Understanding motivation and practice quality in elite music performance. This project examines motivation and practice quality in elite music performance. It applies major theoretical explanations from other domains where optimising motivation and practice quality has consistently been found to increase performance, persistence, learning, creativity, and wellbeing. The expected outcomes of the project address the competitiveness of Australian musicians, particularly in light of significantly lo ....Understanding motivation and practice quality in elite music performance. This project examines motivation and practice quality in elite music performance. It applies major theoretical explanations from other domains where optimising motivation and practice quality has consistently been found to increase performance, persistence, learning, creativity, and wellbeing. The expected outcomes of the project address the competitiveness of Australian musicians, particularly in light of significantly lower funding for music institutions compared to international counterparts. The research endeavours to inform understandings about the nature of motivation and practice more generally, by extending conceptions that have until now been formed largely through research in non-artistic domains of human accomplishment.Read moreRead less
Transformations from Renaissance to Baroque: The Cultural and Musical Significance of Giovanni Gabrieli. The Western European tradition forms a significant part of Australia's culture, and it is important that Australians are contributors to the extension of this tradition as well as being consumers. This project will discover new music and materials that will be of immense interest to many Australians, and it will make its discoveries known in an accessible way that meets the demand in Austral ....Transformations from Renaissance to Baroque: The Cultural and Musical Significance of Giovanni Gabrieli. The Western European tradition forms a significant part of Australia's culture, and it is important that Australians are contributors to the extension of this tradition as well as being consumers. This project will discover new music and materials that will be of immense interest to many Australians, and it will make its discoveries known in an accessible way that meets the demand in Australian society. My leadership in Renaissance music studies, especially Gabrieli, is contributing to Australia's involvement in the dynamic, international revival of early music, as well as facilitating telecasts, broadcasts, concerts and recordings.Read moreRead less
Transformations from Renaissance to Baroque: The Cultural and Musical Significance of Giovanni Gabrieli. Giovanni Gabrieli was a major composer at the end of the Renaissance and the beginning of the Baroque. His polychoral music is glorious and his innovations in musical form and style gave rise to major developments in the seventeenth century and beyond. This research will involve in-depth study of Gabrieli and his music in the extraordinarily rich environment of Venice. Libraries will be sear ....Transformations from Renaissance to Baroque: The Cultural and Musical Significance of Giovanni Gabrieli. Giovanni Gabrieli was a major composer at the end of the Renaissance and the beginning of the Baroque. His polychoral music is glorious and his innovations in musical form and style gave rise to major developments in the seventeenth century and beyond. This research will involve in-depth study of Gabrieli and his music in the extraordinarily rich environment of Venice. Libraries will be searched for lost compositions. Gabrieli's music will be more fully understood, and this research will lead to worldwide performance of his works. Read moreRead less
Artistic signatures in violin playing on sound recordings: What makes the performance of a prominent violinist recognizable and legendary? The project's comprehensive account of performance styles in the age of recording will provide significant new knowledge in several respects: The examination of the relationship between the record industry and classical music practitioners will inform about cultural responsibilities, changing taste and the impact of technology on art. The systematic analyses ....Artistic signatures in violin playing on sound recordings: What makes the performance of a prominent violinist recognizable and legendary? The project's comprehensive account of performance styles in the age of recording will provide significant new knowledge in several respects: The examination of the relationship between the record industry and classical music practitioners will inform about cultural responsibilities, changing taste and the impact of technology on art. The systematic analyses of renowned violinists' (including two Australians') recordings will demonstrate the richness and diversity of valid artistic approaches to standard pieces. This will encourage emerging talent to explore the full gamut of expressive and technical means in creating unique and convincing interpretations to invigorate the appeal of classical music in Australia.Read moreRead less
Loudness moves! Roles of changing acoustic intensity in the perception of music. Changing loudness of a sound is an urgent cue for object location, and an emotional cue in speech and music. With new empirical techniques, we will identify roles of loudness in perception of structure, arousal and emotion in music. The work has application in inter-personal communication, sonic information display and, and in music selling online.
