C/O Kilyan Sockalingum (Unsplash)
With dramatic ups and downs, take an exclusive look into the rigorous process of student-produced musicals
McMaster Arts and Science Musical: “An Inquiry Line”
Waiting in anticipation to enter the interview that will determine if they speak for the voice of a generation as valedictorians, five arts and science students reflect on their time in the arts and science program. With elaborate choreography, each main character had a musical number that represented a throwback to their time within the program and conveyed their internal battles.
Loosely based on the well-known musical “The Chorus Line,” the annual arts and science musical “The Inquiry Line” took place at The Zoetic Theatre on March 18 and 19.
Elle Klassen is a fourth-year arts and science student casted to play the role of Jordan, a disenchanted arts and science student and one of the five potential valedictorian interviewees. Jordan’s song was a rendition of “Cell Block Tango” from the musical “Chicago,” where they sing of their perils within first-year arts and science courses.
“My character Jordan was intended to be the former gifted child archetype. They had a tough time balancing work and school as they came from a rural, low-income background. They are intended to be a little unpleasant and are irritated by people who had a lot of school spirit. Throughout the musical Jordan reconnects with art-sci to realize the value of their experiences within the program,” explained Klassen.
Given that auditions were held early October, the musical was an accumulation of almost five months of effort with cast members partaking in four-hour rehearsals on top of academic obligations every week. Two months before the performance dates, rehearsals comprised of the entire weekend.
To further immerse themselves in their role, Klassen and her castmates would contemplate the attributes they thought their characters would exhibit, such as what type of person the character would be and their visual aesthetics. This process aided in the main cast being able to learn their lines more naturally as they developed an increasing sense of the different intersections of the student experience that their characters were intended to portray.
“I didn’t even have to work on my lines that much outside of rehearsal because of how much initiative the main cast took to learn about their parts. While everybody was amazing and supportive, I thought the creative team could have taken more of a hands-on approach to show greater initiative,” said Klassen.
"I didn’t even have to work on my lines that much outside of rehearsal because of how much initiative the main cast took to learn about their parts. While everybody was amazing and supportive, I thought the creative team could have taken more of a hands-on approach to show greater initiative."
Elle Klassen, fourth-year arts and science student cast to play the role of Jordan in "An Inquiry Line"
Boasting two directors, two vocal directors, two choreographers and one conductor, members of the musical team with experience in previous arts and science musicals found this production to be particularly well organized. This was especially evident during the notoriously hectic tech week, the week leading up to the musical.
“The dress rehearsals leading up to the show were extremely chaotic, but somehow everything always comes together by the performance day. I was so impressed by the backstage managers who managed to handle last minute issues that popped up with a lot of grace. The closing night was amazing,” said Klassen
Health Sciences Musical: “Healthsci Hears a WHO?”
The HSM is a fully student-run musical, written, produced and performed by students to raise funds for charity. This year the HSM geared its donations to the Black Health Sciences Bursary and the Arts for all Co.
Following along a theme of graduation and identity, the plot revolves around the entire graduating health sciences cohort being given a task whose only instructions are a single word: “Who?” The catch is everybody must pass this task in order to graduate and if there is even one individual who fails at the task then nobody graduates.
Yuna, one of the leading characters played by second-year health sciences student Sarah Baik struggles under the shadow of an overachieving brother as she attempts to change herself to fit in by trying her luck at popularity. Her character explores the themes of retaining friendships and sibling dynamics within the context of contemporary student experience. After an emotional fight with her seemingly perfect brother who is only trying to look out for his sister as she strays further from her authentic self, Baik’s character does her main vocal number to the tune of “Choose to Be Mine” from Waitress the Musical.
During the writing process, the entire team of over 80 people contributed towards finding melodies and lyrics that would best represent each character. Everyone voted on final song and lyrics selections and whichever one received the most was selected collectively.
