Let's Flood the Market! Reflections on the Commodification of Art Restricted; Files Only

Abstract

Music composition is informed (and created) by artistic/aesthetic, historical, and economic conditions. Attali inextricably links musical production and economic/industrial production in his historical analysis, from the transmission of information necessary for survival in prehistory to the mass production of music to be distributed and sold. At the same time, the spread of global capitalism has crowded out folkloric musical traditions which focus on music as a communal practice. Through these pressures, musicians often experience alienation from artistic community – both from the inherent competition of many of these worlds and from the socioeconomic forces disconnecting them from each other. At the same time, escalating social unrest and injustice demand a response – yet the role of the artist in such movements can be unclear.

This recital of seven compositions reckons with my personal journey as an artist who has faced these issues. To successfully address the problems identified, we must “flood the market,” so to speak, with creative work in solidarity with each other – rejecting the isolation of our work and instead choosing musical community. Through exploring varying ensemble configurations – conduction, notation, improvisation, and computer-mediated performance – I examine what it means to choose and to construct these alternate communities, through conventionally notated music, through conducted and unconducted improvisations, and by musically “democratizing” the process of performance by distributing agency among ensemble members.

Table of Contents

Program                                                                                                                                1

“Rip Currents,” by Sylvan Lebrun                                                                                        2

“eccentricities,” by Victoria Register                                                                                    4

Program Notes                                                                                                                       5

Bibliography                                                                                                                          23

Scores                                                                                                                                   24

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Music
Degree	B.A.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Economics, General Music Musical Performances
Parola chiave	improvisation arts and culture industry
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Katherine Young, Emory University
Committee Members	Dwight Andrews, Emory University Heidi Senungetuk, Emory University David McMillon, Emory University

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