PhD defence F. (Femke) Vandenberg

Summary:

Live music can create a sonic bond between its participants, synchronising the audience and their actions. Under the right conditions, music can attune the movements of a crowd, transforming the individual experience of participants into that of a large-scale interaction ritual. This dissertation explores the conditions needed for this transformation to occur, asking under what circumstances can live music bond people? It presents five empirical studies, comparing various genres and their audiences, and questions the importance of aspects such as physical co-presence and social position. Through this it establishes a comprehensive image of both physical and digital live music consumption and the specific ingredients needed to establish collectivity. The digital component of the thesis came about through the onset of COVID-19, where live music moved from a physical to a digital activity. This thesis thus also maps out the transition of the live music experience to the digital realm, aiming to also contribute to our understanding of mediated culture consumption and adding to the established sociologic debate around growing online interaction.