Rehearsals took place for five hours every Sunday, with the first couple of hours being spent with the vocal directors learning the musical numbers, the middle hours spent with the choreographers and the last hours being used to run scenes from top to bottom. Shows were set to run at the Zoetic Theater and the team even arranged special public transport routes to safely allow audiences to attend and exit the performance.
“My experience in the role was super positive, we all learned and grew together. The team is super talented and there is a lot to learn from them. I got to meet a lot of people across the years which was something unique. Sometimes you have a test on Monday, but you have rehearsal on Sundays. It taught me a lot about time management which was good for learning self-discipline,” explained Baik.
"My experience in the role was super positive, we all learned and grew together. The team is super talented and there is a lot to learn from them. I got to meet a lot of people across the years which was something unique. Sometimes you have a test on Monday, but you have rehearsal on Sundays. It taught me a lot about time management which was good for learning self-discipline."
SARAH BAIK, SECOND-YEAR HEALTH SCIENCES STUDENT CAST to Play Yuna in "Healthsci hears a who?"
Unfortunately, the HSM was cancelled on its opening night due to members of the team testing positive for COVID-19 just a few hours prior to performance.
Upon tensely deliberating on which direction to take following this turn of events with the venue for performances already booked and paying audiences at stake, the team made a decision to prioritize collective safety, even at the cost of months of their hard work.
“There were a lot of devastating emotions because it got cancelled. It didn’t hit me until an hour or so after I got the news. Everyone knew this was a possibility, but no one was prepared for it to happen. It was a tough decision because you felt like you let a lot of people down, not only the show organizers but also the audience. It was difficult but at least we had each other and got stronger,” said Baik.
Through it all, Baik and her cast mates praise the efforts of the production team who took the time to listen and validate the opinions of all cast members before deciding on a final decision to cancel the musical. The production team stayed strong for the rest of the team amidst the myriad of feelings about COVID-19 and the restrictions it brought forth.
“We all were depressed for a good few days after, processing the grief, but we are back and moving on knowing it was for the best. A lot of bonding came out of this as nobody understood our frustrations as well as the HSM team,” said Baik.
The HSM is now exploring other avenues to deliver its shows at later dates.
What is the value of an apology? That is one of the questions that JUNO-nominated singer and songwriter Khari Wendell McClelland is exploring in his new concert, We Now Recognize. The show, which consists of all new songs, will tour six Canadian cities for Black History Month. It comes to the Lincoln Alexander Centre in Hamilton on Feb. 19 at 8 p.m.
We Now Recognize is a partnership between McClelland and Project Humanity, a non-profit organization that uses the arts to raise social awareness. The two collaborated in 2017 and 2018 to create the documentary theatre musical of the Vancouver-based artist’s debut solo album, Freedom Singer. Freedom Singer interpreted songs that might have accompanied McClelland’s great-great-great-grandmother Kizzy as she escaped from slavery via the Underground Railroad.
This show is another personal work, although McClelland originally took inspiration from the current sociopolitical landscape. The number of political apologies that have occurred struck him in the past decade or so and especially in Justin Trudeau’s term. He began to question what constitutes a substantive and meaningful apology.
In writing the show, McClelland found himself reflecting on being wrong and the extent of his compassion for those who do wrong. He considered how recognizing wrongdoing feels and how to move forward from it. With this, he also thought about the relationships he has with the generations of men in his family.
“[I was] looking at my grandfather and my father and my brother and even considering what it would be to be… a father and what the implications might mean for a larger society… [I]t's men who are exerting power and have a lot of control in society… What are some of the ideas… I grew up with that I have at different times perpetuated in my own life and trying to figure out like what that might look like through a generational lens,” said McClelland.
The show explores other ideas that McClelland cares about, such as community and the way we wield power over the natural world. In bringing different ideas in proximity with one another, McClelland sees the work as an assemblage like a quilt or collage.
McClelland sees being able to explore a multitude of ideas as a way of celebrating Black life. Unlike his past work with Freedom Singer, which tackled the history of slavery head on, We Now Recognize, is a subtler approach to Black history that it more rooted in the present and in the future.
