Research

The thesis proposes a universal cognitive architecture underlying musical improvisation, drawing on cognitive science, ethnomusicology, and music theory. By analyzing improvisation in three distinct traditions — American jazz, Arabic maqam, and Javanese gamelan — the work identifies shared cognitive demands: the simultaneous management of generative and evaluative processes, schema-driven expectation, and the role of embodied automaticity in real-time composition.

The movie Saltburn contains incredible depth for its 131-minute runtime; this black comedy thriller presents layer upon layer of content to analyze. Emerald Fennell, director and writer, finds unique ways to demonstrate English culture and aristocracy, subverting classic story tropes and commenting on relevant ideologies. This movie uses superficial archetypes and scenes that attract audiences and then throws in more profound between-the-line concepts that will have the viewer watching the movie repeatedly. Because of the complexity of the movie and strong responses from the public, an examination of the rhetoric will be analyzed using fantasy-theme and ideological criticisms. Fantasy theme analysis is essential for unpacking the shared narratives that unite the characters, while ideological criticism offers a more general way to see what drives their actions. While viewers are misled with grotesque, disgusting, bold scenes on the surface, Saltburn presents a unique rhetorical vision of the English elites and upper class and reveals Fennell's own commentary on classism, tokenism, parental influence, usurpation, infatuation, and deception.