Practical time consciousness in musical performance

This chapter examines the idea of time consciousness in performance as constitutive of musical practice, and as itself being a form of practice. It introduces practical time consciousness, directed towards two forms of temporal engagement—timekeeping and timeliness, which correspond to the Greek understanding of chronos and kairos—that together underpin the collective coherence and the singular expressive qualities in music. With reference to practice theory, the chapter also explores the pre-reflective awareness of time in music and musicians’ focused attention to time, and how these might change in the moment of performance and in the development of players over time. Drawing on interviews, excerpts from recordings, and a semi-controlled study, this account examines these awarenesses as practices in themselves, occurring at distinct timescales and within different socio-cultural milieux. The chapter concludes with the idea that a practical time consciousness suggests a timeworld, an overarching horizon within which musical time is experienced and practised.