Mariko North

My PhD research is an investigation into Musical Quietude, i.e., music which has distinctive aesthetic and affective characteristics and challenges due to its divestiture and simplicity.

My background before my doctoral studies was as a UK conservatoire-trained classical pianist and teacher. I was drawn to this research topic to explore what a broader framework of musical affordances and meaning-making may offer to music education and society, beyond what is traditionally a rather narrow definition of technical proficiency, 'mastery' of complexity, and resulting hierarchies, some of which do not necessarily align with the primary motivations of many arts educators, particularly those who fall outside of the national curriculum.

My project draws on a range interdisciplinary approaches and frameworks, including phenomenology and theories of embodied knowledge, affectivity, and agency; Buddhist theory, e.g. self-cultivation (Yuasa) and shoshin/beginner's mind (Dogen/Zeami); and artistic methods, including the work of Philip Zarrilli's psychophysical actor training, and the work of composer Pauline Oliveros and her Deep Listening practice.

I also integrate qualitative methods with philosophical theory, and engage reflexively with my first-hand experience as a performer, teacher, and student. 

Research Supervisory Team:

Professor Joel Krueger

Professor Giovanna Colombetti

Keywords:

Phenomenology

Embodied knowledge

Arts education and research

Self-cultivation

Buddhist theory

Material/posthuman agency

Theory of Mind

Deep Listening