Pathways into Centroscandinavian polska rhythms

The aim of this research is to gain fluency in the rhythmic dialects of traditional polska tunes of central Scandinavia. My starting point has been to highlight some rhythmic features in polska performances in styles from Jämtland and Dalsland/Värmland, and to explore ways to represent their timing, developing information–dense, at–a–first–glance ways to incorporate their microrhythmic fluctuations as organic calligraphic elements into the written music. This allowed me to delve into deeper analysis and embodiment of traditional stylemes as a newcomer to the tradition with classical and modern music background. Incorporating the newfound rhythmic shapes and concepts into my saxophone practice routine primed a greater freedom in the rhythmical texturing of both tune–playing and improvisation.