Competencias creativas en el aula de música = Creative competences in music classes

En el marco de las competencias profesionales del educador musical, la creatividad ocupa una posición que a menudo ha sido definida como sistémica. La labor del educador y/o formador en el aula de música requiere, de forma genérica, el despliegue de competencias que incorporen la creatividad. En este artículo se presentan los resultados de un trabajo realizado con dos muestras de alumnos, de tercer curso de magisterio y de un curso postgrado. Se ofrecen y se analizan los datos recogidos con la finalidad de desplegar un mapa que integre competencias creativas genéricas, específicas y disciplinares

Bowing the violin : a case study for auditory-motor pattern modelling in the context of music performance

This project addresses methodological and technological challenges in the development of multi-modal data acquisition and analysis methods for the representation of instrumental playing technique in music performance through auditory-motor patterning models. The case study is violin playing: a multi-modal database of violin performances has been constructed by recording different musicians while playing short exercises on different violins. The exercise set and recording protocol have been designed to sample the space defined by dynamics (from piano to forte) and tone (from sul tasto to sul ponticello), for each bow stroke type being played on each of the four strings (three different pitches per string) at two different tempi. The data, containing audio, video, and motion capture streams, has been processed and segmented to facilitate upcoming analyses. From the acquired motion data, the positions of the instrument string ends and the bow hair ribbon ends are tracked and processed to obtain a number of bowing descriptors suited for a detailed description and analysis of the bow motion patterns taking place during performance. Likewise, a number of sound perceptual attributes are computed from the audio streams. Besides the methodology and the implementation of a number of data acquisition tools, this project introduces preliminary results from analyzing bowing technique on a multi-modal violin performance database that is unique in its class. A further contribution of this project is the data itself, which will be made available to the scientific community through the repovizz platform.

Traditional and transgenic strategies for controlling tomato-infecting begomoviruses

Viruses of to the family Geminiviridae are considered some of the most important pathogens in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Members of one Geminiviridae genus, Begomovirus, have been causing severe losses, particularly in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) production in the Americas and the Caribbean. Several new begomoviruses have been reported in the region and, at least one, Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), has been brought in from the Old World via infected transplants. In addition, the recombination events that are playing an important role in Begomovirus diversity have increased the complexity of their control. This scenario has led to the search for control measures that go beyond traditional host genetic resistance, chemical controls and cultural practices. In this review, besides the recommended classical control measures, transgenic approaches will be discussed, as well as the mechanisms involved in their successful control of viruses.

Comparison Structure Analysis

This study presents an automatic, computer-aided analytical method called Comparison Structure Analysis (CSA), which can be applied to different dimensions of music. The aim of CSA is first and foremost practical: to produce dynamic and understandable representations of musical properties by evaluating the prevalence of a chosen musical data structure through a musical piece. Such a comparison structure may refer to a mathematical vector, a set, a matrix or another type of data structure and even a combination of data structures. CSA depends on an abstract systematic segmentation that allows for a statistical or mathematical survey of the data. To choose a comparison structure is to tune the apparatus to be sensitive to an exclusive set of musical properties. CSA settles somewhere between traditional music analysis and computer aided music information retrieval (MIR). Theoretically defined musical entities, such as pitch-class sets, set-classes and particular rhythm patterns are detected in compositions using pattern extraction and pattern comparison algorithms that are typical within the field of MIR. In principle, the idea of comparison structure analysis can be applied to any time-series type data and, in the music analytical context, to polyphonic as well as homophonic music. Tonal trends, set-class similarities, invertible counterpoints, voice-leading similarities, short-term modulations, rhythmic similarities and multiparametric changes in musical texture were studied. Since CSA allows for a highly accurate classification of compositions, its methods may be applicable to symbolic music information retrieval as well. The strength of CSA relies especially on the possibility to make comparisons between the observations concerning different musical parameters and to combine it with statistical and perhaps other music analytical methods. The results of CSA are dependent on the competence of the similarity measure. New similarity measures for tonal stability, rhythmic and set-class similarity measurements were proposed. The most advanced results were attained by employing the automated function generation – comparable with the so-called genetic programming – to search for an optimal model for set-class similarity measurements. However, the results of CSA seem to agree strongly, independent of the type of similarity function employed in the analysis.

