Infrasonority Exploration of Sound Energy below 20Hz in Music Franco Schoeman (984439) Supervised by: Jonathan Crossley and Cameron Harris The University of the Witwatersrand A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Humanities in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music (MMus in Composition) i Declaration I know that plagiarism is wrong. Plagiarism is to use another’s work and to pretend that it is one’s own. I have used the author date convention for citation and referencing. Each significant contribution to and quotation in this dissertation from the work/s of other people has been acknowledged through citation and reference. I declare that this dissertation is my own unaided work. It is submitted for the degree of Master of Music in the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. It has not been submitted before for any other degree or examination in any other university. ________________ Franco Schoeman 984439 __ __ 2017 ii Abstract This thesis investigates an underdeveloped and little explored area of music and the arts: the use of infrasound (frequencies below 20Hz) as musical material in creative composition. Discussions, research and experiments conducted toward the prospect of exposing infrasonic characteristics were fundamental to the composition and recital that informed the thesis. The infrasonic material from which the composition was created contained synthesized wave forms, recordings of elephant vocalisation and thunderstorms. The infrasonic reproduction for the concert required explicit attention and enquiry regarding physical properties of the sonic phenomenon, equipment infrastructure and limitations in human perception. iii Acknowledgements Without the support of the Sound Corporation, none of the research experiments nor the recital would have been possible. The company staff engaged and assisted the experimentation process since the day they were approached. I am extremely grateful to have had access to this very high-end equipment which served the purpose of this unique artistic experimentation and incorporation of infrasound. Sean and Michael Hensman, the Rory Hensman Elephant Research and Conservation Unit as well as the Adventures With Elephants (AWE) staff were absolutely instrumental in the recording of elephant infrasound for which I am eternally grateful. I thank Kyle Mijlof, a personal friend, who connected me directly to the Hensman Brothers. Their motivation and prowess in understanding how to facilitate the behaviour of the elephants made obtaining this research data a possibility, and in the process provided me with an experience of a lifetime. To my supervisors Jonathan and Cameron, my gratitude for your empirical guidance with which I continue building my interest in writing. Your patience and enthusiasm has propelled this journey, resulting as growth in the expressions of my existential being. I thank Grace, a most wonderful and unique person who introduced me to Wits University and the post graduate world, for supporting and evaluating my arguments and experimentation. A sincere thank you to any and all who showed particular interest in this research. The curiosity and enquiry on specific details regarding this thesis stretches broadly across my circles and amounted to inordinate motivation in my personal environment. iv Table of Contents Declaration .............................................................................................................................ii Abstract................................................................................................................................. iii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... iv 1. Chapter 1: Infrasound ....................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction and Rationale ...................................................................................... 1 1.2 Research Aims ....................................................................................................... 3 1.3 General Terminology .............................................................................................. 5 2. Chapter 2: Producing and Incorporating Infrasound .......................................................... 6 2.1 Perception of Infrasound ......................................................................................... 6 2.2 Theoretical Background .......................................................................................... 8 2.3 Validation of the Infrasound .................................................................................. 16 3. Chapter 3: Literature Review ........................................................................................... 18 3.1 The Properties and Perception of Infrasound ........................................................ 18 3.1.1 Amplitude ....................................................................................................... 18 3.1.2 Waveform ...................................................................................................... 20 3.1.3 Wavelength .................................................................................................... 21 3.1.4 Transient Value .............................................................................................. 22 3.2 History of Infrasound ............................................................................................. 23 3.3 Tangibility of Infrasound (Helpful or Harmful?) ...................................................... 25 3.4 Infrasonic Music .................................................................................................... 28 3.5 Acoustic Ecology .................................................................................................. 34 3.6 The Biophony of Elephants ................................................................................... 36 3.7 Chapter Overview ................................................................................................. 37 4. Chapter 4: Research Methodology .................................................................................. 38 v 4.1 Generation and Detection of Infrasound ................................................................ 41 4.1.1 Digital Generation of Infrasound .................................................................... 41 4.2 Electro Acoustic Generation of Infrasound ............................................................ 45 4.3 Recording Equipment ........................................................................................... 47 4.4 Conceptualizing the Infra-mic ................................................................................ 47 4.5 Frequency Analysis ............................................................................................... 49 4.6 Experiments to Produce Infrasound ...................................................................... 54 4.6.1 Three Important Sessions .............................................................................. 54 4.7 Field Recordings ................................................................................................... 62 4.7.1 Thunderstorm Field Recording ....................................................................... 68 4.8 Samples and Noise Contamination ....................................................................... 69 4.9 Reflection on the Research Methodology. ............................................................. 75 5. Chapter 5: Composition Methodology ............................................................................. 76 5.1 Generated Infrasound ........................................................................................... 76 5.2 Theory and Experimentation ................................................................................. 77 5.2.1 Simple Sine Wave Oscillation ........................................................................ 77 5.2.2 Combinations of Oscillations .......................................................................... 79 5.3 Recorded Infrasound ............................................................................................ 81 5.3.1 Elephant Infrasound ....................................................................................... 82 5.3.2 Thunderstorm Infrasound ............................................................................... 82 5.4 Amalgamative Composition .................................................................................. 83 5.5 The Infrasonority Notation ..................................................................................... 84 5.6 Infrasonority in Nine Movements ........................................................................... 87 5.7 The Infrasonority Recital ....................................................................................... 89 vi 5.7.1 The Experience .............................................................................................. 90 6. Chapter 6: Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 92 6.1 Summary .............................................................................................................. 92 6.2 Research Recommendations ................................................................................ 99 6.3 Reflection ...........................................................................................................