Agency in ensemble interaction and rehearsal communication

Abstract

Agency refers to the capacity to act and act upon, to initiate and carry out actions either for their own sakes or to influence and affect others. The concept is often invoked in music studies, but the nature and types of actions and agents are defined differently in various research frameworks. This study integrates sociocultural and metaphorical approaches to investigate the interactions between work and performer agencies in the verbal communication and gestural exchanges that take place during ensemble rehearsal. The chapter begins with an overview of current theories of musical agency and traces their implications for research on ensemble music-making. Next, using conversational segments drawn from two empirical case studies of professional string quartets as illustrations, the chapter considers agential roles and ascriptions that are not accounted for in current paradigms. In closing, the chapter explores the theoretical implications of the research outcome and proposes a new critical perspective.

Psychological Perspectives on Musical Experiences and Skills

“…On the one hand, the felt presence of 'others' in solitary contexts could transform the individual nature of certain musical actions into a more intersubjective experience; on the other hand, a strengthened awareness of the ' self' in group situations can reveal in a clearer fashion the different subjectivities that contribute to the collective work. Musicmaking itself is strongly intersubjective: musicians may experience a 'dialogue' with the composer and assign agency to the music as represented by the score (Mak et al, 2022), in addition to experiencing the dialogue with other musicians happening in real-time, or in the past ( Clarke et al, 2016). The social context of performance is often strongly felt by musicians, and seems to contribute to emotional peak experiences in the form of intense positive experiences of felt connection with the audience, and to emotional challenges and apprehension in ©2024 A. Schiavio, H. Meissner & R. Timmers, CC BY-NC 4.0 https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0389.08 reports of music performance anxiety (e.g., Perdomo-Guevara, 2014).…”

8. Influences of Physical and Imagined Others in Music Students’ Experiences of Practice and Performance

“…On the one hand, the felt presence of 'others' in solitary contexts could transform the individual nature of certain musical actions into a more intersubjective experience; on the other hand, a strengthened awareness of the ' self' in group situations can reveal in a clearer fashion the different subjectivities that contribute to the collective work. Musicmaking itself is strongly intersubjective: musicians may experience a 'dialogue' with the composer and assign agency to the music as represented by the score (Mak et al, 2022), in addition to experiencing the dialogue with other musicians happening in real-time, or in the past ( Clarke et al, 2016). The social context of performance is often strongly felt by musicians, and seems to contribute to emotional peak experiences in the form of intense positive experiences of felt connection with the audience, and to emotional challenges and apprehension in ©2024 A. Schiavio, H. Meissner & R. Timmers, CC BY-NC 4.0 https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0389.08 reports of music performance anxiety (e.g., Perdomo-Guevara, 2014).…”