“If freely improvised music and creative jazz lie at one end of a spectrum, then the other end would inevitably be secured by Western classical music, where there is variation only in the interpretation of a defined composition. These four musical genres span a broad representational array of performance conditions which allowed us to explore an extensive continuum of orally transmitted versus improvised traditions, along the lines of Kay (2016): These include: (1) Western classical (2) Hindu music (3) Jazz (4) Free jazz improvisation. We thus intend to treat each musical genre as an ideal prototype of a particular mode of musical interaction. Therefore, rather than providing a comprehensive musicological or ethnomusicological account of the musical genres explored, we focus on particular tendencies of music engagement that they represent with an emphasis on their underlying social dynamics. To this end we chose four different musical traditions that serve to exemplify the social components of joint music performances. We wish to emphasize that our main aim was to capture varied social dynamics that underlie different types of musical performances and to strengthen our theoretical understanding of this phenomenon. This analysis brings us closer to understanding joint music-making as a social phenomenon and its relations to particular forms of social dynamics. To examine and develop this notion we analyze several established traditions of music performance with respect to distinct criteria of social dynamics along the axis ranging from tight to loose social compliance with norms, a framework originally developed for studying societal behavior ( Pelto, 1968 Gelfand et al., 2011). In particular, we would like to propose that whether music performance is based more on notation and oral tradition or more on improvisation, may correspond to the degree of adherence to more general social norms displayed by the social dynamics incorporated within the music-making. Given that musical performance can be considered as a complex form of social interaction ( D'Ausilio et al., 2012 Keller et al., 2014 Robledo et al., 2021), it stands to reason that performance styles should associate with congruent forms of social dynamics. Thus, notated and orally transmitted music, compared to improvised music, for example, requires a high level of alignment between players, careful compliance with written notes and instructions, and a systematic level of playing that adheres to the composer’s intentions ( Thom, 2020). This work highlights important factors that link between musical performance and social interaction, and will enable future experimental unraveling of social aspects of musical performance as expressed by different musical styles and practices.ĭifferent styles of musical performance demand varying levels of accuracy and planning ( Davies, 2001 Thom, 2020). We apply this approach to analyze four distinct prominent musical genres, providing a detailed mapping between musical style and social dynamics. In particular, we contemplate on the continuum ranging from strictly orally transmitted and notated to fully improvised music, and its relation to general compliance with social norms and structure, borrowing key concepts from tight-loose theory, a powerful paradigm for studying societal behaviors and tendencies. To gain a better understanding of the relations between musical style and social dynamics, we have formulated a framework for dissecting different genres of musical performance according to key social criteria. Accordingly, the rich diversity of existing musical styles and traditions may reflect distinct modes of social interaction. Musical performance can be viewed as an intricate form of social behavior.
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