Copyright 2016 Christopher Cayari
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Copyright 2016 Christopher Cayari VIRTUAL VOCAL ENSEMBLES AND THE MEDIATION OF PERFORMANCE ON YOUTUBE BY CHRISTOPHER CAYARI DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Music Education in the Graduate College of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2016 Urbana, Illinois Doctoral Committee: Professor Janet R. Barrett, Chair and Director of Research Professor Cris Mayo Professor Emeritus Robert Stake Assistant Professor Bridget Sweet Adjunct Assistant Professor Matthew D. Thibeault, University of Florida ABSTRACT Musicians produce virtual performance videos of themselves and others on websites like YouTube. In a society with ubiquitous Internet and prominent social media interactions, music education can benefit by exploring the practices of musicians who produce music online, such as the creators of virtual vocal ensembles. A virtual vocal ensemble is a video containing multiple audio-visual tracks layered together through a technique called multitracking. In this performance practice, a virtual vocal ensemble creator records and combines multiple tracks to make a choir of clones or works with others in collaborative or collective ways. The purpose of this study was to explore the implications of virtual vocal ensembles and the medium that emerged from the development and distribution of those videos. This study situates the creators of virtual vocal ensembles within a sound recording medium, based on a theoretical framework developed by Sterne (2003) that defines a medium as a contingent network of relations made up of people, practices, institutions, and technologies. Guiding questions focus on the musical and social implications of creating virtual vocal ensembles, the entities listed above, and the relations between them. Traditional research methods and Internet inquiry were combined to create a multiple case study that examined three YouTube channels, each produced by a video creator. Data included the observation of the videos on the YouTube channels, text comments, and website analytics as well as interviews with video creators and others pertinent to the cases. A cross-case analysis was conducted to produce assertions that attended to the guiding questions. Creators of virtual vocal ensembles developed methods to construct and publish their videos, which were limited by their musical and technological abilities and the resources available. As musicians produced virtual vocal ensembles, online communities containing ii elements of fandoms, learning communities of practice, and music making spaces developed. Implications of the performance practice have effected the way the medium is situated within society as well as the way creators perform choral music and sing. For example, when performers create virtual vocal ensembles, they develop identities as virtual performers and express themselves musically and theatrically. Musical arrangement, voice range expansion, and autonomous exploration of musical concepts were also results of creators’ performance practices. Creating virtual vocal ensembles require not only musical skills, but also technological and production abilities that can be applied to music education practices and expand conceptions of ensemble, performance, and medium. As producers of virtual vocal ensembles, video creators use social media to expand their reach and develop a community that has aspects of a fandom as well as learning and music making communities. Music educators can incorporate the practices of virtual vocal ensemble creators into their instruction and help students learn skills that may allow them to make music outside of the choral ensemble classroom in virtual contexts. iii To my mother, Pamela Hickey, who inspired my love for music iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My deepest gratitude goes to those who have supported me as I pursued my doctorate. To my committee, I thank you for guiding me throughout my studies and the hours you spent reading and guiding me as a student and researcher. Dr. Janet R. Barrett, your direction and support has challenged me to become a better writer, researcher, and thinker. For that I will be eternally grateful. I may never have pursued this line of research if it were not for the mentorship of Dr. Matthew D. Thibeault. You have a way of making me challenge my thinking so that I grow. I thank Dr. Bridget Sweet for sharing her classroom with me and showing me the joys of choral music in music teacher education. Dr. Cris Mayo, you have been a source of strength for me through my best and worst of times. Words can never express how much I look up to you as an educator and as a person. It is truly an honor to have Dr. Robert Stake on my committee. You instilled in me a love for case study when I was working on my Master’s degree. I hope this study makes you proud. I would like to thank my community of friends who have lifted me up, encouraged me, and cheered me on. Thank you, Jennifer Thomas, for being a sounding board, a confidant, and my rock. My dear friends in Illini Student Musicals, you not only gave me balance when I was spending countless hours researching and writing, but you helped me remember that life is so much better with friends who care about you and want to see you succeed no matter what the cost. To Noah Karvelis, Emily Sniegowski , Dr. Al Legutki, and Jesse Rathgeber thank you for reading my writing, helping with my study, allowing me to talk to you for hours about virtual ensembles, and giving me valuable feedback. Craig Evans, thank you for helping me understand YouTube analytics and creating the beautiful figures of networks in this study. Finally, thank you v to Nanette Ross-Meridith. Because of the conversation you and I had in 2005, I pursued higher education. I would not be where I am today without your inspiration. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 2 Defining Virtual Vocal Ensembles ..................................................................................... 4 The Convergence of Media and Technology with Music Making ..................................... 5 Large Ensembles in Music Education ................................................................................. 8 Contemporary Approaches to Learning in Music Education ............................................ 10 Music Education and Virtual Spaces ................................................................................ 11 The Virtual Vocal Ensemble ............................................................................................. 14 Statement of Problem ........................................................................................................ 16 Purpose and Significance of Study ................................................................................... 16 Guiding Questions ............................................................................................................ 17 Research Design and Scope .............................................................................................. 19 Summary ........................................................................................................................................ 21 Overview of Dissertation .................................................................................................. 22 Table for Chapter One ................................................................................................................... 24 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................................... 25 Media, Sound Recording, and Music ............................................................................................. 25 Interaction Between Society and Technology .................................................................. 26 Ensembles and Choral Singing within Music Education .................................................. 35 The Emergence of Virtual Communities and Online Learning ........................................ 44 Participatory Culture on the Internet ................................................................................. 46 YouTube and Online Performance ................................................................................... 50 Summary ........................................................................................................................... 67 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY .............................................................................................................. 69 Multiple Case Study ....................................................................................................................... 69 Case and Multiple Study Design ....................................................................................... 69 Internet Inquiry ................................................................................................................. 71 The YouTube Channel as a Case Boundary ..................................................................... 72 Research Design ............................................................................................................................ 74 vii Case Selection ..................................................................................................................