Research Catalogue

an international database for artistic research

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  Instruments of Emotion: Exploring the Use of Musical Parameters in Film Scoring (2024) author(s): Malcolm Eric Lagger Caldwell published in: Codarts
  Music has always been a crucial element in films. In fact, a scene can have absolutely different meanings depending on the music. In this research project I tried to investigate to what extent these differences rely on the use of musical parameters such as instrumentation/timbre, melody, harmony, rhythm and tempo among others. I focused on 4 different emotions: Tension, Sadness, Rejoice and Nostalgia. The goal was to find out how these parameters can be used in order to maximise the depiction of the specific emotion being portrayed in each scene. The main source of information was the analysis of cues from various movies portraying different emotions in combination with interviews with film composers, some of them being the authors of the analysed films. All this led to the composition of new cues putting into practice what I learned. As a result, there are findings that suggest that to maximise the depiction of these different emotions the most important musical parameters to manipulate are tempo, harmony and instrumentation. As a research outcome, I composed music for cues for films such as Blood Diamond (2006), Luna de Avellaneda (2004) and Big Fish (2003).
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• Afro Cuban drumming: the drummers of Chucho Valdes (2024) author(s): Marc Gómez Masdeu published in: Codarts
  This research wants to be a guide of my personal and artistic process of how I have developed and improved my skills in Afro-Cuban music and Afro-Cuban Jazz through Enrique Pla, Rodney Barreto, and Dafnis Prieto. And how I have integrated this into my background to help me grow as an artist. The topic that has motivated me to do this research is my interest in Cuban music and especially in Irakere. Many Cuban drummers are worthy of in-depth study, but I have chosen these three because all three have played or currently play with Chucho Valdes. Talking about Enrique Pla undoubtedly leads you to the founding of Irakere; Rodney Barreto played in Irakere when they reunited again and Dafnis Prieto is his current drummer. The strategy that I followed is: Strategy: Case study and experiment of the exercises with other students. Methodology: Triangulation (analysis/transcription, feedback/reflection, interview). Experiment with the drummer’s feedback. The results of this research can be seen in the following categories: Personal: Results that have enriched me and my way of playing. Audiences: Elements that may interest the reader and the musician who wishes to gain a deeper understanding of Afro-Cuban music, in particular, its drummers and more specifically those associated with Chucho Valdes On a personal level, the most important thing has been this two-year process of studying these great musicians and everything that I have acquired musically, technically, and the transcriptions I made during the research. Readers of this research can appreciate the interviews I have conducted with these three musicians and other related Cuban drummers, the exercises I have created to develop these aspects of the music and repertoire in particular, and the transcriptions of compings and solos that I have made of them. I have learned many new skills and tips from these drummers and from listening more deeply to this music and this has enriched me a lot as a musician. Looking back to the results of this research, one of the important conclusions that I reached is that any drummer who wishes to gain an understanding of this music has to listen to and study the tradition of the Afro-Cuban percussion, all the styles, and the periods, and of course open mind and don’t be a slave of it since you also have to listen to the evolution of styles.
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• COMPOSING NON-LINEARITY IN MIXED MEDIA PERFORMANCES (2024) author(s): Sophia Bardoutsou published in: Codarts
  This paper aims to explore the potential of merging acoustic music with digital media and other art forms to create non-linear compositional forms. Often, it’s difficult to get away from traditional composition processes, make a piece adaptive in form and not strictly bound to time. Through case studies on works by Walter Giers, Michel van der Aa, Yannis Kyriakides and more, I focused on the elements of integration, interaction and nonlinear composition of different media. Looking at their work and through self- experimentation, I noticed that the different media can get dramaturgical meaning and interact live with every element of the performance. Digital media can specifically function as tools for interaction between the performers and the audience. By incorporating playful ideas in the compositions, derived from the world of games and indeterminacy, we can end up in nonlinear processes of performing notated music and allow for interpretation by other artforms. As a result, I composed the pieces In Medias Res for musicians, circus artists and interactive media, Dots for Pierrot ensemble and visuals, the 15’ opera Aer and the interactive music game A poppy blooms. Through this process, I tried to free myself, as a composer, from specific writing habits and approaches. A new field of possibilities opened up on how to develop music material, notate it and perform it.
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  ARTISTIC RESEARCH REPORT GAMPSISS (2024) author(s): Micha Hamel published in: Codarts
  GAMPSISS was a comprehensive, 4-year collaborative, transdisciplinary project executed by Erasmus University (EUR), University for Techonolgy Delft (TUD), Willem de Kooning Art Academy Rotterdam, and the conservatoire of Rotterdam: Codarts. 