“I feel like there are ways in which black life can be can be understood as a monolith, that black people in Black communities aren't allowed to have a diversity of experiences and perspectives. I'm very curious… about creating some kind of radical subjectivity around Black life, like being able to be all these different ways that we are just as human beings,” McClelland said.
Not only will the concert allow McClelland a chance to bring forth the multiplicity of Black life, it will allow him to stretch himself and grow as an artist. The personal show will force him to be vulnerable in a way that he hasn’t been before with the communities across Canada that has supported him.
McClelland sees the connection to music as something that erodes for many people over their lifetime. For him, however, it is something that he hasn’t stopped doing ever since it became a part of his life as a kid growing up in Detroit. It moves him in a way that isn’t necessarily positive or negative, but just is. He also sees the medium as essential to building community.
“I feel like healthy communities move together. That they practice together, that they have rituals together… [O]ur connection to artful practices actually has the potential to heal us as communities and individuals coming together… has this real potential for a deep kind of healing… I think it is just a deep medicine in the way that we come together and make music and make art,” explained McClelland.
McClelland is looking forward to this tour to see how audiences connect with the new songs. He is eager to see the way in which people are moved by this meditation on wrongdoing and apology, whether positively or in a way that is a little uncomfortable.
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This weekend, the McMaster figure skating team hosted their first meet in several years. The team, led by one of Mac’s captains Emma Bonafiglia, came in fourth place overall. Ontario University Athletics gold medalist Belvina Mao came in first once again for the Senior Silver Solo Dance category.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BqyL8zMH8e1/
We caught up with the two Marauders below:
Belvina: Third year, kinesiology.
Emma: Fourth year, kinesiology.
B: My main reason was for the kinesiology program because it’s one of the best in the country. I was also really attracted to the fact that everyone who came to Mac loved the community feel it had.
E: I originally decided to come to Mac to join the [synchronized swim] team in my first year. I also chose Mac because it is close to home and I heard about its reputable Kin program.
Tell us a bit about the McMaster Invitational.
E: It’s a lot of work to host a tournament, but this year myself and the other captains wanted to host one. The process was a bit challenging, but overall we ended up figuring everything out and it ran smoothly the day of. In terms of skating, we came fourth overall, which is good but it’s still the beginning of the season so we have a lot to work on.
B: It was really nice because alumni, family and friends were able to come out and support [us]. Normally, they’re not able to because competitions are so far. So to be able to perform in front of them was really nice. Even though there was pressure being on home ice, it felt more like a showcase than an actual competition.
As the defending OUA Senior Silver Solo Dance gold medalist, it’s no surprise you came in first in the same category this weekend. Tell us a little about that.
B: The person who was behind me was a little close for comfort, but I was still able to skate to the best of my abilities so I was really proud of myself.
If you had to tell us one thing about yourself that people don’t know what would it be?
B: I am part of the McMaster Musical Theatre and it’s really fun to be part of something outside of school and skating. (MMT upcoming show “Company” is Feb. 22)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhW3hsZnslp/
E: I don’t like chocolate, but my go-to sweet treat is anything sour.
Lastly, what are your goals for this season?
B: I am hoping to defend my title as OUA champion for the Senior Silver Dance and to continue to just skate the best that I can.
E: For the team, our goal is to come top three at the OUA championships in February, and for myself, I hope to come first in my solo dance event.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Br0lmW_Hmu2/
Next up, the McMaster Figure Skating team will head to the University of Toronto to take the ice.
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Creativity within a faculty can be a finicky thing, especially when the program is not typically associated with the arts. The stresses of other activities, mostly related to the horror stories of academics and the real possibility of an eight-year undergrad, can sap the mental and physical capacity to put something legitimately good onto a stage. This year's engineering musical shattered this notion. The expectation has been redefined and a new bar set for years to come. Clocking in at more than three hours long on closing night, its 15-minute intermission felt longer than each of the halves it separated.
