Aarlene Vielot

Aarlene Vielot is a recent B.A. Performance Studies graduate and current M.A. candidate at PS. During her undergrad, Aarlene’s main focus was the connection between performance, technology, and consumerism. Her final Capstone project, Encoding Bias: Facial Recognition and the Maintenance of the Status Quo, delved into the complex relationship between human bias and computer coding, investigating how biased humans have created biased technology. Now during her graduate studies, Aarlene’s area of research is affect and music, specifically exploring how music creates affective responses. She plans on applying this research in the future to her career as a Music Supervisor.

Title of Project

Syncing Sound & Image: The Affectivity of Music in Media

Description of Project

Syncing Sound & Image: The Affectivity of Music in Media is an exploration of how music creates affective responses in media. I investigate this topic through the lenses of assemblage, subjectification à la Althusser’s interpellation, theatricality regarding technique, and interviews. My project is the connection of theory and practice. I am not just researching what the theory says about how music creates affect in media, but I am also engaging with the people who have stakes in this process. The songwriters, music licensors, and yes, the viewers.

Project Inspiration

This project was inspired by the many scenes in film and tv whose sounds left me shocked, heartbroken, and hopeful.

Areas of Academic Interest

Music, Affect, and Media