Theses Doctoral

Waking Up Into the Moment: Temporal Awareness as a Primary Composable Parameter of Music

Rot, John

In this paper I hope to define, quantify, and analyze the way in which a listener perceives and understands the passage of time during a musical experience—in other words, their temporal awareness.

I explore this concept in three capacities. First, I examine the relevant theory, both philosophical and psychological, surrounding temporal awareness and define its two primary manifestations through demonstrative musical examples. Next, I apply this theory to the analysis of six different pieces of music composed between 1895 and 2016, focusing on what I believe are the two strongest catalysts of change of temporal awareness. Finally, I discuss how I incorporate this theory into my practice both as an instructor and as a composer. A thorough musical analysis of my 2018 work be created or is presented through the analytical and compositional lens of temporal awareness, including its descriptive and prescriptive implications.

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More About This Work

Academic Units
Music
Thesis Advisors
Haas, Georg Friedrich
Degree
D.M.A., Columbia University
Published Here
May 19, 2021