Abstract
Musicians and dancers are masters of performing in time: they shape the temporal structures of a piece or choreography at various layers, they synchronize with each other, they sometimes capture the audience’s attention in such a way that all seem to be breathing in unison. Practicing temporal flexibility, by rehearsing at different tempi, or by changing phrasing and articulation, may be a crucial prerequisite for these skills. It remains an open question as to how performers indeed master time, while at the same time not seeming to be overly aware of time, and occasionally time is even transformed such as in flow states.
This talk addresses some recent developments in the research of time in performance. It draws on controlled laboratory and experimental online research on tapping and timekeeping, taking into account individual factors such as preferred tempo, arousal, and age, as well as music-related factors such as complexity and event density. It will further present insights from performers on practicing slowly, on groove and playing in time or slightly off time, and on experiences of time dilations. It is aimed to bring together recent psychological findings and performance experiences.
Bio
Clemens W?llner is Professor of Systematic Musicology at the University of Music Freiburg, Germany. Previous positions include a professorship at the University of Hamburg (2013-2022), an interim professorship at Bremen, and a Research Fellowship at the Royal Northern College of Music Manchester (2008-2010). He has published widely on timing in perception and performance, expressiveness, attention and movement in music and beyond. His research project “Slow Motion: Transformation of Musical Time in Perception and Performance” was awarded a grant from the European Research Council. He is President of the German Society for Music Psychology, and serves in the boards of leading journals in the field. Recently, he co-edited the book "Performing Time" with Justin London, which includes several contributions from RITMO members, and was published by OUP in summer 2023.