Production and Perception: Examining the Case of the “Novelty” Musical Saw

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The musical saw is often described as a novelty instrument. This thesis defines musical novelty from both the perspective of producers of music and perceivers of music, and then examines how the definitions apply in the case of the musical saw. Novelty is dependent on both producers and perceivers, especially in the case of the saw, and they cannot be disentangled from one another. Through three case studies, it is argued that the visual stimulus of the musical saw is largely the cause for its novelty within Western art music. I go on to examine whether the saw&rsquo;s role as a novelty instrument is beneficial or detrimental to its position in the musical canon, and conclude that it has both positive and negative effects. The novelty of the saw can help the instrument garner attention and create a musical spectacle. However, the spectacle of the saw can detract from the pursuit of skilled playing and ability to focus on the aesthetics of the creation of music. Ultimately, I argue that the definitions I use for the lens of novelty can be applied more broadly in a variety of musical scenarios in order to gain further insights into the relationship between those creating and interpreting music.</span>