‘It Was Like a Space of Resistance’

This article examines the function of music for female political prisoners during the Pinochet Dictatorship in Chile. The discussion draws on a thematic analysis of testimonies about music by female prisoners from the platform Cantos Cautivos (“Captive Songs”). The article discusses musical happenings, genres of music being performed (e.g., Nueva Canción), and the ways in which music-making was organised. In particular, the article highlights the importance of communal singing. This article also addresses cultural and collective memory and the role that they play in these recollections.

Editorial

Editorial for Issue 2.

Creating Space Where Music can Happen

This article examines the role of pre-composed musical material as the basis of a band’s output, from the perspective of composer-bandleaders who direct ensembles of improvising musicians. The article proposes five distinct methods by which composer-bandleaders can navigate the ‘space’ of their band’s output and musical direction. The categories are described originally as follows: Setting a Mood, Call to Arms, Bookend, Elements in Free, Composition as Destination. These proposed methods -— or approaches -— are discovered through the analysis of existing recorded materials and reflection on practice.

‘I’m Talking But No One Is Listening’

Even though Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s term ended in 1990, the reverberations of her policies have lingered on in British politics, culture and social life. This paper discusses the legacy of Thatcher within the soundscapes present in the 2016 social realist film I, Daniel Blake (dir. Ken Loach). By looking at the effects of Thatcher’s policies and how they are made audible in working class communities, this paper ultimately questions whether her presence has truly disappeared. In employing the fields of hauntology and sound studies as an approach to Thatcherism, this study sonifies the voices of the past, and questions how they will echo in the future.

Proposal for a Dance Performance

Proposal for a Dance Performance is an artwork for music ensemble and PowerPoint. This work aims to transform -through the use of self-referential narration- dance notation, emails, program notes and technical rides, into performing instances. The paper puts the above artwork in a dialogue with works by Hanns Eisler, Alfred Johannes and Johannes Kreidler, which use music notation as a conceptual visual tool. Furthermore, this paper discusses the role of music as a character in a play, a technique found in Samuel Becket’s work. This combination of narration and notation is being proposed as a transdisciplinary methodology for breaking fixed notions of artistic practice.

Hatsune Miku, Virtual Idols, and Transforming the Popular Music Experience

This essay aims to discuss the various ways that virtual idols have transformed music production, consumption, and performance in our digital society. Vocal synthesisers like Vocaloid have given amateur musicians accessibility into the industry, pushing the limits of vocal capability and preservation, and resulting in a worldwide fandom which utilises Vocaloid characters in diverse ways. Virtual idols bear resemblance to real-life Japanese idols, yet they manage to circumvent the often-strict lifestyles idols face while also playing into tropes surrounding otaku culture. It concludes by discussing how the experience and liveness of music concerts changes with virtual performers, and how virtual concerts have continued live music performance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

‘Where Did That Voice Come From?’

For the last two decades, the viewers of televised talent competitions have witnessed an intriguing phenomenon—singers with voices that fail to ‘match’ their bodies. With a particular focus on female child singers, this article explores the phenomenon of the ‘mismatched girl’. Combining theories from voice studies and musicology, the article examines the depiction of the relationship between voice and body within the talent competitions. Ultimately, mismatched girls prompt journalists, fans, and musicians alike to consider fundamental questions concerning the human voice—where do voices come from and what do they mean?

The Cosmic & The Corporeal

Under the Skin is a film deeply preoccupied with the human experience. Our protagonist is ‘Laura,’ an alien in disguise who stalks Glasgow in search of male prey. We are entirely situated with her throughout — seeing the streets through her eyes, sitting with her in the van during each hunt. Our proximity to her complicates the ontological question beyond a blunt dichotomy of Laura and the human subjects. Rather, it’s a dynamic continuum whereby Laura might glean empathy while ordinary people are estranged. The article argues that audiovision is the primary channel through which entanglements between the cosmic and the corporeal are explored in the film. Through director Jonathan Glazer and composer Mica Levy’s maintaining of the ‘alien lens’ (as well as an alien audition) the subject of humanity is ravelled.

Tunes of Glory

The late-16th through to the early-17th century was a period of unprecedented upheaval and conflict throughout the British Isles. This article explores the transformative rise in social status of pipers in Highland society during this period of social, political, economic, and cultural change. Bagpipes, traditionally assigned a low-caste role in society in Ireland and Scotland, were transformed into a vehicle for a highly developed form of musical composition, ceòl mòr (‘great music’). The article examines the factors which allowed the families of hereditary pipers to achieve this significant change in fortune, whilst the highlighting the unique compositional form of pipe music which enabled their entry into the upper echelons of Gaelic society in Scotland.

Originality or Familiarity?

This article explores the dramaturgical strategies used to present chosen recital repertoire, initially outlining what lead to the formation of the programme, before discussing elements of musical narrativity and how that can aid in conveying meaning on a deeper level. In addition, the article investigates the importance of utilising novelty in balance with familiarity to entice an audience, whilst keeping an awareness of the drawbacks that each can impose. Finally, the presence of a unifying theme will be discussed with regards to how it can potentially add originality, resulting in a programme that can be simultaneously engaging and informative.