"Music to crack open stone"
– fRoots, Spring 2018
"Music to crack open stone"
– fRoots, Spring 2018
PÄIVI HIRVONEN
// Fiddler With the Voice
Tohtorintutkinto
The Doctoral Degree
Taiteellisessa tohtorintutkinnossani tutkin yhtäaikaista viulunsoittoa ja laulua. Syventymällä soolosoiton sekä kahden suomalaisen kansanmusiikin historiallisen kerrostuman - arkaaisen ja pelimannimusiikin – mahdollisuuksiin loin oman sävelkielen, omakohtaisen kahden perinteen fuusion. Tutkintoni taiteellisessa osiossa valmistin viisi konserttia, joista neljä toteutin soolona ja yhden erikokoisten yhtyeiden kanssa. Soolokonsertit olivat Sanaton tarina (2014), Kaksi kertojaa (2014), Alasti synnyin minä maailman helmaan (2015) ja Alku – The Beginning (2017). Viimeiseen konserttiin sisältyi myös samannimisen soololevyn tekeminen (julkaisija Nordic Notes 2018). Neljäs konserttini Tarinankertojat (2016) oli yhtyekonsertti. Tohtorintutkintoni Soolosoiton mahti – Laulava viulisti nykykansanmusiikin säveltäjänä ja esittäjänä tarkastettiin Taideyliopiston Sibelius-Akatemiassa 6.3.2020.
In my doctoral degree I studied simultaneous violin playing and singing. By exploring the possibilities of solo playing and the two historical layers of Finnish folk music I created my own musical language, a personal fusion of two traditions. In the artistic part of my degree I prepared five concerts, four of which were solo concerts and one held together with different-sized bands. The solo concerts included Sanaton tarina (2014), Kaksi kertojaa (2014), Alasti synnyin minä maailman helmaan (2015), and Alku – The Beginning (2017), which also involved making a solo album by the same name (published by Nordic Notes 2018). The fourth concert Tarinankertojat (2016) was a band concert.The public defence of my degree The Power of Solo Playing - Singing violinist as a composer and performer of contemporary folk music was at the University of the Arts Sibelius Academy on March 6th 2020.
First Concert // Sanaton Tarina
The first concert Sanaton Tarina - Wordless Story (on the 12th of April 2014) was a solo concert at which fiddle and octave fiddle acted as the storytellers. The aim for the concert was to find and present new ways to use the violin as a diverse solo instrument as well as the instruments different tones as a storyteller.
Second Concert // Kaksi Kertojaa
The idea of second doctoral degree concert, Kaksi Kertojaa – Two Storytellers (on the 9th of December 2014) was to develop my skills at combining fiddling and singing at the same time and ponder over what is the relation between fiddle and voice when it comes to storytelling.
Third Concert // Alasti synnyin minä maailman helmaan
At the third doctoral degree concert, Alasti Synnyin Minä Maailman Helmaan - Naked I Was Born Into This World (the 25th of May, 2015) I continued the exploration of solo performance and storytelling – this time in the world of effects. Besides fiddle and voice looping and effect equipment were in use.
Fourth Concert // Tarinankertojat
The fourth doctoral degree concert was named Tarinankertojat, The Storytellers. It was a concert where solo and group performance, improvisation, and singing came together with over 40 musicians to create one shared story. At this concert there were four different ensembles on the stage and the aim was to break the boundaries of solo and group performance in a fascinating way. The concert took place on 16.12.2016.
Fifth Concert: Alku // The Beginning
The fifth concert was divided into two parts: solo concert and solo album.
Taiteellisen tohtorintutkinnon tutkielmassa valotan säveltämisen prosessia oman musiikkinsa säveltävän ja esittävän kansanmuusikon näkökulmasta. Tarkastelen, kuinka sävelkieleni ja säveltäminen ovat kehittyneet tämänhetkiseen muotoonsa syventyessäni soolotyöskentelyyn, viulunsoiton ja laulun yhdistämiseen sekä suomalaisen kansanmusiikin kahteen eri historialliseen kerrostumaan: arkaaiseen eli vanhakantaiseen perinteeseen sekä uudempaan perinteeseen, erityisesti pelimannimusiikkiin.
Tohtorintutkinnon taiteellinen ja kirjallinen työskentely muodostavat yhdessä muusikkolähtöisen tutkimusnäkökulman. Tutkimus tuo uutta tietoa omaa musiikkiaan esittävän muusikon työskentelemisestä, yksin esiintymisen eli soolosoiton olemuksesta sekä säveltämisestä prosessina. Reflektoimalla taiteellista työskentelyäni näistä lähtökodista valotan lukijalle sitä polkua, jossa musiikkini syntyy.
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This thesis is the written part of my doctoral research in the Arts Study Programme. In it I shed light on the process of composing music from the perspective of a folk musician who is composing and performing her own works. I examine how my style of composition and performance have evolved into their present form as I have delved deeper into making music solo, simultaneously playing the violin and singing, and exploring the two different layers of Finnish folk music: the archaic or older tradition and the newer tradition, especially the pelimannimusiikki playing styles.
Together, the artistic and literary work of the doctoral degree form a musician-based viewpoint for the research. The thesis provides new information on the work of a musician who performs their own music, the essence of solo playing, and composing as a process. By using these perspectives to reflect on my artistic work, I shed light on the path in which my music is being created.