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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  Mindfulness for violinists (2023) author(s): Sacha Paredes Sánchez published in: KC Research Portal
  An overabundance of mental distractions may prevent musicians’ minds from being in the moment while practicing. The present mixed-methods study examined the effects of three newly designed mindfulness meditations on six conservatory violinists’ levels of dispositional mindfulness, mind-wandering and respective variables. Thought probes were used before and after the intervention to examine frequency of mind-wandering and contextual variables (task difficulty, fatigue and stress, and motivation) during two hours of participants’ instrumental practice (one of technical work another of a new piece in their repertoire). FFQM (Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire) and MfM (Mindfulness for Musicians) questionnaires were used to measure mindfulness levels before and after the intervention. Interviews and meditation logs were used as qualitative data. Results indicated that all participants became more mindful at the end of the meditation week for all mindfulness’ facets for the FFQM and MfM questionnaires. However, the improvements were particularly noticeable for the “Acting with Awareness” and “Non-Judge” facets for the FFQM and for “Describe” in the MfM. Results showed opposing trends in mind-wandering levels throughout the intervention. That is, some participants showed higher mind-wandering at the post-intervention and others lower. However, contextual variables such as fatigue, motivation or worry, may have also affected how much participants wandered while practicing (e.g. some of them showed more rumination when being more worried and having slept less). Overall, results from the experiment evidenced the importance of including mindfulness in violinists’ daily practice as a useful routine to become more aware and less distracted.
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  Percussion Meets Environmentalism: A method of performance for environmental awareness (2023) author(s): Porter Ellerman published in: KC Research Portal
  The well-documented climate crisis often looms over our daily lives. As an artist, I often felt frustrated by not possessing tangible means to enact change to help. This research is, therefore, a base for further investigations and performances geared toward percussion-based environmentalism. By examining four distinct pieces selected for their connection, or their possibility to connect to broad or specific environmental issues, and altering variables of performance location, instrumentation, personnel, and the addition of contextual material, this exposition demonstrates one path of many for environmental advocation in music. By focusing on decisions affecting sound creation and including context or subtext within each piece, this exposition gives the reasoning behind the decisions made in each piece’s performance based on modern musical activism and theories of promoting positive behaviors. This research also examines modern musical activism in popular music and the emerging contemporary genre of ecoacoustics. The conclusions of this exposition present the benefits of flexibility and creativity in this method and the importance of audience engagement while addressing the drawbacks of this method in the challenge of behaving sustainably as a modern artist. Lastly, this research highlights the possibility of community interaction to create small-scale environmental change that is also a creative outlet for the emotional impact climate change can have on individuals.
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• An Investigation of Eastern Cultural Influences in the Classical Guitar Solo Repertoire. (2023) author(s): Samrat Majumder published in: KC Research Portal
  Can Eastern cultures become a more integral part of the classical guitar’s cultural identity through repertoire influenced by these cultures? In this research exposition, I explore the ways in which cultural elements from Eastern cultures may inspire repertoire for the solo classical guitar. Through this repertoire, I shall examine how such cultural influences may promote Eastern cultures to performers and audiences of the classical guitar. In doing so, the cultural horizons of the classical guitar world may be broadened to represent a greater variety of cultures that also mirrors the growing global community of the classical guitar. In Part I, I look at some of the pre-existing works that have been influenced by Eastern cultures including works by Toru Takemitsu; arrangements of popular and folkloric music from Eastern cultures; and original compositions that have influences from Eastern cultures. Part II deals with the ethics of cultural inspiration and looks at questions like: “How can we represent cultures authentically through music?”, “Is cultural appropriation ok?”. Finally, Part III presents an overview of the new repertoire specifically written for this research. This comprises of two arrangements of songs attributed to the Bengali polymath, Rabindranath Tagore, as well as a commissioned work with an Eastern cultural influence composed by Italian composer and classical guitarist, Marco Ramelli. The findings of this research reveal the difficulty of assigning an objective answer to the issues surrounding cultural inspiration. I implore readers to approach this research with an open mind and hope that, at the very least, I can encourage the musical community to consider different types of questions concerning the use of cultural elements in art.
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  Aimpathy (2023) author(s): Amit Yungman published in: KC Research Portal
  Much research has been done to better understand the emotional experience of music; from the philosophical, artistic, psychological, and statistical approaches. In this research we conduct a cross-domain experiment based on those four disciplines, to further understand the factors that influence the emotional perception of music; and in particular the difference between the artist’s emotional conception and the audience’s perception. In the experiment we train a novel model of an Artificial Neural Network, to predict the perceived emotion from a short musical phrase. We then feed the machine curated input, which simulates artistic choices, to explore its most significant factors in determining the perceived emotions. In the conclusion we describe the results, as well as the possible follow-ups to the experiment, such as an emotional expression training tool for musicians.
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  Interluding: Identifying practice methods for classical improvisation on the Violin (2023) author(s): Ruth Mareen published in: KC Research Portal
  How can a classical performing violinist develop a practice method which serves for expanding their active musical vocabulary and applying it in an improvised interlude during a concert? The objective of this research is to explore practice methods which helps one create improvisations inserted in between composed pieces of a concert programme. The main goal is to create a common thread in a program with an otherwise varied repertoire. This research identifies and compares the practice methods that can be used to achieve this goal. The methodology is based on the study of academic and educational sources, autoethnography, experiments in the form of performances, a questionnaire for the audience, interviews with experts and recording of work in the practice room. The improvisation played in between two compositions is called an interlude and the act of playing such an improvisation, interluding. These interludes contain musical material of both the previous and the next piece, thus creating seamless transitions, a bridge between characters and/or a dialogue between the pieces. First, the historical importance of preluding and interluding is discussed, followed by a collection of improvisation exercises based on an existing composition with audio examples. These exercises serve to expand an active musical vocabulary inspired by the chosen pieces. The interludes can be built using different structures with this newly acquired vocabulary. To present and discuss the results, recordings of performances are included. Finally the limits of this format of strictly recycling (thematic) material are discussed, bringing to the surface other ways to use the concept of interluding.
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  The Viennese violone : A "Viennoiserie" with 5 spices (2023) author(s): Isaline Leloup published in: KC Research Portal
  This research examines if the Viennese tuning was used in the orchestral works of Beethoven, Schubert, and Mendelssohn and whether it is possible to link the composers and the use of this tuning in their writing style for the 16’ instrument. The Viennese tuned violone is a particular 5-stringed 16’ fretted instrument tuned to “F, A, d, f#, a”. This instrument appeared in the region of Lower-Austria and Moravia in the late 17th century and was played until the middle of the 19th century. Considered a member of the viola da gamba family by its name “violone”, it also has similarities in its thirds and fourths tuning, flat back, sloping shoulders, and frets. I have found no clear evidence of a date, or of a composer, who made specific use of Viennese tuning in orchestras after the solos of Haydn's six symphonies. The Viennese tuning disappeared progressively towards the middle of the 19th century. The last clear evidence we found in the music is Beethoven’s Septet op. 20, the first performance of Beethoven’s 1st symphony, and Schubert’s Trout quintet. We also have the performance on 2nd November 1800 of Sperger’s last symphony “Erbprinzessin-sinfonie”. We also know that instruments of this tuning were built until at least 1820. For Mendelssohn, analysis of his works has shown that its classical characteristics come out clearer with the Viennese tuning. This research is done in the form of an exposition to highlight the musical extracts of the different composers.
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