A Singer’s Guide to Dance - A journey from classical vocalist to interdisciplinary performer
(2020)
author(s): Karin Timmerman-Deddens
published in: Codarts
This research project focuses on the relationship between choreographed dance and the voice, and seeks to discover how dance can co-exist alongside a classical vocal performance as an additional channel or avenue of personal and musical expression. This research was motivated by my desire as a classical vocalist to become more connected with my body, and to better understand and train my voice as a living, breathing instrument. Additionally, this research was motivated by the possibility for dance to provide me with a wider range of expressive possibilities. In this research project I therefore explore how I, as a classical vocalist, could experiment with contemporary dance in a vocal-dance performance of Ravel’s Shéhérazade, which served as the final artistic result of this research. In this report, I first provide an overview of my musical and dance preparation. Second, I provide an analysis of the effects of dance on my musical expression and vocal technique. Third, I examine the use of improvised dance elements versus structured choreography. Lastly, I examine and discuss how I was able to bring all of these elements together and further develop my skills as an interdisciplinary performer. In my discussion and analysis, I draw on a variety of sources of data, including experimentation, interview data, personal coaching, and literature research This report also provides a complete overview of the research ‘intervention cycles’, which explain in detail the research process and development of my final artistic result. As the contemporary performance environment increasingly demands innovative and multifaceted performers, this research can help to inspire and encourage other classical vocalists to consider the incorporation of dance as a valuable way to develop their vocal technique and musical understanding.
Furthermore, for classical vocalists already interested in incorporating dance into their vocal performance, this research can provide a number of valuable practical tools and insights, and help them to become more interdisciplinary performers.
Turkish Makam Influences in Jazz Improvisation
(2020)
author(s): Meriç Çalışan
published in: Codarts
Improvisation, the art of creating at the moment, is the main reason that I started singing jazz. It allows me to express my musical thoughts, while being the biggest struggle in my musicality. I was suggested by many of my mentors and colleagues that my ideas were nice but needed to be connected. These artistic needs introduced me to taksims, improvisations based on melodic development.
In this research, I demonstrate how elements such as phrasing and melodic development can be integrated into vocal improvisation of jazz and arranged folk songs by analysing selected pieces in hicaz and huseyni makams. In this context, the recordings from Refik Fersan, Salim Bey, Andon Efendi, Cemil Bey and Tanrıkorur analysed and the stylistic elements implied into my daily practice with exercises.
These exercises made my improvisations more solid and consistent by prioritizing melodic development.
My findings, i.e. exercises and technical explanation, will help musicians, particularly vocalists who would like to apply the makam practice into their improvisation skills. By application of this process their musicianship will profit from the linear melodic approach, odd meters and the technique.
Combining Greek folk with modal jazz improvisation
(2020)
author(s): Alkistis Lampropoulou
published in: Codarts
My personal striving for more freedom regarding melodic and rhythmic aspects in improvisation and less emphasis on functional harmony, led me to the exploration of modal jazz.
At the first cycle of my research, I studied two legendary trumpet players Miles Davis and Freddie Hubbard in order to learn different techniques of developing a modal jazz solo.
Through this journey, I discovered a strong connection to my Greek roots. Greek music is modal and thus the idea of combining the two worlds seemed obvious.
For the second cycle of my research, I studied the French-Lebanese trumpet player Ibrahim Maalouf. Maalouf combines his Arabic roots with modal jazz and therefore he was a great source of inspiration to me.
By arranging Greek folk songs with jazz elements and adding modal jazz improvisation to my Greek folkloric sound, I found an interesting way to combine my roots with jazz music.
During my research I received valuable feedback from my research coach Dr. Dick de Graaf, my main subject teachers Bart de Win, Francien van Tuinen, Harjo Pasveer as well as from important experts Jarmo Hoogendijk, Tineke Postma, Mark van Roon, Stefan Lievestro and Eren Aksahin.
