39th Annual Student Research Conference
The Indian Clarinet: Context and Insights on John Mayer’s Raga Music for Solo Clarinet
Taylor L. Caperton♦
Dr. Jesse Krebs, Faculty Mentor
Indian ragas have been extensively studied due to their prominent status in India’s musical culture. They have been used through the generations for specific occasions to set a tone or a mood in whatever setting in which they are performed. Many composers have taken inspiration from ragas to compose works that highlight the non-Western history of music, while others have taken them and used them in succession with other musical traditions. In John Mayer’s Raga Music for Solo Clarinet, the composer takes the centuries-old framework of Indian ragas and combines it with Western Classical and American jazz traditions. The result is a piece of unaccompanied music rich in unique melodies, moods, and sounds. In this presentation, an analysis of the movements in his work will take place to examine how the raga and jazz traditions informed Mayer’s composition. Emphasis will be placed on the mood that each raga creates and how Western techniques enhance those musical frameworks.
Keywords: Music, Clarinet, Indian Raga, Jazz, John Mayer
Topic(s):Music
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Session: -5
Location: SUB Georgian B
Time: 11:00