Participatory performance analysis: A case study on Cretan festivities

My presentation focuses on traditional music in Crete, as it is practiced in the context of festivities with strong participatory character. The material for this presentation is based on the research conducted in the context of my second dissertation. I analyse how repertoire choices and rhythmic processes provide structure to the whole festivity on large and short time scale, respectively. Particular focus lies on the importance of the participatory character of the event, by examining how actions of the dancers influence both repertoire and rhythmic processes. Several events were analysed using a combination of methods. Audiovisual field recordings of events were annotated regarding the encountered repertoire, computational methods were employed to document rhythmic processes, and contextualization is provided through extended interviews with the involved musicians and dancers. This shapes a methodological proposal of how to analyse participatory music performances by means of integrating computational analysis and field work. The obtained integration promotes a diversification of research questions, as well as the development of new technology in interaction with participants in the field.