Masters Degrees (Music)

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    The influence of constructive feedback within the recording studio environment
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-12) Kwonglee, Danielle; Roux, Gerhard; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Music.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Feedback is constantly occurring between the technician and their equipment, as well as between the technician and the artist. However, limited research is available on constructive feedback methods for the technician and the artist that will create the most productive work environment. The goal of this research study is to show how to approach dealing with clients, the different feedback methods available to use, and to create an awareness of the role of the engineer in ensuring a successful production process. This was done by researching the Sandwich Feedback model and the Behavioural Analysis Feedback model (BAF in greater detail and relating it to music technology. This study attempted to provide technicians with the necessary tools needed for human interaction in any production. Sources in Music Technology and Industrial Psychology, specifically constructive feedback and different feedback models, were used to construct a survey that was completed anonymously by various musicians and technicians to establish which feedback model is effective for the field of Music Technology. This survey was drawn up with the purpose of ascertaining how knowledgeable those who work in the audio industry are regarding different feedback methods. The different results were compared, and it was concluded that the Behavioural Analysis Feedback model is the preferred model for the technician and the artist to ensure a successful production. This study has endeavoured to create an awareness of the approach when dealing with clients and to realise the role the sound engineer plays in maximising success during a production process. This thesis attempts to provide an introduction of sorts to different f feedback methods available in order to aid in a n advantageous relationship between the producer, or recording engineer, and the artist.
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    Remembering erasure: reconstructions of first world war memory in William Kentridge’s the head & the load and David Diop’s at night all blood is black
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-12) Esterhuyse, Rene Elizabeth; Venter, Carina; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Music.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation is concerned with artistic representations of accounts largely erased from official memory of the First World War: the perspectives of African soldiers and carriers. It thinks through the ways in which the arts can play a role in bringing these previously unacknowledged voices into the foreground, thereby contributing to collective memory of a historical event. An interdisciplinary endeavour straddling the fields of musicological and literary studies, this project comprises a close reading of the stage production, The Head & the Load (directed by William Kentridge, with music by Philip Miller and Thuthuka Sibisi) and the novel, At night all blood is black, by French author David Diop. The former commemorates porters recruited in colonial Africa, aiming to acknowledge their contributions to the war effort and to recognise their suffering. The latter reimagines the familiar setting of the trenches through the eyes of a Senegalese colonial soldier. Both works debuted in 2018, the year of widespread celebrations of the centenary of the Armistice. Through intertwining the history of colonialism with that of the Great War, the shift of perspective in The Head & the Load and At night all blood is black reveals layers of ambiguity that are traditionally excluded from First World War narratives. The analysis is organised thematically. The first chapter addresses the much-debated issue of the ethics involved in the aesthetic representation of others’ traumatic experiences. I critically regard the aesthetic strategy of fragmentation employed in both works, and, following historian Dominick LaCapra’s critiques of this aesthetic strategy, I consider the extent to which these works achieve his ideal ethical position of ‘empathic unsettlement’. The second chapter examines these works’ portrayal of colonial relations within the context of the First World War: both The Head & the Load and At night all blood is black comment on the colonial system as one of dehumanisation and exploitation. Chapter 3 explores the presence of laughter, which I link to questions of power and agency. The Head & the Load employs humorous satire as an instance of the Bakhtinian carnivalesque – a symbolic revolt against colonial authority. In contrast, in At night all blood is black, laughter suggests powerlessness in the face of extraordinarily intense experiences. I conclude by considering the limitations of art when pressed into the service of social justice and historical redress.