In Year 1 we each conducted research in our own discipline, namely: on listening (Codarts), on persuasive games (TUD) and aligned these with the cultural sociological perspective (EUR) on concert audiences and concert experience. In Year 2, based on the knowledge gained, we jointly built a prototype of a game called 'Listening Space'. A game for the smartphone, to be played prior to a (classical music) concert to train listening skills, through awareness and playful practice of different listening modes. In Year 3, again with the entire team, we designed an interdisciplinary gamified performance called “Listening Mutant 2021” during which the audience worked through a wide range of listening games and training. This time the games were not only about music listening but also about social listening (listening to other people). The performance was played for a specially recruited diverse audience, and included orchestral music, theatrical scenes, audience participation, a quiz, a debate, a (new) smartphone game, an audio (headphones) story, all integrated into a total experience with a festival atmosphere. Due to COVID-19, it was not produced (in a modified version) until Year 4, and for a smaller audience than we originally envisioned. Year 4 we then finished analyzing, writing and reflecting. 'Listening Space' produced modest positive effects, and 'Listening Mutant' a major positive effect. At the Willem de Kooning Academy in Years 2 and 3, we set up a GAMPSISS course in which all researchers taught. Students were asked to design listening games. Some of these served as inspiration for the games in “Listening Mutant 2021. Two sub-studies were also conducted under the accolade of GAMPSISS, namely a study on what happens when people listen to a piece of music repeatedly (listening diaries, EUR, yet to be published) and a combination of empirical research and extensive desk research (Codarts) on listening from a predominantly philosophical perspective, resulting in a paper titled 'A concise theory of listening' that can be used in conservatories and music practices. The PHD candidate also conducted several more studies on other persuasive games (yet to be published).
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• The new stage of bass trombone: study on the music of Daniel Schnyder (2024) author(s): Hongyi Gu published in: Codarts
  Many of the top musicians in the world have performed and recorded Daniel Schnyder's music, a Swiss-American composer and saxophonist.His compositions often combine elements of jazz, classical music, and world music. In this research, the focus is on his piece Subzero, which was composed for bass trombone and orchestra. The aim of this research is to gain a deeper understanding of Schnyder's musical approach, with a particular focus on the extended techniques used in the piece. One of the key areas of investigation is the use of extended techniques such as multiple tongues, varied vibratos, and glissandos with growling. These techniques are not typically associated with the bass trombone, and their use in Subzero is part of what makes the piece so unique. Through a thorough analysis of these techniques and their use in composition, this research aims to shed new light on Schnyder's creative process. Another important aspect of the research is an in-depth analysis of the musicality of each movement, with a particular focus on the second movement, Samai Thaquil. This movement is based on a rhythmic groove from Turkey that has been adapted by Arabs and is often used for belly dancing and celebration. The research explores the ways in which Schnyder incorporates this groove into the piece and the various possibilities it offers for exploring the timbre of the bass trombone with different mutes. To achieve these aims, the research employs a range of methods, including the collection of literature and media, interviews with several experts, the study of recordings from different artists, various experiments, and structural analysis of the movements. By using these methods, the research aims to provide new insights into Schnyder's work and its impact on the bass trombone repertoire. In conclusion, this research aims to contribute to the understanding of Daniel Schnyder's musical approach and the ways in which he incorporates extended techniques and world music influences into his compositions for the bass trombone. Through a range of methods and a detailed analysis of the composition, the research aims to provide new insights into Schnyder's creative process and shed new light on the possibilities for the bass trombone as a solo instrument in contemporary music.
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• The voice with the cello: Siete canciones populares españolas. (2024) author(s): Paloma Garrote Vélez published in: Codarts
  With this research, I intended to make a journey through Siete Canciones Populares Españolas (1914) by Manuel de Falla (1876-1946), in its arrangement for cello and piano by Maurice Maréchal (1892-1964), exploring the impact of the most common techniques in singing, such as phrasing, prosody, accentuation or diction among others, on the cello. My main goal was being aware of the potential contact points between both instruments to improve my interpretation. Besides the exploration of the vocal technique, in each part of the research the most characteristic aspects of each song were analyzed. In the first cycle, I focused on longer phrasing and breathing in accordance with the text to generate pauses in the melody, using El paño moruno, Nana and Asturiana. In the second cycle, I focused on the diction and articulation, and also on the techniques of flamenco playing in Cancion and Polo. Finally, the third cycle explores the use of vibrato and projection using the Jota.
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