Distributing Music in Space: Exploring the Impact of Spatial Directionality on Musical Material in a Composition Portfolio of Instrumental/Vocal Music

Abstract

This research focuses on exploring how the spatial division of musical material can affect the perception and interpretation of music. Specifically, the study examines how allocating fragmented musical material to different musicians positioned around an auditorium can alter the listener’s overall experience. To investigate the questions of how the spatial distribution of musical material affects its perception in terms of distance and directionality and what compositional strategies can be employed to enhance the spatial experience for listeners in a live performance setting, I have created a portfolio of instrumental/vocal compositions experimenting with different approaches to distributing musical material in space.

Each of the pieces explores a different arrangement of musicians to create a spatially dispersed sound. Through this arrangement, I aim to examine the impact of the spatialisation of musical elements, focused more on their directional orientation (though I also consider distance), on the listener’s perception of various musical features, including structure, timbre, texture, rhythm, and harmony.

The research may contribute not only to music composition and performance but also to aspects of spatial sound design. By clarifying how spatial distribution shapes musical material, the study offers techniques for composing and performing instrumental/vocal music that is sensitive to its spatial context. Ultimately, it seeks to enhance listener engagement by opening new avenues for immersive and dynamic musical experiences. Practically, these findings can inform repertoire planning, staging and rehearsal strategies for ensembles that use spatial placement as a perceptual structuring device in live performance.

Metadata

Supervisors:	Ker, Dorothy and Nicholson, George and Moore, Adrian
Keywords:	spatial music; directionality, composition portfolio, instrumental music, vocal music, spatialisation, immersion, multichannel recording, audience perception, practice-based research
Awarding institution:	University of Sheffield
Academic Units:	The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Arts and Humanities (Sheffield) > Music (Sheffield)
Depositing User:	Konstantinos Vlachos
Date Deposited:	16 Sep 2025 14:12
Last Modified:	16 Sep 2025 14:12
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID):	oai:etheses.whiterose.ac.uk:37413

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