The Clarinet as Extension of the Voice and Expressive Conduit of Musical Styles in Diverse Ensembles

<p>Original research into the links between vocal and clarinet tone reveals how clarinettists act as expressive conduits of musical styles in diverse ensembles. This research is relevant to musicologists and anthropologists as well as clarinettists and composers, who wish to gain an understanding of the vocal links in clarinet playing, and how clarinettists function in socio-musical contexts. Research is mainly based on Musicology and Music Education (vocal-clarinet links), and also refers to sources in Anthropology (musical identity), and Ethnomusicology (music in ensembles) in order to find some insightful connections. Ethnographic fieldwork is based on four professional freelance clarinettists in four different ensembles in Wellington, New Zealand. Their function in western art and contemporary art music, jazz and klezmer music is explored, to discover how these clarinettists extend, mirror, partner, or replace the voice in these musical contexts. Additional work undertaken on bodymind integration is designed to complement the musical identity work in the thesis and to enhance the musicianship and physical wellbeing of clarinettists. The section on clarinet design illustrates how different combinations of instruments and mouthpieces can vary the tone quality of the clarinet and enhance individual playing styles. The research shows that due to the versatility and flexibility of the instrument, clarinettists are able to transcend gender, ethnic, and ensemble boundaries, to take on leadership roles and to act as expressive conduits of musical styles in and between diverse ensembles. The outcome of the research highlights the intersection between the physiological relationship between the voice and the clarinet and scholarship on musical identity.</p>

The Clarinet as Extension of the Voice and Expressive Conduit of Musical Styles in Diverse Ensembles

<p>Original research into the links between vocal and clarinet tone reveals how clarinettists act as expressive conduits of musical styles in diverse ensembles. This research is relevant to musicologists and anthropologists as well as clarinettists and composers, who wish to gain an understanding of the vocal links in clarinet playing, and how clarinettists function in socio-musical contexts. Research is mainly based on Musicology and Music Education (vocal-clarinet links), and also refers to sources in Anthropology (musical identity), and Ethnomusicology (music in ensembles) in order to find some insightful connections. Ethnographic fieldwork is based on four professional freelance clarinettists in four different ensembles in Wellington, New Zealand. Their function in western art and contemporary art music, jazz and klezmer music is explored, to discover how these clarinettists extend, mirror, partner, or replace the voice in these musical contexts. Additional work undertaken on bodymind integration is designed to complement the musical identity work in the thesis and to enhance the musicianship and physical wellbeing of clarinettists. The section on clarinet design illustrates how different combinations of instruments and mouthpieces can vary the tone quality of the clarinet and enhance individual playing styles. The research shows that due to the versatility and flexibility of the instrument, clarinettists are able to transcend gender, ethnic, and ensemble boundaries, to take on leadership roles and to act as expressive conduits of musical styles in and between diverse ensembles. The outcome of the research highlights the intersection between the physiological relationship between the voice and the clarinet and scholarship on musical identity.</p>

Listeners’ Perceptions of Choral Performances With Static and Expressive Movement

We examined how movement impacted listeners’ perceptions of choral performances. Participants ( N = 115; n = 60 nonmusic majors, n = 55 music majors) viewed excerpts of Moses Hogan’s “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel” under four conditions: good tone/expressive movement (GT/EM), good tone/static movement (GT/SM), poor tone/expressive movement (PT/EM), and poor tone/static movement (PT/SM). They rated tone quality and overall expressivity for each excerpt. We found a significant multivariate main effect for the examples. For both tone quality and expressivity, participants rated the examples in the following order from highest to lowest: GT/EM, GT/SM, PT/SM, and PT/EM. There was a significant interaction between the examples and participants’ major. Music majors rated the GT/EM example higher than the nonmusic majors but rated the other three examples lower than the nonmajors. Expressive movement seemed to enhance ratings of expressivity when performed with good tone but detracted when the tone was poor. In written responses, majors distinguished between expressive movement and tone consistently, while nonmajors could not consistently separate what they were seeing from what they were hearing.