Herc, despite not fitting in with most of his peers, set out to become a “True Engineer” with help from his friend Peggy and a bitter upper-year student named Sheldon. Midterms, parties, TAs and the temptations of artsies stood in the way, and the sinister plan of the Dean of Arts, Togo Salmon, for engineering to fall and arts to reign supreme at McMaster was ever persistent. With Disney's Hercules as the obvious inspiration it is a rather campy story overall, and its narrative focus succeeds in providing just enough nostalgia and variation to work.
Humour was dispersed in off-beat intervals as the constant mix of one-liners and longer setups throughout made an unpredictable and varied experience without the loss of comedic timing. The story scenes of the play had a phenomenal rhythm to them. Not knowing if or when a joke was about to come, even with setups already in place, was astounding for an amateur production to pull off successfully. The variety of jokes presented were not at all limited to just engineering or generic satire as you would expect. It was this constantly changed tempo, diversity and execution that brought new life to an otherwise predictable plot-line.
The Silhouette, The Hamilton Speculator, Spotted at Mac and The Plumbline as characters were less varied than the typical script, but still effective. The novelty and lighthearted jabs were entertaining without becoming overbearing. Disguised exposition dumps as interactions between their message to the audience and each other were fine enough. The parodies of Queens, Waterloo and the Deans of McMaster's non-engineering faculties unfortunately fell flatter than the previously mentioned papers and media as the straight-forward nature and stale material were odd low-points of the otherwise crisp writing, though these were rather short.
The musical scenes followed a similar pattern to the writing. At peaks, these numbers were absolutely phenomenal by any measure you could judge a musical by. Confident pieces, particularly in the second half, that consisted of solo or duet parts were exquisite. Each member that was asked to step up to the plate delivered with exceptional performances in these goose-bump inducing situations where cast, band and crew combined perfectly. Moments from these are still firmly ingrained in memory days later, and almost every member involved contributed to at least one of these.
It is when the number grew that I was left wanting more. When the knowledge is there that the entire cast and production is capable of these peaks, it felt like a waste and less than the sum of its parts when songs required more members participating. While there is only so much one could do in the pieces selected, mostly songs from Hercules and pop music from the years since its release, the want was almost always for one of the characters or band members, any of them, to have a segment with the mics up high to themselves. The weird mid-range, an odd but consistent low-point of the sound mixing, of these group pieces had infrequent individual parts to break it up. It is just that inclusion of more of these parts would have benefited. The talent was there for it to be brought to the front, not hidden away in a wall of sound.
Despite these minor issues, the overall experience was a positive one. As long as you were not overly critical, it is safe to say that you would have a good time no matter what faculty you were a part of with some solid laughs and songs to talk about afterwards. The next step up of reaching these highlights more often is a bit more love and a few more tweaks away. You should eagerly await what the engineering musical has in store for years to come.
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By: Cathy Huang
I recently had the pleasure of watching McMaster Musical Theatre’s production of The Drowsy Chaperone. Having already read the notorious play’s Wikipedia page beforehand, I was somewhat prepared for the song, “Message from A Nightingale” going into the show. I was not prepared, however, for just how offensive it would be. The number featured two white cast members in traditional Chinese qipaos (dresses) and chopsticks in their hair, something Chinese people don’t actually do, and another white cast member in a plain green dress and a rice paddy hat.
A musical meant to parody musicals in the 1920s — racism and all — written in 1998, and still performed to this day, does little to actually spark discussion about racism towards Asian people. If you read the program, you’ll see that the director chose to respect the source material rather than the actual minority group he would be hurting. I would like to know how he and the production team handled this with the “utmost care,” and how he thinks “Message from A Nightingale” will “provoke discussion rather than offense.” More importantly, how he thought he, as a white man, was in any way qualified to speak on the complicated and varied experiences of Chinese people.
As the red lanterns and cheap dragon kite descended from the ceiling, I figured it couldn’t get any worse, but then they started singing. The song began with terrible accents and ended with references to Chinese foods and replacing ‘l’ sounds with ‘r’s once the emperor, played by yet another non-Chinese cast member, waltzed on stage. Instead of having the few Asian cast members play Asian characters, white people were selected. If you’re wondering, yes, this does make it more offensive. Maybe they weren’t comfortable playing those roles, but then again, maybe this song should never have been included in the first place.
