Ansa, Memed. 2025. ‘Activising’ Musical Form: Musical and Non-musical Materials and Politics. Doctoral thesis, Goldsmiths, University of London [Thesis]

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Abstract or Description

The aim of this compositional research is to explore how musical form can be ‘activised’ – that is, turned into a medium for political activism – through the incorporation of external influences and a politically driven choice of compositional techniques. As a musician forced to emigrate from Iran to Germany, it is impossible for my music to be apolitical. My daily concerns, every moment in which I produce art, are inevitably connected with the political landscape. I cannot separate myself from it as a human being in the public sphere.

The works in this composition folio each take a different approach to exploring the embodiment of politics within compositional ideas, while attempting to avoid the simplistic dualities of left–right/ good–evil. The relationship between politics and music is approached in two ways: some works explicitly express a political event using words, drawing inspiration from Iranian literature and poetry, and in once case an Amnesty International report. Others extract elements from political events or concepts and encode them into the structure, tackling questions such as plurality vs duality, democracy, and resistance to hierarchical structures. The technical means employed are diverse, drawing on both modern systems – such as serialism and pointillism – and pre-modern ones, namely muğam (a formal structure underpinning Azerbaijani classical music). I incorporate both improvised and through-composed elements, and also use improvisation as a means of generating through-composed material. Ultimately, this work underscores the transformative potential of art in addressing social and political issues. Through their compositions, artists can challenge existing power structures, foster empathy and understanding, and contribute to positive societal change. Thus, the thesis concludes that the activising of musical form, through conscious engagement with political materials and concepts, can create a powerful platform for political practice and advocacy.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Identification Number (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.25602/GOLD.00039188
Keywords:	Composition, Politics
Departments, Centres and Research Units:	Music
Date:	30 June 2025
Item ID:	39188
Date Deposited:	14 Jul 2025 13:59
Last Modified:	14 Jul 2025 14:07
URI:	https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/39188

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