THE EAR IS A LABYRINTH: JULIO ESTRADA SEARCHING FOR THE MINOTAUR

Tempo ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (295) ◽  
pp. 72-84
Author(s):  
Pablo Santiago Chin

AbstractThis article explores Julio Estrada's musical thinking in his early and recent works. Estrada's early works precede the development of his graphication method in the 1980s, and his recent works follow the completion of his opera Murmullos del Páramo in 2006. It is his music of these three decades between 1980 and 2006 that is most widely scrutinised – a music centred on the extensive conception and manifestation of sound as a continuum and aided in the creational process by coloured drawings on graph paper – but this article focuses on lesser-known pieces from the 1970s like Melódica and Solo para uno, as well as recent works such as his opera-in-progress, a major project conceived as a book to be read and imagined, rather than performed. It is hoped that close examination of these pieces will significantly broaden the understanding of Estrada's creative drive and lifelong research, revealing how these works entangle with his better-known developments of the sound continuum and graphication method and share common concerns with work from across his career.

Paragraph ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 57-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Jarvis
Keyword(s):  

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 100-113
Author(s):  
Y.V., Netsvitay T. V. Tararoev

Background. Goals In recent years, there is a growing interest in musical thinking, which is a key element of musicology and music philosophy, since music is a conscious, mental activity of a person and understanding the mechanisms of this activity, we can signifi cantly expand and deepen our understanding of music. The purpose of this study is to defi ne and supplement and clarify the concept of M. G. Aranovsky musical thinking our author’s approach, concretizing and clarifying the methodological and heuristic function of symmetry in musical thinking and its anthropological content. The work uses methods of comparison, analysis and synthesis. Musical thinking manifests itself in three forms of basic musical activity - composing, performing, listening, to which we also add theoretical (research) and pedagogical They are based on the processes of musical thinking and the fulfi llment of certain goals: the creation of an artifact, interpretation, reproduction, perception, analysis and theoretical understanding. The three spheres of realization of musical thinking are emotional-sensual, rational-logical and textual, semantic. These forms are closely intertwined and function on the basis of musical language, which is the foundation of any musical creative activity. The direct interaction of music and rationality is displayed in terms of “musical logic” and “architectonic musical ear”. Logic is the science of the most common laws of thought. These laws of thinking are expressed in the most abstract forms, patterns, rules that can be interpreted as conformity of something to specifi c norms, patterns. With regard to music, logic implies following certain standards and rules. Since the rational principle in music is closely associated with the irrational unconscious, the common logical norms that have been formed in a certain historical epoch within the framework of the dominant system of musical language are refracted through the individual stylistic features of the composer. A specifi c type of thinking - musical - generates the corresponding type of logic. Therefore, it is possible to express musical thinking by the sum of concepts - musical logic, musical speech and semantics of musical speech. M. G. Aranovsky identifi es four layers of musical logic: combinatorial, linguistic, contextual and artistic, i.e. those aspects (levels, edges) of the creative activity of a musician, in which there is logic. The lowest and at the same time fundamental level of musical logic is combinatorial, it is the sphere of primary elementary logical combinations of the simplest elements. However, the logic of this level extends to all scales of structures, from small motive links to sections of a one-part form. M. G. Aranovsky proposes to distinguish three types of logical combinations: 1. Identical - based on a constant repetition of structural units, where the formed elements are identical with each other (for example, AAAAAA). In terms of symmetry, this is a transformation of a simple movement along the time axis. It can again be noted as the simplest type of isomorphism, where only one characteristic changes - temporary. If we exclude it from consideration, then we can say that this is a “degenerate case” of isomorphism, which is an automorphism. 2. Equivalent - based on the modifi ed version of the repetition, in which there are both similarities and differences, i.e. incomplete identity is formed (for example, A1A2A3A4). From the point of view of symmetry, this combination of sequences represents the “unity” of the operation of symmetry, movement and violation of symmetry as such, i.e. in this sequence, some properties are repeated, while others change. This temporal process can be represented as isomorphism in the proper sense of the word, when some elements remain identical, while others change, and in general the objects are different, but similar. 3. Alternative - a combination of sequences of different units with complete exclusion of formal or obvious similarity (for example, ABC). Through symmetric transformations, this kind of logical combinations of primary elements can be described as an even greater symmetry violation, which preserves only the general “sequence of elements”, i.e. a small number of common properties, while these elements themselves are significantly different from each other. In this case, one can speak of a deep “transformation” of isomorphism, which can be called “metamorphism” (gr. Metamorphoómai - transformation of form). The basis of this transformation is a violation of the original symmetry in such a way that much more properties change than in the case of isomorphism. It can be schematically represented as A1 → B, A2 → C, etc. Thus, metamorphism can be considered both as a similarity, which has undergone a rather strong transformation, and as a symmetry violation, leading to a signifi cant complication of the structure. Thus, the result of this study is the position that, from the point of view of M. G. Aranowsky, the temporal process is the basis of musical thinking. The built-up chain “temporal process → musical logic → musical thinking” is the anthropological specifi city of human thought (in the musical sphere) associated with temporal processes in which a person is “immersed” and from which he cannot “exit” under any circumstances. Findings. we conclude that this chain can be called the “temporal-anthropological triad”. It represents the sequence “automorphism → isomorphism → metamorphism”. Each of its stages is different from the previous increase in the level of complexity. Of particular interest is the transition from isomorphism to metamorphism, since it is associated with the process of symmetry breaking. The mechanisms and principles of this disorder need further investigation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 154 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S123-S124
Author(s):  
H C Tsang ◽  
P Mathias ◽  
N Hoffman ◽  
M B Pagano

