Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Music
Document Type
Dissertation
Abstract
This dissertation explores the role of embodiment and the impermanence of creative thought in shaping musical identity. Using my violin concerto as both a primary and tangential axis, the dissertation is divided into two parts. The first part of this dissertation is an interdisciplinary study that integrates philosophy, cognitive science, and music analysis and has two chapters.
In the first chapter, I argue that composition is an embodied process where perception, intuition, and decision-making are interconnected. It examines how composers internalize musical structures through embodied cognition and how creative ideas evolve dynamically over time. It draws from Alexius Meinong’s Theory of Objects, Richard Schwartz’s Internal Family Systems and Richard Willgoss’s Lexical Taxonomy and Semantic Net Framework to define the processes of what the composer embodies and how intuition presents as the vessel of an embodied experience. Followed It dives into its application through the analysis of my violin concerto as well Joe Hisaishi’s piano trio “Vertical Lateral Thinking”
The second chapter explores the concept of impermanence of creative thought
proposing that composition is a continuous dialogue between structure and spontaneity. Through a case study of my violin concerto, I examine how sketches, improvisations, and external influences transform into a final work. This analysis highlights the fluid nature of artistic decision-making, where musical ideas are in constant negotiation between memory, experimentation, and intuition.
The second section of my dissertation presents the musical score of my violin concerto—a 20-minute work for chamber orchestra structured in two movements. The first movement, Deep Green Ocean in Golden Tears of Light, explores the narrative of emotional catharsis, while the second movement, The Aspects of Love between the Tallgrass and Sun, evokes the intimacy and gentle nature of a relationship.
Date
4-1-2025
Recommended Citation
Gonzalez Hernandez, Aaron A., "A Phenomenology of Music Composition-Perception, Creativity, and its Embodiment in Shaping Music Identity" (2025). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 6721.
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/6721
Committee Chair
Brian Nabors
Included in
Aesthetics Commons, Cognitive Science Commons, Composition Commons, Music Performance Commons, Music Theory Commons, Other Anthropology Commons, Philosophy of Mind Commons