Musical repetition as an object of categorization

Categorization is one of the main concepts in the description of human cognitive activity. Categorization can cover not only material objects, but also sensory images, patterns of behavior, thereby providing a deeper and more comprehensive reflection of reality. The works of psychologists have proved the mobility of categories, their formation around prototypical features or models. Regarding music, Levitin’s experiments confirmed the stability of prototyping in relation to such general categories as genres and styles, and the style of a particular performer. L. Zbikowski identified the most relevant unit of categorization in music - the motif. This is the smallest recognizable part of a piece of music (but it itself consists of even smaller units), which at the same time is part of larger phrases and sections. But how is the issue of categorizing repetition in music resolved? Two approaches prevail here. The first is structuralist, according to which the identification of repetition as a systemic principle of musical structure is formed independently of the perception of the subject. The quantitative indicator, the scale of the repeated units and how they are distributed in space and time come to the fore. From the standpoint of psychology, the innate ability of human consciousness to identify the relationship of identity and difference becomes a priority in categorizing repetition. Consequently, human memory becomes of paramount importance, determining what remains after the subject registers certain types of repetition. During the categorization process, the features and properties of repetition are clarified, and it becomes possible to consider them as significant and confidently reproducible. At the same time, given the mobility of the categories themselves, the variability of their boundaries, and, on the other hand, the possibility of a person’s ability to identify connections between objects that differ in their appearance, the ability of categorization as a cognitive process opens up. This makes it possible not only for simple observation, but also for the analysis of identified objects, determining the accuracy or variability of perceived phenomena, their modification, and even a new construction of the categories themselves. This can be regarded as a direct manifestation of the creative process. And the category itself, in this case the category of repetition, turns into an open conceptual system aimed at acquiring new knowledge. The author declares no conflicts of interests.

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