Phainesthai : Auditory Processes as Tools for Musical Composition

Abstract: The human auditory system can become an active agent in the production of sound when stimulated with specific tone combinations. The resulting auditory distortion products can be amplified and drawn attention to by employing certain just intonation practices – a compositional technique that may serve as a powerful catalyst for reaching different states of mind in listeners. In this thesis, those psychoacoustic phenomena critical to the act of tuning are explored. An experiential tuning protocol is introduced and supported by insights from physiology and neuroscience research. Based on the tuneability of musical intervals, a harmonic framework involving harmonic and subharmonic relationships is analyzed and exemplified via the accompanying composition XV XXVII III XXI IX: Variations. From a phenomenological perspective, the research extends to broader contexts, investigating potential social, ethical, cultural, and political implications of such a practice.