The Harp: No Tango Tourist | Creating an Authentic Tango Harp Voice
(2018)
author(s): Julie Rokseth
published in: Codarts
My Boldest Artistic Decision was to break convention and play the classical harp down the Tango line at Codarts. It was the nurturing at Codarts that let me to focus my Artistic Research on injecting the harp into Tango and discovering whether, and how the harp could sing with an authentic tango voice while also being able to give some of its own uniqueness upon the tradition. To make sure that the harp can become a real and organic tango instrument rather than being a “tango tourist”– a borrowed classical instrument that sometimes sits like a lovely guest but doesn’t actually belong.
This Artistic Research project has allowed me to show that the harp can sing with a voice that DOES belong in tango. The Harp: no tango tourist.
Fusing Irish folk music and Argentinian tango on bandoneon and harp
(2018)
author(s): Andreas Rokseth
published in: Codarts
Motivation
The deep motivation behind my research is that I want to be an earning, versatile, professional musician. Through my Masters I want to make myself the best musician I can be. Playing the instrument bandoneon, I specialise in a narrow field of music, namely the Argentine tango. In life as a musician however, a lot of opportunities will turn up that are outside my field of expertise. I wanted to find a way to enable myself to take on all of these opportunities. The way to do this, was to find a process to be able to be creative on demand. Such a process would enable me to take on opportunities in unknown musical territory, allowing me to develop further in my versatility as a musician.
Goals
The most significant goal for me was that I wanted to make for myself a process to be creative on demand - a step by step process to be creative when I need to be creative, regardless of what state of mind I might find myself in. To be creative beyond those special times when “the muses come” or when “inspiration hits.” Having the tools to be creative without feeling inspired also takes away the pressure of being inspired, letting the sought-after state of mind flow more naturally and more productively. So, the personal challenge I set was how could I make such a process for myself?
The first step was to find a way to get past creatives’ worst nightmare - the - the big blank page. In order to do this, I set myself some very narrow limits within which I had to work, in order get the initial spark of creativity started. So, I put myself in a small, difficult box. A box of clear limitations, from which I would have to use my skills, talent, and musicianship to get out of by making my own strong artistic decisions. The box I made, was the task of creating an original piece of music for harp and bandoneon, fusing Argentinian tango - which I knew a lot about, and Irish jig - which I knew little about.
I chose those specific limitations for several reasons. The first is that I have a duo with my sister Julie Rokseth, which is intended to represent a big part of my livelihood as a musician. I was interested to create a fusion of Celtic music and tango because in the duo we have been composing our own music with undetermined or unspecified influences, but that has had both tango and Celtic musical elements in them. I was interested to turn the vague inspiration of Celtic music into a clear inspiration for my music, and would do it through composing a fusion of tango and jig by making informed artistic decisions. Secondly, I reduced the large concept of Irish/Celtic music down to a very specific and limiting type of tune, the jig. This was once again to ensure that I would have very specific parameters for my box. Thirdly, I wanted to expand how I can use the bandoneon to adapt to challenges of new styles and be able to switch between them effortlessly.
Artistic Research Question
“How can I create and perform a piece for harp and bandoneon fusing the styles of Argentinian tango and Celtic/Irish jigs?”
Expanding the role of the jazz guitar
(2017)
author(s): Adam Taylor
published in: Codarts
The guitar and the piano perform similar roles and occupy overlapping frequency ranges in jazz and popular music.
However, the piano can produce two or more simultaneous voices at the extremes of its range using standard technique. The guitar cannot produce two or more simultaneous voices at the extremes of its range using standard plucking or finger-picking techniques.
Thus the two-hand touch technique was developed partially to emulate the right and left hand of a pianist. The tuning of the guitar was altered to provide an extended low range in order to facilitate bass voices more effectively.
The result is an overall method for playing the guitar which provides the ability to effectively perform counterpoint, melody, chord and/or bass accompaniment with an extended range of the guitar that is fully utilisable.