Table Of ContentAUP/Collective talent 27-07-2006 10:30 Pagina 1
UvA Thesis J Collective Talent
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Faculty of Science B
. A study on improvisational
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Jacqueline B.de Jong is psychologistand was researcher atthe Centre for Innovation le
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and Cooperative Technology atthe University of Amsterdam until 1995.Later she ti Jacqueline B.de Jong
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taughtInteraction Design and was consultantin interactive media.Atpresent, T
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she works atthe ICT Policy Departmentof the Dutch Ministry of Justice.She has le
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published on a variety of topics such as computers in music education,interactive t
interfaces,innovation,and social supportsystems. A
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Improvised music performance offers remarkable and dramatic examples of the m
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talented ways in which group members can interactand inspire each other.Such ro
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musical sessions can serve as examples of improvised performance of groups in general. is
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This thesis reports on ways of initiating and supporting talented group improvisation. ti
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Itaddresses the question which interface is needed to generate collectives with a
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collective talent.Inspired by Pask’s Conversation Theory,the author has developed g
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a theory for supporting collective talent. u
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The approach and results are notrestricted to music,butshould yield interestto fields p
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as management& organization and ICT. f
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e UNIVERSITEIT VAN AMSTERDAM
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isbn
90 5629 442 3
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Collective Talent
The publication of this book is made possible by a grant from the Dutch Ministry of Justice.
Lay out: Gino Laan, Rotterdam
Cover design: René Staelenberg, Amsterdam
Cover illustration: Ralph van Meijgaard, Rotterdam
“The Bremen Town Musicians. An early example of Collective Talent”
ISBN-13 978 90 5629 442 7
ISBN-10 90 5629 442 3
NUR 660/770
Vossiuspers UvA – Amsterdam University Press
© J.B. de Jong, 2006
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this
book may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any
form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without
the written permission of both the copyright owner and the author of the book.
Collective Talent
A Study on Improvisational Group Performance in Music
ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT
ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor
aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam,
op gezag van Rector Magnificus,
prof. mr. P.F. van der Heijden
ten overstaan van een door het College van Promoties ingestelde
commissie, in het openbaar te verdedigen in de Aula der Universiteit
op donderdag 12 oktober 2006, te 14.00 uur
door
Jacqueline Beatrix de Jong
geboren te Nieuwkoop
Promotor: Prof. dr. G. De Zeeuw
Faculteit der Natuurwetenschappen, Wiskunde en Informatica
To my mother
Contents
Preface 11
Anecdote 17
1 Introduction 19
1.1 Improvised group performance 19
1.2 Current viewpoints on musical talent 21
1.2.1 Musical talent as an individual attribute 22
1.2.2 Musical talent as a culturally defined skill 24
1.3 Music as a medium to converse 27
1.3.1 Music and communication 27
1.3.2 Collective talent 30
1.4 The research 32
1.4.1 An alternative approach to music education 32
1.4.2 The research question reformulated 34
1.5 Redesigning musical interfaces as a historical problem 36
1.6 Outline of this book 38
2 Research design 41
2.1 Introduction 41
2.2 Strongly connected collectives 42
2.3 Languages, interfaces and the making of music 46
2.4 Improvised group performance and conversation 52
2.4.1 Conversation Theory 52
2.4.2 Support of a musical conversation 54
2.5 Conventional versus extended interfaces 55
2.6 The evolution of conventional musical interfaces 58
2.6.1 Musical instruments 61
2.6.2 Systems for music notation 66
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Collective Talent
2.6.3 Contributions to the construction of SCCs 73
3 Musical interfaces, performance and talent 77
3.1 Introduction 77
3.2 Differentiation of the concept of musical talent 80
3.2.1 Changes of the initial constraints on music production 80
3.2.2 Acceptance of irregular musical inputs 82
3.2.3 Random generation of musical events 83
3.2.4 Evaluation 84
3.3 Extension of the concept of talent: interactive injection of
variety in human-machine interaction 86
3.3.1 Shaping a musical process 86
3.3.2 Intelligent systems 87
3.3.3 Evaluation 88
3.4 Collective talent: interactive injection of variety by human
actors 89
3.4.1 Music of the East 90
3.4.2 Jazz improvisation 95
3.4.3 Flamenco 97
3.4.4 Evaluation 103
4 Unlocking collective talent 105
4.1 Introduction 105
4.2 The ‘Spinoza’ project 108
4.3 Method 109
4.3.1 Subjects 109
4.3.2 Sound studio 109
4.3.3 Procedure and observations 110
4.4 Results 112
4.4.1 General findings 112
4.4.2 Evidence of SCCs 113
4.4.3 Evidence of a talent to organize 114
4.4.4 Evidence of collective talent 116
4.5 Discussion 118
4.5.1 Musical instruments 118
4.5.2 The role of the teacher 119
4.6 Conclusion 120
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Contents
5 Sensitive Chords: a prototype extended interface 123
5.1 Introduction 123
5.2 Technical realization 125
5.2.1 The mechanical controller 126
5.2.2 Real-time manipulation of sound and music 127
5.2.3 Reconfiguration and other applications 129
5.3 Playing Sensitive Chords 130
5.3.1 Control and feedback 130
5.3.2 Rules and constraints on music production 132
5.3.3 Required skills 133
5.4 Conceptual realization of an extended interface 134
5.5 Practical experience, exploration and demonstration 136
5.5.1 Settings and subjects 136
5.5.2 General findings 137
5.5.3 Evaluation 140
6 Conclusion 143
6.1 Introduction 143
6.2 Internal consistency 145
6.2.1 SCCs as a scientific object 146
6.2.2 A theory for supporting collective talent 148
6.3 Other fields of relevance 152
6.3.1 Management and organization studies 152
6.3.2 Information and Communication Technology 157
6.4 Final remarks 161
Samenvatting in het Nederlands 163
References 170
Glossary 183
Index 187
Table of Figures 197
Appendices 199
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