Modelling expressiveness and generation of affect in baroque and romantic music. The aim of the project is to develop a computational model of expression in music. The model will be able to distinguish between baroque and romantic expressive devices and enable the analysis of what makes one performance more expressive than another. Self-reported responses to the expressive and technical dimensions of music will be measured as compositions unfold. Time series analysis will be used to explain ho ....Modelling expressiveness and generation of affect in baroque and romantic music. The aim of the project is to develop a computational model of expression in music. The model will be able to distinguish between baroque and romantic expressive devices and enable the analysis of what makes one performance more expressive than another. Self-reported responses to the expressive and technical dimensions of music will be measured as compositions unfold. Time series analysis will be used to explain how changes in technical features can be used to explain and predict expressive response. The model will allow us to understand performance techniques and to gain new insights into the dynamic nature of music.Read moreRead less
Providing a theoretical and empirical foundation for the role of technical practice in the acquisition of musical mastery. Cecilia Bartoli, world-renowned mezzo-soprano, credits her phenomenal vocal technique to daily individual attention from her teacher. Such intensive individualised attention is financially impossible for most musicians so the value of teacher contact hours must be maximised through evidence-based, self-directed technical practice (TP). This multidisciplinary project will ap ....Providing a theoretical and empirical foundation for the role of technical practice in the acquisition of musical mastery. Cecilia Bartoli, world-renowned mezzo-soprano, credits her phenomenal vocal technique to daily individual attention from her teacher. Such intensive individualised attention is financially impossible for most musicians so the value of teacher contact hours must be maximised through evidence-based, self-directed technical practice (TP). This multidisciplinary project will apply world-leading technology to discover the principles of TP required for vocal mastery. By using these principles, teachers and performing arts institutions can maximise the effectiveness of musical instruction in a financially cost effective way, thereby consolidating our place as a world leader in musical performance and in performing arts research.Read moreRead less
The shock of the old: Rediscovering the sounds of bel canto 1700-1900. Bel canto—beautiful singing—describes a forgotten tradition (1700–1900), epitomising clear communication of expression and meaning of text. This project aims to generate new research-based knowledge of bel canto sound vocabulary, music, and history through implementation of a multi-modal method—working with an international community of singers—to produce multi-faceted outputs that inform future scholarship and creativity in ....The shock of the old: Rediscovering the sounds of bel canto 1700-1900. Bel canto—beautiful singing—describes a forgotten tradition (1700–1900), epitomising clear communication of expression and meaning of text. This project aims to generate new research-based knowledge of bel canto sound vocabulary, music, and history through implementation of a multi-modal method—working with an international community of singers—to produce multi-faceted outputs that inform future scholarship and creativity in singing. Modern classical singing fails to communicate the meaning of the text in bel canto repertory. Expected outcomes are revitalisation of global practices to produce classical singers better equipped to convey the text, increasing audience engagement, and the sustainability of the classical music industry.Read moreRead less
Deciphering nineteenth-century pianism. The project aims to investigate the nature of 19th-century piano playing and offer new and alternative ways of interpreting 19th-century repertoire. Current approaches to playing 19th-century piano music differ from evidence of historical practices. The project will address this with ideas on 19th-century piano practice, the relationship between music notation and performance, increased interpretive choices, and a method for historically informed performan ....Deciphering nineteenth-century pianism. The project aims to investigate the nature of 19th-century piano playing and offer new and alternative ways of interpreting 19th-century repertoire. Current approaches to playing 19th-century piano music differ from evidence of historical practices. The project will address this with ideas on 19th-century piano practice, the relationship between music notation and performance, increased interpretive choices, and a method for historically informed performance. Published multi-modal outputs will serve as industry models fostering diversity in performing styles.The project aims to bring social and psychological health benefits, increase wellbeing in our culture and society, and boost the music economy.Read moreRead less
Beyond linear source-filter theory: how does the vocal tract affect the motion of the vocal folds? The human voice lies at the very core of human culture. Yet the way in which the vocal folds ('vocal cords') vibrate is only partly understood and the way in which sound waves within the vocal tract affect this vibration is almost unknown, beyond the fact that it is sometimes important. Using new and unique non-invasive techniques, we shall conduct acoustic experiments to measure properties of the ....Beyond linear source-filter theory: how does the vocal tract affect the motion of the vocal folds? The human voice lies at the very core of human culture. Yet the way in which the vocal folds ('vocal cords') vibrate is only partly understood and the way in which sound waves within the vocal tract affect this vibration is almost unknown, beyond the fact that it is sometimes important. Using new and unique non-invasive techniques, we shall conduct acoustic experiments to measure properties of the vocal folds and their interaction with the sound they produce in the vocal tract. This knowledge will solve some of the remaining puzzles about the voice. Practical applications will include exercises in voice control (especially for singers and orators) and potential applications in clinical diagnosis techniques.Read moreRead less