The Golden Thread: What makes music sound Jewish?
An exploration of the musical modes of the Near-Eastern Jewish World
My project, “The Golden Thread,” asks the question: What makes music sound Jewish? A.Z. Idelsohn speaks of unique modes and motives running through melody like a “golden thread” (chut ha-zahav), working to express the inner workings of the Jewish soul. We may know it when we hear it, but what exactly are the ingredients that go into genuinely Jewish music? This lecture-recital series aims to move audiences to consider their relationship with the world of Jewish sound through its origins in the Mediterranean and Near East. To reveal the histories of some of our most beloved melodies, we must turn to the oral tradition that has been passed down through millennia. The project’s multidimensional approach will consist of: research on Hebrew cantillation tracking modes throughout history, an informational website, and ultimately, recitals and recordings. Stay tuned for more details here.
Paper: A Snapshot of the Genizah World
The Role of the Cairo Genizah in our Understanding of Medieval Jewry
Paper: Effects of Vowel Modification in Singing
An Acoustic Investigation of the High Soprano Range
Linguistic research on the acoustics of vowel modification using an LPC (Linear predictive coding) model to track acoustic correlates of vowels across the high-frequency range of sopranos.
Study: Measuring music and prosody
How does musical ability affect sensitivity to speech sounds?
Accounting for variation in non-native speech discrimination with working memory, specialized music skills, and music background. I collected and processed data for this study, under Dr. Jocelyn Dueck and Dr. Seth Wiener.
Materials and Data: Available on Open Science Framework
Paper: Expressive Tuning in the Baroque and Beyond
An investigation into the history of tunings and temperaments, particularly concerning the underlying causes of the pull towards standardization and equal temperament. This paper explores the ancient and pre-modern roots of later tuning trends with an emphasis on Gioseffe Zarlino and Pythagoras, and challenges the traditional idea of viewing tuning changes over time through a tunnel view of societal progression.