Jake Adams

Thesis

Thesis

Approaches to cross-cultural synthesis in a post-colonial world

• Supervisor: Martin Suckling and Daniel March

Despite being commonly used in discussions surrounding cross-cultural music, the term ‘synthesis’ is rarely defined within literature, and is often used interchangeably with ideas of ‘hybridity’ and ‘fusion’. Developing from Everett’s definition of cross-cultural synthesis as a piece of music combining elements from two or more different traditions where the result is a new hybrid entity, this practice-based PhD project examines the approaches a composer can take in creating ‘synthetic’ cross-cultural music whilst considering the role of musical experience within the composition process. The project begins by categorising both the types of ensemble that may be involved in a cross-cultural piece and the cultural relationship the composer has with the traditions involved in the work, before then using newly composed works within each of these categories as case studies for the approaches that could be taken.