THOUGHTS ON :
THE PERCEPTION OF TIME IN MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
Time is a vital factor in the creation of music, and particularly of live or recorded performance. The performer’s perception of time has a direct effect on technical ability and the relaying of musical expression towards an audience. However time remains of an essentially subjective nature - despite a basic human need to tie it down to measurable units. Proof of this subjectivity is given in any example that illustrates our changing perception of the passing of time depending on situation; one might quote Albert Einstein’s explanation of Relativity to some persistent reporters:
"An hour sitting with a pretty girl on a park bench passes like a minute, but a minute sitting on a hot stove seems like an hour."
Point made. Time is flexible, and this causes it to be an elusive part of our existence.
Music is particularly interesting in this respect since one of the reasons for its popularity with the human race (and perhaps the animal kingdom as well, for that matter) lies within its power to modify the one’s perception of time, to seemingly lengthen or shorten it. One could at this point consider philosophies and scientific studies that explore conceptions of time as a multi-dimensional rather than linear process – this would imply an ability in music to alter our awareness of time at several levels of consciousness.
Time is also linked to memory; in music this relates to the memorising of a score, and on another level the underlying auditory memory of form implicated in a score. A musical fragment, be it a motif, theme, harmonic pattern, rhythm, or entire section of music, may be stated and repeated later on in the work, perhaps under a modified but recognisable form. This raises interpretative questions, which may be addressed from the perspective of time perception. The universal problem of time can be applied to almost any type of repertoire; however certain works, particularly of the avant-garde, will require a specialised methodology.
My interest in this subjet stems from the discovery in my own work, as a performer, that learning is linked to state of mind and more specifically to time perception. The subject matter has obvious pedagogic implications. Although the question of time is surely often addressed indirectly, it is perhaps less often brought up in a more articulate manner. For example, musicians are sometimes taught that ‘thinking slowly’ allows for extra velocity. What exactly is ‘thinking slowly’? How do we control our ‘speed’ of thought? How does this process work whilst playing in a group? The number of problems that need simultaneous attention during playing are endless – questions of posture, bowing or breath, intonation, phrasing, ensemble, projection and sound quality – without an adequate perception of time all of these areas simply cannot be addressed efficiently, and with the ease necessary for a communicative performance.
Taken a step further, if believe time perception may be deliberately thwarted in performance, as a tool for musical expression. This raises a number of questions regarding choice of tempo, the relations between tempi in a single work, rubato, accelerando, and also the relations of volume and timbre to time. I am fascinated by the nature of the artifices that produce these effects, and how the choices made, consciously or unconsciously, relate to the performer’s persona.
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