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    South African saxophone compositions: exploring the process of creating new music for saxophone through the lens of artistic research and performer-composer collaboration
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-12) Mc Clure, Josie; Lesch, Felicia; Burden, Liam; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Music.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Globally, there is a substantial body of repertoire for the classical saxophone. In South Africa, however, compositions for the classical saxophone by national composers are in short supply. This research investigated possible reasons for the limited compositional output of the instrument in this genre in South Africa. The research process included the commissioning of two works by composers Arthur Feder and Clare Loveday in an endeavour to expand this repertoire. The emerging field of artistic research was the primary vehicle for this study and included performer (the researcher) - composer collaboration, research in and through the arts, and critical reflection, the latter integral to artistic research and collaborative composition. Interviews were conducted with pedagogues, actively performing saxophonists, South African composers or those residing in the country for a decade or more. The interviews provided invaluable insight into the context within which the classical saxophone is situated in South Africa, where it is viewed as an instrument commonly used in jazz performance. The lack of saxophone-specific pedagogical resources, the high cost of commissions and the small number of classically-trained saxophone specialists country-wide, are all factors which limit the number of classical saxophone performers and repertoire. Classical saxophonists are often not able to participate in concerto festivals because the orchestral music is generally not available in the institution's library and extremely costly to hire. The retrieved data revealed possible solutions to the research question which included factors such as the processes of commissioning works in South Africa and access to South African composers. In the absence of a commissioning guide in South Africa, participants in the study shared their methods of commissioning works and their reasons for doing so. The data revealed that the role of national festivals and competitions are powerful conduits for promoting South African music. The participants shared their hopes and opinions for the future of the classical saxophone. Finally, the researcher created a draft catalogue of existing classical saxophone works to complement the fragmented databases found during the course of this research.
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    Practical music learning: An investigation into institutional differences between schools and specialist music centres in the Greater Cape Town Area
    (2023-03) West, David John; Muller, Danell
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research set out to investigate the dynamic environment within music departments in academic schools and music centres in relation to practical music learning (PML). The aim was to uncover which aspects affect PML in a positive or negative way, and which of these are generic, or unique to a specific type of institution. Areas explored included facilities, scheduling, teaching space, ensemble programmes, and approaches towards additional activities like examinations, eisteddfods and competitions. A mixed methods approach was employed in order to explore teachers’ perspectives (qualitative data) and students’ perspectives (quantitative data). Qualitative data, collected in the form of interviews and focus group discussions, explored eight instrumental teachers’ teaching philosophies, and their attempts to navigate the dynamic PML environment. Quantitative data was collected though a survey questionnaire, and was used to support or refute qualitative data. Data was analysed and organised to describe features within the learning environment in various different institutions. This data is also contextualised through an initial orientation overview into school systems and music offering of school music departments and music centres. Interviewed teachers prioritise progress, educational value, enjoyment, and a degree of student choice in their teaching philosophies. Some distinctive differences between academic schools were explored, and it became apparent that there is a great degree of variance between music departments in different public academic schools. Participants encountered challenges in scheduling and room allocation, which frequently impacted on teaching time. Although in many situations participants described good music departments and facilities, which was backed up with the quantitative data, the practicality of some teaching spaces for PML was discovered to be inadequate. Reasons for this include available space, acoustics suitable to develop tone production, and rooms that are inappropriate or demeaning for the purposes of PML. Although the availability of ensemble activities was found to be universal, the type of ensemble offering varied between different institutions. Support for external activities like examinations and eisteddfods varied among participants, and support was tempered by student choice. Music teachers are inclined to opt for and remain at music departments or music centres where there is a strong culture of music within the institution and among all the role players: management, other subject teachers, music teachers and parents. Other important features include strong management, good lines of communication and good facilities that meet the requirements for PML. Retaining competent, motivated staff is likely to add to the strength of music departments and music centres, which in turn will have a positive influence on PML.
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    Copyriot: the political economy of digital music streaming
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-03) Froehlich, Anke Hilde; Froneman, Willemien; Lambrechts, Lizabe; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Music.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis, based on a discourse analysis of recent scholarship in the fields of popular music studies, international legal theory, and economic-political theory, analyses the political economy of online music streaming, focussing on Spotify’s playlist-oriented business approach. By tracing the shift in the digital music industry from ‘scarcity’ to ‘abundance’, I argue – following the work of Eric Drott (2019) – for a revised understanding of music’s commodification in the digital streaming era. The analysis proceeds along two lines. The first asks how, from a Marxist perspective, Spotify’s practices of rentiership, its positioning within the ‘gig’ economy and its relationship to the so-called ‘Big Three’ record companies may be situated within the circuit of capital, while the second, which draws on the work of Robin James (2021), Friedlind Riedel (2020) and William Mazzarella (2017), considers the affective dimensions of Spotify’s streaming business strategy – particularly its curation of ‘vibes’. Additionally, the thesis offers a historical overview of the hierarchical structure of music copyright law that continues to privilege record companies, showing how music copyright is rooted in Mussollini’s Fascist politics. The study concludes that Spotify harnesses what Martin Scherzinger (2016) has termed music’s ‘experiential liveness’ to produce ‘mana’ moments by engaging users in activity-oriented listening.