• “The Future is Medieval”: Orality and Musical Borrowing in the Middle Ages and Online Remix Culture

    Author(s):
    Claire E.A. McLeish (see profile)
    Date:
    2014
    Subject(s):
    Copyright, Musical analysis, Culture, Digital humanities, Music, Middle Ages, Orality, Intertextuality
    Item Type:
    Thesis
    Institution:
    University of Western Ontario
    Tag(s):
    mashup, online communities, Remix
    Permanent URL:
    http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/M6125Q85Q
    Abstract:
    This thesis re-situates sampling and the mashup in a broader tradition of musical borrowing and oral practice. Musical creators in the West borrowed throughout history; the variety and quantity of this borrowing remains dependent on the proprietary status of music. Copyright was first applied to music to protect printed scores, and is thus ill equipped to accommodate works that borrow recorded elements. Taking Ong’s concept of “secondary orality” as applied to hip hop by Tricia Rose, this thesis connects techniques of musical borrowing in the Middle Ages with those in the late-20th and 21st centuries through several close readings of representative works. By necessity, these orally circulating works are shared within a knowing community, one that understands the references and values continuing dialogue more than the contributions of individuals. Finally, this thesis makes recommendations for copyright reform, seeking to ensure that music with borrowed parts can continue to circulate in both commercial and non-commercial spheres.
    Notes:
    Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Popular Music and Culture
    Metadata:
    xml
    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    1 year ago
    License:
    Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

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