Method of Loci: From Memory Technique to Creative Framework
'Jabberwocky': Case study in Poetry Recitation
This presentation is the result of a preliminary exploration into the Method of Loci, a memory technique originally from classical rhetoric. Specific mental processes are highlighted - division, distribution, visualisation, gesture, and association. These are applied to the memorisation and recitation of a poem, Jabberwocky, by Lewis Carroll. Questions for further research are raised: the relation between music and poetry, the application of such techniques of mental organisation to musical practice, and how they can also be used to create frameworks for improvisation and composition.
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