Conceptual Relations: Musical Representations Do Not Need Music Theory

Symposium:

• ISEA2011: 17th International Symposium on Electronic Art

• Exploring and Experimenting with Sound

• Conceptual Relations: Musical Representations Do Not Need Music Theory

• Sebastian Schmidt
• Thomas A. Troge
• Denis Lorrain

Venue(s):

• Sabanci Center, Istanbul, Turkey

• Background: In the scientific discourse the opinion prevails that music can only be understood, if listeners have learned explicit musical logic. Therefore it is important a musician or a composer study different theories about music, in order to expand abilities and to develop its own practical style.

  But which musical representations could attain listeners, which neither have studied music theories, nor play a music instrument?

  Aims: This paper focus to explain that musical representations are constructed as combinations of conceptual relations between classes or categories of sounds. This construction is performed during classification or categorization, caused by unconscious and conscious ratings of possible relations. The second aim is to present an initial draft of a new musical description, based on mixture of conceptual relations, which, in a process of abduction, assign their dynamic identity to acoustical information.

  Main Contribution: In a first step this paper points the working of the nervous system in relation the auditory memory and the underlying principles from the cognitive perspective as well as the process of memorization  from  the  perspective  of  emotion.  In  a  second  step,  we  outline  the  conditions  and functionality of conceptual relations between sounds as a process of abduction.

  Conclusion:  With  the  resources  of  modern  science,  we  have  tried  to  shown  in  this  paper  that classification and categorization of information processes is a general mental operation in human beings. Hence, we suggested, non-musicians also have the ability to rate, separate and group individual sound events in relation to musical representations. Those representations can be different from those of trained musicians, as regards their structure, time span, and effect.
  Our main point was to sketch an initial draft of a new musical theory, based on mixture of conceptual relations, which, in a process of abduction, assign their dynamic identity to acoustical information. In addition, such relations are responsible for musical concepts and emotional states arisen while listening to music, and for the musical perception of time.

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• Full text (PDF) p. 2177-2183

Category:

• Paper