After McMaster School of the Arts’ decision to put on Lady in the Red Dress this year, a play that highlighted the racism Chinese-Canadians face specifically, it seems a glaring oversight to have consciously kept this number in the production. A brief mention of China’s long history by the main character, Man in Chair, is not only insufficient for facilitating a discussion about a topic so complex, it’s not even relevant to the stereotypes presented in the song. The number was inessential to the plot of the musical, and could’ve been replaced by literally anything else.
But as uncomfortable as the number made me, the more unsettling thing and the reason I nearly walked out of the theatre was how hilarious the audience seemed to find it all. As soon as the Asian-sounding music began, they were chuckling. By the time the emperor appeared, they were howling. I’d been laughing up until that point but in a room full of people, I had never felt more alone in my entire life. I was somewhere between wanting to cry, vomit, and start screaming at everyone either involved or just sitting there and laughing. And that’s a lot like what fighting racism as an Asian is like in Canada. No one takes you seriously and white people dismiss you and non-Asian People of Colour alike because they don’t think your struggles are valid. To you they’re still an expendable joke. From Fu Manchu and Mr. Yunioshi to Drowsy and recent remarks made at this year’s Oscars, the entertainment business has clearly demonstrated how little it cares about us, and how little progress we’ve made in the anti-racism movement for Asians.
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Grease has never been a favourite of mine. I like about two of the songs; I’ve never watched the John Travolta movie all the way through in one sitting; the plot is hazy and the themes it supposedly tackles are simply not there. In fact, as expected of a story set in a high school, the messages it sends out about social and gender hierarchies are disturbing. Its strengths have always been in how upbeat the soundtrack and how lively the dancing is, making it fit perfectly in the stereotype mold for musical theatre, but at the end of the day, that had always been it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdS_yNe02vg
Nonetheless, I admit to being swept up in the hype that preceded FOX’s Grease: Live.
With a big Broadway name like Aaron Tveit starring as Danny Zuko and countless behind-the-scenes videos taking Grease enthusiasts through the rigorous process behind the production, I was hopeful and excited. By the time news was released that Hamilton director Tommy Kail was on board, I was more than ready for Jan. 31.
Unfortunately, all the things that FOX seemed to take pride in with their take on a televised musical — the celebrity-studded cast, the songs specifically composed for this adaptation, the interaction with the live audience, the set design split across the Warner Bros. Studios — are also the same things that ultimately ruined Grease: Live for me.
That said, the cast was good, but it did not impress more than it could have. While I’d loved Tveit since his Catch Me If You Can days, my appreciation for him as Danny Zuko was half-hearted. His singing did not disappoint, and certainly sparked an eagerness to see him back on the Broadway stage, but standing in the shadow of Travolta’s Zuko and with co-star Julianne Hough overtaking him every choreographed step of the way, his dancing fell a little flat. The opposite holds true for Hough, who despite being one of the best I’ve seen dancing as Sandy Young, gave a half-hearted performance during “Hopelessly Devoted To You.” Her cheerleading tryout scene opposite Heathers’ Elle McLemore as Patty Simcox, however, was by itself enough to establish her as the real star of the show for me, even if her singing was not quite as impressive as her dancing.
Vanessa Hudgens’ performance as Rizzo was incredible in its own right, especially with the passing of her father just the night before the show; the cast dedicated the production of the show to him. Alongside her as the other Pink Ladies are Keke Palmer as Marty and Carly Rae Jepsen as Frenchy, who both delivered where they needed to. Jessie J, Joe Jonas and Boyz II Men all cameo to perform various songs, and with household faces like Mario Lopez in the cast, there was no shortage of applause from the audience when it came to close—up shots, no dancing nor singing needed.
