Patterns and Music
To escape the identitary cages we are surrounded by, whilst dealing with today's culture with its complexities, diversity and pervasiveness, a conscious approach to the whole range of music phenomena is fundamental both for curatorial and artistic/music practices and the perception of the habitual music listener.
The module puts forth an approach to music stemming from an analysis of listening, and proposes a series of techniques for music production as well as strategies to deal with music in its broadest acceptation. Specifically, it will trace the consequences of embracing the conceptual frame of cognitive patterns when dealing with the complexities of the evolution of music structures (from the history of Western musical tradition up to the forms and styles of the music practices in today’s media culture).
Alternating discussion of theoretical notions and listening experiences with practical laboratories (production/composition and performing with voice, body-percussion and found objects), the module is suitable for participants with any degree of music knowledge from novice to skilled musician, as no previous knowledge of music theory and music notation are required.
SCHEDULE
May 25th
morning
Guided tour to Cittadellarte, including the Pistoletto, Arte Povera collections and temporary exhibitions (curated by Luca Furlan)
Group presentation
afternoon
Introduction of the main topics of the course
Discussion
May 26th
morning
A simple technique of pattern composition
afternoon
Laboratory: My first composition
May 27th
morning
Special and notorious patterns
afternoon
Laboratory: Using the voice
May 28th
morning
A pattern history of Western music
afternoon
Laboratory: My first music performance project
May 29th
morning
What is there in music besides patterns?
afternoon
Laboratory: Let’s build a collective pattern performance
REFERENCES
The mentor will prepare a reader for participants with key texts, some of which will be discussed during the week.
Agamben G., What is an apparatus? and other essays, Stanford, University Press, Palo Alto, 2009
Besseler H., Das musikalische Haƒaren der Neuzeit, Berlin, 1959
Akademie-Verlag, L’ascolto musicale nell'età moderna, Il Mulino, Bologna, 1993
Bregman AS,. Auditory Scene Analysis: The Perceptual Organization of Sound, Bradford Books, MIT Press, Cambridge, 1990
Delalande F., Le condotte musicali, Clueb, Bologna, 1993
Foucault M., The Archeology of Knowledge, trans. by S. Smith, Pantheon Books, New York, 1969
Foucault M., The Subject and Power, on Hubert L. Dreyfus & Rabinow P., Michel Foucault: Beyond Structuralism and Hermeneutics, Harvester Press, Brighton, 1982
Huron D., Sweet anticipation: music and the psychology of Expectation, MIT Press, Mass, Cambridge, 2007
Margolis H., Patterns Thinking and Cognition, University of Chicago Press, 1987
Maturana H. Varela F., The tree of knowledge: the biological roots of human understanding, Shambhala, Boston, 1992
Nattiez J., Musicologie generale et sémiologie, 1987, it. trans. Musicologia generale e semiologia, EDT, Torino, 1989
Ockelford A., Repetition in music: theoretical and metatheoretical perspectives, Ashgate, London, 2005
BIOGRAPHY AND STATEMENT
Massimiliano Viel is a composer, musician and researcher. His manifold activities as composer, keyboard player and sound designer brought him to collaborate with ensembles, orchestras and theatres all over the world and with composers such as L. Berio and K. Stockhausen.
Besides the production of scores for acoustic and electronic instruments, from solo works to orchestra pieces, he developed his artistic path around the relationship between music and other media, realizing performances and installations in close contact with theatre, visual arts and dance.
He is member of the Italian collective “otolab”, devoted to audiovisual performance.
He is a professor at Bolzano’s Conservatory (Italy) and PhD researcher at the Planetary Collegium T-Node, University of Plymouth (UK).
download the full documentation about the module and the mentor in PDF format
