Linguistic Theory is the process of analyzing language in the fields of syntax, semantics, etymology, phonetics, and cultural anthropology. The tools used in this process may be applied to other fields like music, dance, and mathematics. An example of the how dance and linguistics intersects is through the work of Laban and his Laban Technique. For music, phonetic transcriptions have been used, coupled with the International Phonetic Alphabet, or IPA, chart to better understand the voice is a solo or ensemble setting. Additionally, the use of the sub-field of phonetics has aided my work for motion capture studies of music technique. The study of phonetics relies on the numerical values of the voice as seen through a spectrogram rendering.
The applications listed above can be used to study music. For instance, when singing in a different language; one can use the IPA chart to more accurately express the phonetic components of the music which should aid the emotional content as well. This process can be fine tuned through a spectrogram rendering and analysis.
One of my first developments of singing in a target language was writing a song in Nahuatl. Nahualt is the language of the Nahua people which are found in present day Vera Cruz, Mexico. At the time I was studying this language during my undergraduate degree at the University of Texas, there were about 10,000 people who spoke the language. My teacher, Sabina Cruz, was one of those native speakers.
The song I developed was called, "Nicamatiz Tinechihua Para Na."
The title means, I like the way you dance with me.
Here is a recording of the song:
Here are the full lyrics:
Nicamatiz Tinechihua Para Na
Nocihua, mitoticetl
Tiepan
Timitotiz para na
Tlen, Timitotiz cena
Aixtoc Nican
A translation will be made available here.
The summary of the story is about two dancers falling in love. Written from the perspective of one of the dancers, this song progresses through the dancer's perspective of the relationship of both dancing and partnership. However, the dancer falls out of love with the partner. This is the phrase, Aixtoc Nican; which means I don't like this.
The process of this piece was developed in chunks over time. First, came the progression; which is a combination of typical Brazilian harmonies. Next, came the poem. Finally, the melody and arrangement of the poem over the progression. This process took roughly one month.
This process has helped me develop my arranging technique for learning other languages. For instance, I've been developing my personal style of Bossa Nova; which combines elements of blues, reggae, and maracatu.
Here is an example of the song, Waters of March, by Jobim:
This practice of applied linguistic theory has enabled me to become a novice speaker, but has aided in my performance of the style of bossa nova.