Abstract Introduction/Objective To increase efficiency of blood product ordering and delivery processes and improve appropriateness of orders, a major project to implement clinical decision support (CDS) alerts in the electronic medical record (EMR) was undertaken. A design team was assembled including hospital and laboratory medicine information technology and clinical informatics, transfusion services, nursing and clinical services from medical and surgical specialties. Methods Consensus-derived thresholds in hemoglobin/hematocrit, platelet count, INR, and fibrinogen for red blood cell (RBC), platelet, plasma, and cryoprecipitate blood products CDS alerts were determined. Data from the EMR and laboratory information system were queried from the 12-month period before and after implementation and the data was analyzed. Results During the analysis period, 5813 RBC (avg. monthly = 484), 1040 platelet (avg. monthly = 87), 423 plasma (avg. monthly = 35), and 88 cryoprecipitate (avg. monthly = 7) alerts fired. The average time it took for a user to respond was 5.175 seconds. The total amount of time alerts displayed over 12 months was 5813 seconds (~97 minutes of user time) compared to 56503 blood products transfused. Of active CDS alerts, hemoglobin/RBC alerts fired most often with ~1:5 (31141 RBC units) alert to transfusion ratio and 4% of orders canceled (n=231) when viewing the alert, platelet alerts fired with ~1:15 (15385 platelet units) alert to transfusion ratio and 6% orders canceled (n=66), INR/plasma alerts fired with ~1:21 (8793 plasma units) alert to transfusion ratio and 10% orders canceled (n=41), cryoprecipitate alerts fired with ~1:13 (1184 cryoprecipitate units) alert to transfusion ratio and 10% orders canceled (n=9). Overall monthly blood utilization normalized to 1000 patient discharges did not appear to have statistically significant differences comparing pre- versus post-go-live, except a potentially significant increase in monthly plasma usage at one facility with p = 0.34, although possibly due to an outlier single month of heavy usage. Conclusion Clinical decision support alerts can guide provider ordering with minimal user burden. This resulted in increased safety and quality use of the ordering process, although overall blood utilization did not appear to change significantly.


2021 ◽  
pp. 030573562097278
Author(s):  
Giulia Ripani

Using the Theory of Social Representations as theoretical and methodological framework, the purpose of this study was to analyze adults’ mental images (social representations) of music and musical selves across the lifespan. Participants ( N = 74) were chosen using purposive sampling in various sociocultural contexts in a large city in the Southeastern United States. As previous studies documented, projective techniques (drawings and linguist associations) can access the most latent dimensions of thinking. Accordingly, drawings and linguistic associations to the textual stimuli “me,” “music,” and “music and me” were used to gain insights into adults’ mental images of music and musical selves. Participants were also asked to provide socio-demographic data that might affect or correlate with their responses. The Correspondences Analysis technique was used to reconstruct representational fields associated with the stimuli. For each stimulus, a five-factor extraction identified hidden dimensions in adult musical thinking and summarized the links between socio-demographic variables and adults’ responses. From a developmental perspective, the comparison of drawings and linguistic associations revealed stable and changing elements in adults’ representations of music and musical selves across the lifespan. From a sociocultural perspective, this study documented the influence of the variable ethnicity on adults’ responses.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 1373-1382
Author(s):  
Avril Thomson ◽  
Hilary Grierson

