Shaping time in composition: Manipulation of an internal clock

Description

For any art form which unfolds in time, such as film or music, how the observer
experiences time passing may contribute significantly to their appreciation of that art.
Central to many models of time perception is the idea that humans possess an internal clock. We base our time judgements on how many ticks of this clock we count. A unique property of music related to this is how its event structure can influence this clock. Music with regular rhythms conveys a clear pulse that listeners can easily latch onto. There may even be multiple metrical levels available that some might freely shift between. In doing so, listeners synchronise their internal clocks to this pulse, either speeding up or slowing down, thereby affecting their experience of time. However, more rhythmically ambiguous music may not convey a sense of pulse at all. A study comparing the effects of these varying musical properties on listeners’ experience of duration has yet to be conducted.
In this presentation, I will show some of my musical compositions which have been
written to manipulate how listeners are able to rhythmically entrain to the music. I will discuss hypotheses around how this may affect a listener’s experience of time, and the implications for composers in how they structure their pieces accounting for this.

Period	14 May 2024
Event title	PGR Conference
Event type	Conference
Location	ManchesterShow on map