Polyphonic Bowing: An Exploration of Rhythm and Improvisation from Other Cultures

This project contains the sum of knowledge and influences I have received over not only the last year of being in Spain, but the sum of all my experiences as a musician from my roots as a classical violist growing up in a jazz family, to my first discovery of music from other cultures, to performing with my Nashville string heroes at the Country Music Awards, and to performing Arabic music under the instruction of legendary musical visionaries. This is a stepping stone towards the longer musical journey and exploration of community and how my voice impacts those around me as performer and teacher. The project tackles artistic development, collaborative performances, pedagogical and methodological practices, and ethnomusicology. Throughout my studies, I focused on rhythmic development for stringed instruments by studying music from a multitude of different cultures. From studying and researching this music, I informed my own artistic vision to create compositions and develop exercises for myself and for my students to help connect ourselves to a broader global community. It is my hope, that with the work presented here, that I may be a more informed musician and educator and that those who are interested in developing new paths of creativity can find inspiration from this work.https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-contemporary-performance/1182/thumbnail.jp