Vowel Modification (Aggiustamento) in Soprano Voices

Singers convey meaning via both text and music. As sopranos balance tone quality and diction, vowel intelligibility is often compromised at high pitches. This study examines how sopranos modify their vowels against an increasing fundamental, and in turn how such vowel modification affects vowel intelligibility. We examine the vowel modification process of three non-central vowels in Cantonese ([a], [ɛ] and [ɔ]) using the spectral centroid. Acoustic results suggest that overall vowel modification is conditioned by vowel height in mid-ranges and by vowel frontness in higher ranges. In a following perception task, listeners identified and discriminated vowels at pitches spanning an octave from A4 (nominally 440 Hz) to G♯5 (nominally 831 Hz). Results showed that perceptual accuracy rates of the three vowels’ match their acoustic patterns. The overall results suggest that vowels are not modified in a unified way in sopranos’ voices, implying that research on sopranos’ singing strategies should consider vocalic differences.

Technical strategies for improving the accompanying skills in the piano-voice duo

This guide of vocal accompanying studies in depth, the nature of a good collaborative relationship between the pianist and the vocalist, it is written from the viewpoint of the pianist, and deals with technical, practical and inspirational elements of accompanying singers. The importance of working with languages and knowledge of the text is emphasized. Much of the vocal repertoire presents technical hurdles that need generous hours of practice. But a good technique also opens up a great deal more in terms of tone production and control. A sensitive touch will allow for a range of flexibility in following the vocalist, and for matching tone quality.

Musicians’ Earplugs: Do They Affect Performance or Listeners’ Perceptions?

BACKGROUND: Does wearing musicians’ earplugs while performing affect the quality of the performance? Can listeners perceive a difference in sound when musicians are performing with or without earplugs? The risk of hearing loss is a concern for musicians, but some are reluctant to wear hearing protection due to factors such as an inability to hear their own instrument properly and the possibility of decreased sound quality for listeners. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of musicians’ earplugs on instrumental pitch accuracy and the perception of tone quality, intonation, and dynamic contrast, as perceived by musicians and listeners. METHODS: Ten university studio faculty teachers were recorded performing single pitches and lyrical and technical passages, first without earplugs and then immediately after with earplugs. A sample of 8 studio faculty teachers and 88 undergraduate music education students completed a researcher-created music perception test of tone quality, intonation, and dynamic contrast. RESULTS: Objective analyses of the single pitch recordings made by faculty with and without earplugs indicate that pitch accuracy did not favor either condition consistently. Results from the perception test indicate that although both faculty and student listeners perceived some differences, the most frequent perception was that the audio pair was equal, and there was no clear difference between performing with and without earplugs in terms of tone quality, intonation, or dynamic contrast. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that musicians should feel confident that wearing musicians’ earplugs while performing does not adversely affect pitch accuracy or listeners’ perceptions of their timbre and dynamic control.

Cross-Validation and Application of a Scale Assessing School Band Performance

This is the sixth and culminating study in a series whose purpose has been to acquire a conceptual understanding of school band performance and to develop an assessment based on this understanding. With the present study, we cross-validated and applied a rating scale for school band performance. In the cross-validation phase, college students rated recordings of two high school concert band performances using a scale developed for mid-level band performance. The result was a 25-item School Band Performance Rating Scale (SBPRS) for use at middle and high school levels. Consistent with previous research, the scale was unidimensional, containing one strong second-order factor and three distinct primary-order factors: Rhythm–Technique, Tone Quality–Intonation, and Expressiveness–Musicianship. The scale demonstrated good internal consistency. In a field test, adjudicators used an online version of the SBPRS to assess school band performances. The online form allowed adjudicators to view other adjudicators’ ratings in real time. Good interrater agreement resulted. In another field test, judges used a nonlive version of the SBPRS, and lower interrater agreement resulted. The SBPRS reflects the conceptual structure of school band performance and can be applied advantageously to serve adjudicators and school band ensembles.

The Way of Cane

The philosophical, musical, personal and scientific basis for the author’s particular approach to reed-making. The importance of the communication of being human as expressed through the arts in general and music in particular. Knowing, not knowing and intimacy as aspects of good reed-work. The method of building reeds which are both beautiful to hear and comfortable to play is introduced. The concept of the distribution of the cane affects the tone quality and ease of playing is introduced. Reeds are seen as interconnected to our concept of sound musicianship and our grounding in the physical world.

Some Thoughts about Profile Types

How the way the cane is distributed along and across the reed’s vibrating blades contributes to tone quality as well as ease in playing. Several variations are explored.