Doctoral Colloquium (Music): Chelsea Komschlies, PhD candidate in Composition

The Doctoral Colloquium is open to all.

Wandering in Mind and Snow:  A Cognitive Hearing of Debussy’s “Des pas sur la neige”

Abstract:

Debussy’s prelude “Des pas sur la neige” seems to capture the very act of becoming lost in one’s own thoughts, known as “mind-wandering” in cognitive science. Not only that, but the music oscillates on that subtle continuum from introspection to alertness that many of us have likely experienced on a cold and lonely walk at some point. I will present what neuroscience has recently learned about mind-wandering and show how the music actually mirrors the cognitive act of reverie by way of the subtle recontextualization of the stark D minor opening material throughout the piece. This analysis represents a case study in an interpretive method that asks to what things in human experience does the subconscious mind suggest the music connects.

Bio:

Chelsea Komschlies is pursuing her Ph.D. in composition with Jean Lesage. Her music springs from spontaneous subconscious mental imagery and has been programmed by Alarm Will Sound, the Fifth House Ensemble, Codes d’accèss, Le Vivier, and the Philadelphia Bach Festival. Her research focuses on the cognitive basis of crossmodal musical meaning.

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https://mcgill.zoom.us/j/93441829030

Meeting ID: 934 4182 9030