TIMOTHY THOMAS SAVER BA(Hons) Msc DOCTOR OF
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University of Plymouth PEARL https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk 04 University of Plymouth Research Theses 01 Research Theses Main Collection 2005 USING INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE AS A CONCEPTUAL TOOL: AN EXAMINATION OF COGNITION IN IMPROVISED MUSICAL PERFORMANCE SAYER, TIMOTHY THOMAS http://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/2792 University of Plymouth All content in PEARL is protected by copyright law. Author manuscripts are made available in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite only the published version using the details provided on the item record or document. In the absence of an open licence (e.g. Creative Commons), permissions for further reuse of content should be sought from the publisher or author. USING INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE AS A CONCEPTUAL TOOL: AN EXAMINATION OF COGNITION IN IMPROVISED MUSICAL PERFORMANCE by TIMOTHY THOMAS SAVER BA(Hons) MSc A thesis submitted to the University of Plymouth in partial fulfilment for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Music, Dartington College of Arts October 2005 Copyright Statement This copy of the thesis has been supplied on condition that anyone who consults it is understood to recognise that its copyright rests with its author and that no quotation from the thesis and no information derived from it may be published without the author's prior consent. USING INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE AS A CONCEPTUAL TOOL: AN EXAMINATION OF COGNITION IN IMPROVISED MUSICAL PERFORMANCE TIMOTHY THOMAS SAYER Abstract Viewing musical improvisation in the light of psychology and cognitive science, this thesis will explicate the rationale behind the development of a software based audiovisual interface for use in improvised solo instrumental performance. The evolution of the performance environment is presented along with the theories and concepts that have shaped its progress. The opening chapter will review the terms of reference used throughout the work and will set a boundary around the area of examination. Chapter two will place musical improvisati on within the context of human behaviour and in so doing will draw upon theoretical discourse from the fields of evolutionary psychology and cognitive science. This chapter will explore the nature of volition and its relationship with subconscious processing, drawing upon anecdotal evidence from improvising musicians as linkage between theory and practice. Chapter 3 augments the study of the inner world of the improvising musician by encompassing the communicati ve functions of this activity. The boundary of this study does not embrace musical interacti ons between musicians in a diaJogic sense, my remit here is to explore behavioural response to sensory information and the mechani sm by which this may or may not manifest itself in conscious thought. Chapter 4 sees the development of a theoretical model with which to contextualise the practice of musical improvisation and to provide the foundati on from which to evolve the architecture for an experimental performance envi ronment. Thi s leads in Chapter 5 to a discussion around the function and nature of tools as problem solving devices. looking at conceptual and ph ysical tools and the mapping of functionality. The discourse in this chapter is aimed at providing a rati onale for the development of a software based tool to address some of the issues raised previously in the study. The concluding chapter will document the evolution of a software based audio-visual performance environment, mapping its various incarnations and its relationship to the theoretical model developed over the course of the pervious chapters. Thi s chapter will refer to documentation and audi o visual material on CD Rom and DVD found in Appendix l. Contents A CKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................... ......................................... .... - 1 - AUTHOR'S DECLARATION .. ................................................................. .................................................... - 2 - WORKSHOP/CONFERENCE ATTENDANCES ......................................................................... ...................... - 2- INTRODUCTION - A PERSONAL STATEMENT .................................................................................... .. ...... - 3 - CHAPTER 1 - TERMS O F R EFERENCE ......... ....................................................................................... .. .. .... - 7 - 1.1 Systems Theory ....................................................................................................... ..... ................ - 7- 1.2 Spoken Language .............................................................. ........................................................... - 9 - 1.3 Cognitive Science and Neuroscience .................................................. ......................................... - 9 - 1.4 Metaphor of Mind.. .................. .................................................................................................. - 11 - 1.5 Anecdotal Evidence ..................................... .................................................. ............................ - 12- 1.6 The Scope of the Prototype .......................... .............................................................. .. .. ............ - 13 - 1.7 Tools and Too/makers ............................................................................................................... - 14- 1.8 The Conceptual Tool ............................................ ..................................................................... - 15 - CHAPTER2 - I MPROVISATION AND H UM AN B EHAVIOUR .......... .................. .......... ................................. - 17 - 2.1 Evolution of the Brain - Spontaneity Versus Learnt Behaviour............ ..................................... - 17 - 2. 2 Models of Memory....... ............................................................................................. ....... .......... - 20- 2.3 Motor Control and Skill Acquisition.......... ........ ........................................................................ - 23 - 2.4 The Limitations of Consciousness ............................................................................................. - 28 - 2. 5 Voluntary and Mechanical Behavior ......................................................................................... - 31 - 2. 6 Subconscious Processing .................................................................................................... ....... - 39- CHAPTER 3 - IMPROVISATION AND COMMUNICATION .................................... ........................ .... ........... - 4 6- 3.1 Language and Spontaneous Thought .................................... .............. ....................................... - 46 - 3.2 Primal Utterances ..................................................................................................................... - 52 - CHAPTER4- A M ODEL OF IMPROVISATION AS H UMAN BEHAVIOUR ..................................................... - 58- 4.1 Processing Ref erents ................................................................................................................. - 59 - 4.2 Internal Dilemmas ..................................................................................................................... - 64 - CHAPTER 5-TOOLS FOR lMPROVISATION .................................. .. ...... ........ .... ....................................... -70 - 5.1 Interacting with Tools.................. .............................................................................................. - 70- 5.2 Mapping a Tools Functionality .............................................. .. .................. ............................... - 73- 5.3 Prosthetic Mental Functioning ......................... .. ................................................................ ....... - 79 - 5.4 The Performer's Perception ...................................................................................................... - 86 - 5. 5 Unilateral and Bilateral Brain Processing ................................................................................ - 89 - 5.6 Modes of lmerference .................................. .. .......................... .................................................. - 93- CHAPTER 6 - EVOLUTION O F THE SYSTEM .............. .............................................................................- 96- 6.1 Generic Characteristics ............................................. ...................................................... .. ........ - 96- 6.2 Musaic ....... ......... .......... .. .. .. ....... .. ................................. .... .......... ............................................. - 100 - 6.3 Lost Hour. ................................................................................................................................ - 102- 6.4 Scribbler ........................................... ....................................................................................... - 103 - 6.5 Hexagram ................................................................................................................................ - 104 - 6.6 Free Key ... .. ....... ..... .. .. .............................................................................................................. - 106 - 6.7 Milieu ................................................ ......... .............................................................................. - 107- 6.8 Milieu