The production went where NBC’s live musicals have not gone before. There is a dazzling charm in the blending of theatre and television that FOX attempted to accomplish with Grease: Live, and it’s certainly different, if nothing else. It was big, it was flashy, the theatricality was impressive, it brought in ratings — and for a FOX production, that probably means they’d checked everything off their list. I am embarrassed to admit I expected more, possibly too much, for if they were willing to try new things, so much so that they would have a new song composed, wouldn’t this mean moving away from the soullessness of the original Grease? To my chagrin, apparently not.
The result of FOX’s attempt at a televised musical is a production that felt like one of Glee’s Super Bowl special episodes which I happen to appreciate more than despise, because it usually meant story and character progress (finally) and a lot of show-stopping songs. With the weaknesses remaining where they always were, and the strengths the same as they always were, my opinion of Grease stands.
Photo Credit: Kevin Estrada/ FOX
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“It’s the story of America then,” said Lin-Manuel Miranda about his newest Broadway brainchild, Hamilton in an interview with The Atlantic, “Told by America now.”
Broadway does not have much of a history of diversity, but this time, there’s change in the air. With five-time Tony Award winner Fun Home being the first musical to feature a lesbian central character, NBC’s The Wiz Live! dominating the viewership with its all black cast, and with Miranda’s incredibly diverse Hamilton leading the cavalcade, it’s definitely taking steps to change that, stat.
Hamilton is a story centred around American history. It is the tale of Alexander Hamilton, one of America’s very distinguished and very white founding fathers — who happens to be, in this stage adaptation, played by a Puerto Rican. The musical chronicles his rise and fall from power, a modern tragedy Aristotle would have approved of, with significant historical figures making up the rest of the cast. The narration begins with a rap by Aaron Burr (played by African-American Leslie Odom, Jr.) and ends with an epilogue sung by Alexander’s wife, Eliza (played by Chinese-American Phillipa Soo). Between the beginning and the end is a story that does not disappoint and a soundtrack that never bores, all while trying its best to simultaneously stay true to history and load up on even the most obscure of references.
Still not clear on what the hype is about, exactly? I can take several guesses. One, it’s a Broadway show, yes, and while I do love myself an impressive show tune a la Book of Mormon’s “I Believe,” most of the songs in Hamilton sit right at home in the hip-hop genre. Boasting raps that are as eloquent as they are catchy, and as fast as they are poignant, the show distinguishes itself from the well-known belting of Phantom of the Opera’s Christine and the distinctive melodies of Les Miserables. Two, save for a single character, the whole cast is in fact also comprised of people of colour. In addition to Odom and Soo, former American President Thomas Jefferson is played by Daveed Diggs, who’s also praised for one of the fastest rap solos in Broadway history in his other Hamilton role as the Frenchman Marquis de Lafayette. Alongside Diggs is Christopher Jackson as George Washington, and Okierete Onaodowan is America’s fourth President, James Madison. Three, the musical is very careful in its references to historical facts, but at various points also pays homage to current events, even if that calls for several significant cameo roles or subtly satirical lyrics. Why is everyone so interested in Hamilton? Historically semi-accurate raps, America’s first ever presidents played by people of colour, or current events called out in the form of raps — take your pick.
In light of the recent release of Oscar nominations and the backlash that followed against the lack of diversity (yet again), Hamilton serves as an example of just how misled all the excuses and justifications Hollywood has attempted to scavenge in response are. Hollywood is particularly fond of the “no one will watch it” excuse, the notion that somehow a diverse cast won’t attract as broad an audience as a white cast would. Though musicals are in many ways different from the film industry, Hamilton nonetheless begs to differ. It reached record-breaking sales before its Broadway premiere, and tickets remain sold out until the very end of 2016. The diverse representation has been widely acclaimed, and save for the inevitable outspokenness of those that are personally offended by seeing George Washington played by a biracial man, the cast has received nothing but praise for their spectacular performances of equally spectacular songs. If a show like Hamilton, despite being so strictly about well-known white historical figures, can afford a little wiggle room and repurpose a story with an angle that majority of filmmakers are hesitant to touch, Oscar-worthy or not, then why can’t others do the same?
