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Playing with influence: a practice-based inquiry into the compositional processes of six South African musicians
Thesis (MMus)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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| Format: | Thesis |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613920521355264 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Ahrends, Keenan Chas |
| author2 | Vos, Stephanie |
| author_browse | Ahrends, Keenan Chas Vos, Stephanie |
| author_facet | Vos, Stephanie Ahrends, Keenan Chas |
| author_sort | Ahrends, Keenan Chas |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MMus)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
|
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132038 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:48.768Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132038 Playing with influence: a practice-based inquiry into the compositional processes of six South African musicians Ahrends, Keenan Chas Vos, Stephanie Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Music. Jazz -- Composition Musicians -- South Africa Composition (Music) -- Psychological aspects Music, Influence of Music theory -- Composition Compositional process -- Practice UCTD Thesis (MMus)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Ahrends, K. C. 2025. Playing with influence: A practice-based inquiry into the compositional processes of six South African musicians. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch Univeristy [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/7429462b-f70a-4277-9808-e18e14b7193e ENGLISH ABSTRACT: As a professional jazz musician and self-taught composer, I have mainly learned my craft through the influence of other musicians, albeit by imitating and transcribing recordings, or through experiences of rehearsing and performing with them. This practice-based research project presents an inquiry into the role of influence in compositional process, specifically in the context of contemporary South African jazz practices. The first part of the study surveys the literature by scholars such as Joseph Straus, Edward Said, T.S. Eliot, Harold Bloom, John P. Murphy and Ingrid Monson to set up a framework through which the notion of influence is understood. The second part investigates the compositional practice of selected contemporary South African jazz musicians: Thandi Ntuli, Shane Cooper, Vuma Levin, Reza Khota and Carlo Mombelli. Through interviews and other interactions with their work (e.g. listening to recordings or reflecting on rehearsals with them in instances where I am a member of their ensembles), this part of the thesis documents their compositional processes, as well as the theories and influences that inform their work. The third part presents an auto-ethnographic reflection on compositional process in my own established practice, followed by the presentation of practice-based research in which I deliberately drew on my interlocutors’ compositional strategies to infuse my own creative processes with their approaches. The ‘results’ of this study are, on the one hand, four compositions that I created through the research process, but, even more importantly, the insights gained through experimenting with influence in my compositional process. The study contributes to the expanding discourse on South African jazz composition through documenting technical and theoretical details of five South African jazz artists’ compositional craft, as well as my own. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar. Masters 2025-05-20T13:30:11Z 2025-05-20T13:30:11Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132038 Stellenbosch University 178 pages : illustrations, music application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Jazz -- Composition Musicians -- South Africa Composition (Music) -- Psychological aspects Music, Influence of Music theory -- Composition Compositional process -- Practice UCTD Ahrends, Keenan Chas Playing with influence: a practice-based inquiry into the compositional processes of six South African musicians |
| title | Playing with influence: a practice-based inquiry into the compositional processes of six South African musicians |
| title_full | Playing with influence: a practice-based inquiry into the compositional processes of six South African musicians |
| title_fullStr | Playing with influence: a practice-based inquiry into the compositional processes of six South African musicians |
| title_full_unstemmed | Playing with influence: a practice-based inquiry into the compositional processes of six South African musicians |
| title_short | Playing with influence: a practice-based inquiry into the compositional processes of six South African musicians |
| title_sort | playing with influence a practice based inquiry into the compositional processes of six south african musicians |
| topic | Jazz -- Composition Musicians -- South Africa Composition (Music) -- Psychological aspects Music, Influence of Music theory -- Composition Compositional process -- Practice UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132038 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ahrendskeenanchas playingwithinfluenceapracticebasedinquiryintothecompositionalprocessesofsixsouthafricanmusicians |