PhD defence C.M.M. (Carlo) de Wijs

Dissertation in short:

The Microdynamics of musical innovation describes the history of the Hammond Organ in the context of the instrument’s main innovators; as well as the technical, musical, and societal developments that occured simultaneously. It focuses on the extraordinary amalgamation of instrument, sound, and technology that has given rise to the overarching research question: How did innovation pertinent to the Hammond organ come about, and what role did individual, social, technological, economic, and other actors play in this process? 

The research consists of a historical section and a present day section. The historical analysis attempts not only to reconstruct the cultural and technological history of the Hammond organ, but also to explore the role of the many musicians that influenced these trajectories. The present day section consists of a reflection on my own professional journey by way of an auto-ethnography; a series of laboratory sessions with musicians, educators, and the industry; and a vision for the future. 

This dissertation uses empirical research to illuminate not only the development of the Hammond organ, but also the microdynamics of innovation in its entirety. With the aid of Latour’s Actor-Network Theory (ANT), Rogers’ innovation theory, and an auto-ethnography, this dissertation illustrates the developments in the world surrounding the Hammond organ.