Faster for the master! : exploring issues of religious expression and alternative Christian identity within the Finnish Christian metal music scene

Populärkulturen har i dagens läge kommit att utgöra en allt mer viktig och central inspirationskälla för allt fler människors konstruktion av den egna religiösa identiteten även inom traditionella och institutionella kristna sammanhang. Denna avhandling belyser denna utveckling i ljuset av den finländska kristna metallmusik-kulturen - en sällsynt stark sammanblanding av protestantisk kristendom och en utpräglad och kontroversiell populärmusikform och dess kultur. Fokus riktas framför allt på hur den kristna metallmusik-kulturen blir meningsfull för sina medlemmar genom de sätt på vilka den konstrueras diskursivt, dvs. genom de sätt på vilka den representeras och talas om bland sina egna anhängare. Den diskursiva konstruktionen av den kristna metallmusik-kulturen utforskas på ett såväl bredare transnationellt som ett finländskt nationellt plan. Studien redogör även för den kristna metalmusikens och -kulturens huvudsakliga verbala, visuella och estetiska kännetecken. Uppbyggnaden och spridningen av dagens transnationella kristna metallmusik-kultur undersöks även i ljuset av det teoretiska konceptet scene. Avhandlingens centrala argument är att den kristna metallmusikscenen erbjuder sina medlemmar en mängd resurser för skapandet av ett alternativt och komplementärt religiöst uttrycksätt, religiös praxis och en alternativ kristen identitet.

Immateriellt kulturarv som begrepp och process : folkloristiska perspektiv på kulturarv i Finlands svenskbygder med folkmusik som exempel

Cultural heritage has become something of an in-word in recent times. Intangible cultural heritage, however, is a category that has received relatively little attention. This folkloristic study focuses on intangible cultural heritage as concept and as process. Folkloristics as a scholarly branch emphasizes non-material culture. Consequently, there is a big potential in bringing existing knowledge of folklore together with current scholarly theories concerning cultural heritage in order to expand the understanding of intangible cultural heritage. In this thesis cultural heritage is regarded as a symbolic construct, which is spoken of and discussed in specific ways. The study of intangible cultural heritage (Swe. kulturarv) as concept focuses on this area. For a cultural component to be experienced as intangible cultural heritage it is, however, not enough to discuss it in those terms. Instead, cultural heritage status needs to be acted out during lengthy processes. This is demonstrated by the study of intangible cultural heritage as process. As a consequence performativity appears crucial to an understanding of cultural heritage – when a sufficient number of people speak and act as if a cultural component has a special status, it will also be perceived as cultural heritage. In this dissertation intangible cultural heritage is studied through cultural analysis, more specifically through discourse analysis. The usage of the concept intangible cultural heritage within cultural organizations, in scholarly use and in the Swedish-speaking press in Finland is examined. Traditional music in the Swedish-speaking districts of Finland is used as a case study of intangible cultural heritage as process. The examination concerns how traditional music, an intangible cultural component, has been discussed, transformed, standardized and objectified in a cultural heritage process. Cultural heritage is generally used as a token of value so that certain cultural components, both intangible and tangible, which are discussed in terms of cultural heritage are perceived to be valuable and should therefore be safeguarded. Intangible cultural heritage depends on performance, that is practitioners use their bodies to act out their traditional knowledge through song, handicraft, storytelling and so on. Intangible cultural components can be transmitted to other individuals in a performance situation, and they can also be documented. In Finland documentation and subsequent filing in archives have been associated with safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage. If the aim of safeguarding is to uphold traditional practices, which is the case for among others UNESCO’s programs aimed at intangible cultural heritage, other efforts are called for: forms of safeguarding that support performance and transmission.

Musikalisk lärandemiljö : planerade musikaktiviteter med småbarn i daghem

A musically stimulating nvironment is of great significance when considering the opportunities for development and learning that are offered to children in day nurseries. Moreover, the quality of musical activities also has great significance for the musical development of growing children. Young children are always striving to create meaning and understanding; they influence and are influenced by the context in which they are situated. The purpose of this study is to investigate the planned music activities in the musical learning environment of seven toddler’s groups in day nurseries, based on four different aspects: the texts of children’s songs, the melodies of children’s songs, the basic elements of music and the use of instrumentation. The data has been gathered by video observation of the planned music activities. The age of the children studied ranged from 11 months to 3 years and 11 months, and on average there were 13 children in each group. The study involved a total of just over 90 children and nine educators. The methodological approaches are hermeneutic as well as videographic, and they are applied to the analysis as required. The approaches are well suited to an understanding of the planned music activities where the individual’s communications and actions are studied. The results of the study show that educators impart a cultural heritage to the children in the form of old traditional songs, but they also act as intermediaries for newer children's songs. They focus on actively on the text content of the children’s songs in their interaction with the children, but do not address the meaning of the text. Furthermore, while the educators use music sessions for the children to develop, among other things, an understanding of language and social skills, they do not use the sessions to develop the children’s musical skills. The educators could, to a much greater extent than they now do, direct the children's attention to the basic elements of music, and conduct meta-cognitive dialogues with the children. They use a large repertoire of children's songs, which are, however, often too demanding for the children’s voices to cope with. In addition, the educators do not plan, in any significant way, activities for the toddlers in order to help them develop the accuracy of their vocal tones. With regard to the use of instruments, the educators focus, in their interaction with the children, is placed on both the usage of the instruments and knowledge about the instruments. Regarding the use of instruments the study shows that the children’s musical expression takes place in an environment that includes both melody and rhythm instruments. It is clear that children are actively interested in the constructed instrument environment, because for long periods of time they independently play and experiment with instruments.

