audio productions. This Master Project aims at improving educational material on spatial audio. This thesis and the development of the “Handbook for spatial audio” intend to close the existing gap in educational material by gathering and providing essential knowledge related to recording, mixing and delivering spatial audio to anyone looking for a comprehensive tool that encompasses the most important knowledge related to spatial audio and Dolby Atmos.
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• HOW TO IMPROVE CELLO ORCHESTRAL EXCERPTS (2023) author(s): Carmen Ramírez Campos Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  Orchestral auditions have become the main way to get into an orchestra. That is why preparing orchestral excerpts for auditions is a mandatory path to go through. In order to perfect my preparation of a selection of the most requested orchestra excerpts, I selected relevant etudes to support my practice. Together with my private teachers and youtube tutorials given by orchestral cellists around the world, I created a guide to help my practice. My goal was to find an approach that would not only support the technical demands of performing these excepts, but also create a better understanding of the difficulties while maintaining my own musicality. How can the preparation of orchestral excerpts improve and develop my artistic and musical skills? What role do etudes play in this process?
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• Full Focus (2023) author(s): Xabier Gullón Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  In a society of continuous stimuli and instant rewards, concentration is an increasingly common topic in all educational debates. And music is not any different. Motivated by the idea of adapting both the practice and teaching of the clarinet to today's student with today's needs, this exposition investigates possible methods with the aim of enhancing the musician's ability to concentrate in both practice and performance. In order to carry out the research, the followed methods consisted on literature review of similar topics in sports and music psychology, methods of self-experimentation and experimentation with several pupils of totally different backgrounds (age, social situation, musical experience). After these tests, an explanation of the used methods, the reason for the chosen method, and an evaluation of the results are discussed. The results were positive overall, and demonstrated a greater evolution by using more dynamic and focused teaching/practice adapted to the needs of each individual, rather than the more usual teaching based on simple repetition.
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• From drum pattern to rhythmical freedom in jazz (2023) author(s): Johnny Agisilaou Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  This is the final version of the exposition. In the beginning, this research was about connecting the Afro-Cuban rhythms to jazz music. The process became more historic which wasn’t the area I wanted to develop in. Due to my background of studying latin music I found myself in a new environment in jazz. In this process I came across the issue that as a drummer in jazz I had to change my approach. Through this, my research paper found its purpose which was to examine my process in learning the tradition of jazz drums and how my playing would evolve. The biggest question that was raised was how to find my own identity and voice in this wide genre which is about self expression through improvisation. In the research paper some of the most fundamental jazz drum techniques are explained and analysed in order to discover one’s identity behind the instrument. With the findings of this analysis I created a method of practising and applying musicality to my playing. In the research phrases of important jazz drummers are showed which can guide the reader to expand their own creativity and drum vocabulary. As jazz music is spontaneous and self-expressive the paper also reflects on the spiritual aspect of life through music. Concluding, the main question of the research is answered but the journey of a musician for finding their own voice is never ending. There will be always room for growth which can only occur when there is a strong foundation of knowledge.
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• Discovering Woodwind Articulation of the first half of 18th century as a modern oboist (2023) author(s): Avesta Yusufi Limited publication. Only visible to members of the portal : KC Research Portal
  The purpose of this research is to understand and learn about the historical informed performance of Baroque music and sets out to explore one of such important aspects of performance as articulation and tonguing on woodwind instruments in particular. Trained as a modern oboist I am very much attracted to Early music, especially, French baroque. Each of the existing musical styles has its own articulation, ways of pronunciation and execution of musical strokes. The knowledge of tonguing patterns, articulation syllables and their connection to the vocal pronunciation, figures and their affects is essential for the performance. Therefore, I believe that deepening into the topic of articulation and research of sources written at that time will give a modern oboist a more complete idea of how this music should be performed and how he or she can use this knowledge as a mean of expression and it is necessary to learn Baroque articulation for a complete performance.
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