AbstractThe paper reports on a study that aims to gain an understanding of how senior engineering design students engage and attain throughout the various stages of the design process during a major design project. Following a literature review it sets out to answer 3 main research questionsQ1. Do students engage more with certain stages of the design process during major project work?;Q2. Do students attain better during certain phases of the design process during major project ?Q3. Is there a difference in this attainment between year groups of the same degree programme ?The methodology adopted employs an analysis of marks and an online questionnaire to collect data. Patterns and trends in how senior BEng and MEng Product Design Engineering students engage and attain within the design process are presented, identified and discussed and in turn used to inform reflection on the research questions set.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Ershadi ◽  
Marcus Jefferies ◽  
Peter Rex Davis ◽  
Mohammad Mojtahedi

PurposeThe purpose of this study is twofold: first, to identify major project management (PM) complexities in principal construction contracting; and second, to study the contribution of project management offices (PMOs) to addressing such complexities.Design/methodology/approachA two-stage research design was adopted through a structured literature review (SLR) and a qualitative survey study.FindingsThe two-stage study resulted in mapping out the contribution of 10 functional areas to 15 complexity factors that were retrieved from the literature and categorized using the TOE (technical, organizational and environmental) framework. Six outcomes including (1) facilitated processes, (2) improved decisions, (3) improved coordination, (4) enhanced alignment, (5) addressed uncertainties and (6) integrated oversight were identified that describe how PMOs can contribute to tackling complexities.Research limitations/implicationsSimilar to other qualitative studies, this study has some limitations in terms of the replicability of results. Regarding the exploratory nature of this study to explain the contribution of PMO to complexity, further quantitative surveys can be conducted using a larger sample to statistically examine the significance of proposed relations between capabilities and complexity factors.Practical implicationsThis study provides an understanding of the contribution of PMOs to tackling ever-increasing complexities embedded in construction contracting. The authors suggest requirements to be considered by professionals toward overcoming such complexities.Originality/valueAlthough prior studies have separately investigated PMO functions and PM complexities, this study explores the link between these two spheres to discuss one important application of PMO in this context.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 53-61
Author(s):  
A. N. Yakoupov ◽  

In the article the means of musical communication and their evolution are considered in the historical and analytical aspect. There are two types of communication tools: acoustic, using the airspace as a channel for transmitting encoded information, and visual, which include stage design, allowing to perceive music as a kind of theatrical performance, and musical notation, graphically fixing all the components of the musical text. As the earliest means of nonwritten communication, the oral method is put forward, a vivid example of which is folklore, often called the musical memory of generations. Other examples of oral communication are cult music, improvisation and musical meditation. It is stated that musical writing, in particular, musical notation, and later printing tools have created conditions for overcoming spatial and temporal barriers to the spread of music. The next step is the invention of technical sound recording, which opened a new era in the development of communications. Magnetic recording of the visual series made it possible to create concert films and opera films. Even greater involvement of people in the process of musical communication was facilitated by the appearance of electronic and mechanical means of recording music. The emergence of new opportunities in the field of sound dynamics control, its timbre, influenced the development of musical thinking. A new industry of "production" has emerged with the involvement of professional musicians who own modern recording equipment and specialize in the production of "artificial" musical products. This process was accompanied by the formation of a new audience of listeners who preferred recording to live sound.


1935 ◽  
Vol 67 (11) ◽  
pp. 231-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Glen

In the realization that all exact field experimentation and census work with insects is dependent upon accurate recognition of the species involved, a study of the comparative external morphology of the larvae was planned, from the first. as an integral part of the major project on wireworms, which was incepted in 1922, at the Dominion Entomological Laboratory, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The soundness of this viewpoint has been amply demonstrated, in that the morphological work has repeatedly proved to be vital to the whole economic study of this pest, which is being increasingly recognized (King, 1928; Seamans, 1933) as one of the major problems of wheat-growing in western Canada.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document