While I do love myself an impressive show tune a la Book of Mormon’s “I Believe,” most of the songs in Hamilton sit right at home in the hip-hop genre.
Broadway still has a long way to go, but what shows like Hamilton, Fun Home and The Wiz Live! prove in receiving reception better than what anyone expected is that the business excuse is starting to get a little old. It’s about time Hollywood stopped operating under the notion that whiteness is a human default and therefore a storyline must, and instead realize that there is as much potential in the three-way link between cultural excellence, diverse representation, and whatever profitability the cinematic industry seeks.
Better find a new excuse soon, Hollywood.
Photo Credit: Joan Marcus
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Music database Spotify’s newest commercial endorses the replacement of words with music to communicate when you can’t find the right words. Perhaps without meaning to, Spotify may have tapped into the same consensus that Schutz and his team did.
A team of researchers headed by McMaster researcher Michael Schutz have looked into the patterns behind established compositions in musical history. The paper published in Frontiers of Psychology: Cognition focused on prominent European composers Frédéric Chopin and Johann Sebastian Bach.
Michael Schutz, director of McMaster’s Music, Acoustics, Perception & Learning Lab and associate professor of music cognition and percussion, has long been immersed in the musical world. He worked closely with Matthew Poon, McMaster Music alumnus, and other students, to analyze three 24-piece sets by Chopin and Bach.
“Music is very powerful at communicating emotion. In fact, that seems to be one of the core things that is important about music,” said Schutz.
“The common speech patterns we use to convey emotion show up in music,” Schutz found. These tools were employed by Bach and Chopin to infuse their compositions with emotion, using high pitch and fast timing to convey joy and low pitch and slow timing to convey sadness.
“It is one of the oldest issues in the whole field of music cognition. Darwin talked about how the way in which music communicates emotion seems to be paralleled to language, and Plato was speculating about these things as well. It’s a really old issue and certainly a very important one,” Schutz explained.
While the group focused on the structural cues crafted by composers, there is a secondary layer in which performers interpret those cues and cast their own impression over them. For the most part, this dialogue between composer and performer is separated by many years and even eras. A third layer is present in the audience’s interpretation, which varies among people who have heard the same piece performed.
In one sense, it is an intentional effect. These patterns aren’t laid out haphazardly and left to chance. Yet whether these composers could explain every choice is not quite so certain.
“Composers and musicians in general have very good instincts about what works for the perceptual system, but we don’t usually talk about it in those terms,” Schutz accounts.
Culture is another important factor to consider, as there are certain aspects of music, such as major and minor keys, which do not translate well across cultural boundaries.
“I remember a friend in grad school heard this one piece of music that he thought sounded so happy because it sounded roughly like our major mode, but it was actually a funeral song” remembers Schutz.
Other cues tend to be slightly more transferable. High and low pitches, and fast and slow timings tend to fall into this category.
“One of the things that I did not expect is that Bach and Chopin used these two cues in very different ways. Bach had a big timing difference for both of his sets of pieces, but for Chopin there was no difference between major and minor keys.”
There is an opposite pattern with pitch, where Bach preludes have the smallest difference while the Chopin preludes have the largest difference. This might have something to do with the versatility of piano sound that existed at their time.
“The cool thing is that it ties in with a bunch of studies that look at the basic way in which composers use cues changed in different eras . . . What minor meant seemed to change in a significant way in the Romantic era.”
When picking the composers, Schutz looked for a balance between major and minor pieces.
Around 80 percent of composers write in the major key. As such, Chopin and Bach were chosen for their equal representation of both modes.
The study is based on previous findings on metronome markings or pitch themes.
“I think it’s the first time we have the complete section, where you are looking at all the voices. The harmony matters, it is not just about the melody. It builds on what’s been done before but in a bit of a different way.”
Explorations such as these have direct implications in musical education, for performers and significantly for composers.
Photo Credit: McMaster Humanities
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