15.03.2024 Myymälä2
18.00
Microtonal Music Studios Presents

Thoughts on classification and categorization of microtone music techniques.

So called ,,Microtone Music Practice” exists way longer than equal temperament, and at the same time is notoriously misrepresented and ignored by music education. In my opinion, one of the big problems with popularisation of microtone music is that practitioners were creating legendariums of heroes and mythological creatures, ground breaking and re-inventing history of music, but each time it was happening inside their own, partially enclosed bubbles. I found that microtone music studies, conducted mostly by practitioners being deeply emotionally engaged with matter, are slightly biased. Exaggerating the influence and unique style of the author or author’s favourite technique, to the point where researchers may assume there was only One True Microtone Music. Most of the scientific work in a field was concentrated on creating ,,hard science” based solutions. Microtone music led to immense progress in the physics of music and their practical application into the instruments. Many artists are able to use this progress, achieving mesmerizing feats of artistic and scientific beauty. And at the same time, the entrance level into the ,,bubble” grew exponentially. There were very few works trying to connect and simplify the whole scene for someone on the entering level. And as we know from the dark times of biology, it is hard to study an unclassified nature. I will propose to you to discuss a very rudimentary classification, that may be helpful in identifying and,putting on to the shelf” the common microtone composition techniques. Maybe it will help the entrance level enthusiasts, or music researchers who are not wishing to dedicate their life only to microtonality topics, to better understand and approach the pleiades of creatures modern microtone music ecosystem is made of.

Robert Prakapovich- is a composer, improviser and a sound artist from Belarus, based in Helsinki, Finland. In his artistic practice, he explores the borders of free improvisation, diffusion of arts, microtone tunings and post-modern approach to narrative forms in composition.