St. Petersburg Court Chant and the Tradition of Eastern Slavic Church Singing

The present study examines the repertory of liturgical chant known as St. Petersburg Court Chant which emerged within the Imperial Court of St. Petersburg, Russia, and appeared in print in a number of revisions during the course of the 19th century, eventually to spread throughout the Russian Empire and even abroad. The study seeks answers to questions on the essence and composition of Court Chant, its history and liturgical background, and most importantly, its musical relationship to other repertories of Eastern Slavic chant. The research questions emerge from previous literary accounts of Court Chant (summarized in the Introduction), which have tended to be inaccurate and generally not based on critical research. The study is divided into eight main chapters. Chapter 1 provides a survey of the history of Eastern Slavic chant and the Imperial Court Chapel of St. Petersburg until 1917, with special emphasis on the history of singing traditional chant in polyphony, the status of the Court Chapel as a government authority, and its endeavours in publishing church music. Chapter 2 deals with the liturgical background of Eastern chant, the chant genres, and main repertories of Eastern Slavic chant. Chapter 3 concentrates on chant sources: it introduces the musical notations utilised, after which a typology of chant books is presented. The discussion continues with a survey of the sources of Court Chant and their content, the specimens selected for closer analysis, the comparative materials from other repertories, and ends with a commentary on some chant sources that have been excluded. The comparative sources include a specimen from around the beginning of the 12th century, a few manuscripts from the 17th century, and printed and manuscript chant books from the early 18th to early 20th century, covering the geographical area that delimits to the western Ukraine, Astrakhan, Nizhny Novgorod, and the Solovetsky Monastery. Chapter 4 presents the approach and methods used in the subsequent analytical comparisons. After a survey of the pitch organization of Eastern Slavic chant, the customary harmonization strategy of traditional chant polyphony is examined, according to which a method for meaningful analysis of the harmony is proposed. The method is based on the observation that the harmonic framework of chant polyphony derives from the standard pitch collection of monodic chant known as the Church Gamut, specific pitches of which form eight harmonic regions that behave like the usual tonalities of major and harmonic minor. Because of the considerable quantity of comparative chant forms, computer-assisted statistical methods are applied to the analysis of chant melodies. The primary chant forms and their respective comparative forms have been pre-processed into reduced chant prototypes and divided into redactions. The analyses are carried out by measuring the formal dissimilarities of the primary chant forms of the Court Chant repertory against each comparative form, and also by measuring the reciprocal dissimilarities of all chant versions in a redaction, the results of which are subjected to agglomerative hierarchical clustering in order to find out how the chant forms relate to each other. The dissimilarities are determined by applying a metric dissimilarity function that is based on the Levenshtein Distance. Chapter 5 provides the melodic and harmonic analyses of generic chants (chants used for multiple texts of different lengths), i.e., chants for stichera samoglasny and troparia, Chapter 6 of pseudo-generic chants (chants that are used for multiple texts but with certain restrictions), i.e., chants for heirmoi, prokeimena, and three other hymns, and Chapter 7 of non-generic chants, covering nine chants that in the Court repertory are not shared by multiple texts. The results are summarized and evaluated in Chapter 8. Accordingly, it can be established that, contrary to previous conceptions, melodically, Court Chant is in effect a full part of the wider Eastern Slavic chant tradition. Even if it is somewhat detached from the chant versions of the Synodal square-note chant books and the local tradition of Moscow, it is particularly close to chant forms of East Ukraine and some vernacular repertories from Russia. Respectively, the harmonization strategies of Court Chant do not show significant individuality in comparison with those of the available polyphonic comparative sources, the main difference being the part-writing, which generally conforms to western common practice standard, whereas the deviations from this tend to be more significant in other analysed repertories of polyphonic chant. Thus, insofar as the subsequent prevalence of Court Chant is not based on its forceful dissemination by authorities (as suggested in previous literature but for which little tangible evidence could be found in Chapter 1), in the present author’s interpretation, Court Chant attained its dominance principally because musically it was considered sufficiently traditional, and as a chant body supported by the government, was conveniently available in print in serviceable harmonizations.