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Transcendent connection: South African musicians’ experience of enactive cognition
Thesis (MMus)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613842567069696 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Jansen van Rensburg, Anthonie Christoffel |
| author2 | Feder, Arthur John |
| author_browse | Feder, Arthur John Jansen van Rensburg, Anthonie Christoffel |
| author_facet | Feder, Arthur John Jansen van Rensburg, Anthonie Christoffel |
| author_sort | Jansen van Rensburg, Anthonie Christoffel |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MMus)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132533 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:42:33.557Z |
| 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:10019.1/132533 Transcendent connection: South African musicians’ experience of enactive cognition Jansen van Rensburg, Anthonie Christoffel Feder, Arthur John Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Music. Music -- Psychological aspects Musicians -- South Africa Improvisation (Music) -- Psychological aspects Music -- Social aspects -- South Africa UCTD Thesis (MMus)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Jansen van Rensburg, A. C. 2025. Transcendent Connection: South African Musicians’ Experience of Enactive Cognition. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/40d15dca-e8af-4807-aa46-309ab6100e2d ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Embodied Cognition (EC), Enactive Cognition, and dynamical systems theory have gained prominence as frameworks for studying cognition and behaviour in musical contexts, though individual experiences within these frameworks are less frequently considered, particularly in a South African context. In this thesis, I explore transcendent connection in musical practice among South African musicians through the lens of EC. Drawing on personal reflections and interviews, I investigate moments of profound connection experienced by musicians during improvisation, composition, and performance. My initial inquiries into embodiment revealed complex relationships between cognition, physical engagement, and socio-cultural contexts in music. I employed a mixed-methods approach involving questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and Grounded Theory-inspired analysis to identify patterns and themes from the musicians’ experiences. Key categories, including community, self-expression, knowing, risk, and chasing, emerged to reflect different dimensions of musical engagement. Through my analysis, the categories pointed towards ‘impulsive knowing’ and ‘Goldilocks zone’, as the central propositions which describe a balance of spontaneity and skill as underpinning the categories. My findings suggest that transcendent connection in musical activity is contextually dynamic, shaped by factors such as familiarity, focus, and the socio-cultural meanings attributed to musical practice. These insights extend EC frameworks by emphasising the role of scaffolding – socially assigned meanings within music – that shape cognitive engagement and enhance immersive experiences. This research highlights the relevance of EC in understanding musical practices and underscores the need for further exploration of the interplay between environment, cognitive immersion, and musical connectivity. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Beliggaamde Kognisie (BK), Enaktiewe Kognisie, en dinamiese stelselteorie het al hoe meer gewild geword as raamwerke vir die bestudering van kognisie en gedrag in musikale kontekste, hoewel individuele ervarings binne hierdie raamwerke minder gereeld oorweeg word, veral in 'n Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. In hierdie tesis verken ek transendente verbinding in musikale praktyk onder Suid-Afrikaanse musikante deur die lens van BK. Deur gebruik te maak van persoonlike nadenke en onderhoude, ondersoek ek die oomblikke van diep verbinding wat musikante ervaar tydens improvisasie, komposisie en optrede. My aanvanklike vrae oor beliggaming het komplekse verhoudings tussen kognisie, fisiese betrokkenheid en sosio-kulturele kontekste in musiek blootgele . Ek het 'n gemengde-metode benadering gebruik wat vraelyste, semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude en 'n gegronde-teorie geï nspireerde ontleding behels om patrone en temas vanuit die musikante se ervarings te identifiseer. Sleutelkategoriee , insluitende gemeenskap, selfuitdrukking, kennis, risiko, en najaging, het na vore gekom om verskillende dimensies van musikale betrokkenheid te weerspiee l. Sentrale konsepte, wat ek beskryf as “Impulsiewe kennis” en die “Goue middeweg”, illustreer toestande waar musikante spontaniteit en vaardigheid balanseer. My bevindings dui daarop dat transendente verbinding in musikale aktiwiteite kontekstueel dinamies is, gevorm deur faktore soos vertroudheid, fokus, en die sosio-kulturele betekenisse wat aan musikale praktyk toegeskryf word. Hierdie insigte brei BK-raamwerke uit deur die rol van “steierwerk” (‘scaffolding’) ‒ sosiaal oorgelewerde betekenisse binne musiek ‒ te beklemtoon, wat kognitiewe verbintenis vorm en musikante se meelewende ervarings versterk. Hierdie navorsing beklemtoon die toepaslikheid van BK in die begrip van musikale praktyke en wys op die behoefte aan verdere ondersoek na die wisselwerking tussen omgewing, kognitiewe meelewing, en musikale verbindings. Masters 2025-06-10T13:38:18Z 2025-06-10T13:38:18Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132533 Stellenbosch University viii, 115 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Music -- Psychological aspects Musicians -- South Africa Improvisation (Music) -- Psychological aspects Music -- Social aspects -- South Africa UCTD Jansen van Rensburg, Anthonie Christoffel Transcendent connection: South African musicians’ experience of enactive cognition |
| title | Transcendent connection: South African musicians’ experience of enactive cognition |
| title_full | Transcendent connection: South African musicians’ experience of enactive cognition |
| title_fullStr | Transcendent connection: South African musicians’ experience of enactive cognition |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transcendent connection: South African musicians’ experience of enactive cognition |
| title_short | Transcendent connection: South African musicians’ experience of enactive cognition |
| title_sort | transcendent connection south african musicians experience of enactive cognition |
| topic | Music -- Psychological aspects Musicians -- South Africa Improvisation (Music) -- Psychological aspects Music -- Social aspects -- South Africa UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132533 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jansenvanrensburganthoniechristoffel transcendentconnectionsouthafricanmusiciansexperienceofenactivecognition |