Genre Research

The first thing I had to when starting this soundscape was decide what genre I wanted it to fall under, experimental, formalist or naturalistic.

Definition of Experimental:

‘Experimental music describes the most radical approaches that can be found throughout the history of recorded music. Experimental music has two main characteristics: the first is about the production and the other one is about the sound.

Firstly, experimental musicians use non-traditional production methods, it can be through the uncommon use of traditional instruments, such as guitars, cellos, saxophones, and even the human voice… Secondly, these non-traditional production methods result in a sound that goes largely beyond the traditional boundaries of music. The use of traditional instruments outside of any academic structure.’ (Rate Your Music, 2017)

Definition of Formalism:

‘strict adherence to, or observance of, prescribed or traditional forms, as in music, poetry, and art.’ (Dictionary, 2017)

Definition of Naturalism:

‘(in a work of art) treatment of forms, colours, space, etc., as they appear or might appear in nature.’ (Dictionary, 2017)

After reading through the descriptions of the three types of genre, I know that the piece I have recorded is not an experimental piece, which means it falls under either Formalistic or Naturalistic. The reason for this is because, as a soundscape of Lincoln, I want to try and keep it true to form, I want it to be a walk-through Lincoln, where you hear the cars going past, the train at the train line, the chatter of people walking past the microphone. Because of this I feel that my piece is naturalistic because I’m trying my very best to treat the sounds as they appear or might appear in nature –  or in this case the urban life of Lincoln.

 

 

 

 

Rate Your Music (2017) Definition of Experimental. Available from: https://rateyourmusic.com/genre/Experimental [Accessed 23 April 2017]

 

Dictionary (2017) Definition of Formalism. Available from: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/formalism [Accessed 23 April 2017]

 

Dictionary (2017) Definition of Naturalism. Available from: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/naturalism [Accessed 23 April 2017]

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