Date: May 6, 2020

Time: 12pm - 3pm (EST)

Location: Remote (Open to the public on bluejeans: https://bluejeans.com/177867555)

Dissertation Title: Risk and Expression: Physical and Material Risk States in Computational Music Practices

Candidate : Anna Weisling

Committee:

Dr. Brian Magerko (advisor), Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Michael Nitsche, Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Jason Freeman, School of Music, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Greg Zinman, Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. R. Luke DuBois, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University

Abstract:

Risk, while an inherent property of traditional performance, is little understood in the world of digitally mediated performance. Today, musicians often choose to incorporate or utilize digital and computational technologies into their creative processes, from augmenting and extending traditional instruments to the creation of entirely new ones. Though technological developments naturally run alongside novel artistic practices, processes, and products, the relatively recent uptick in the availability and affordability of digital and computational resources has provoked a swift and drastic shift away from highly physical modes of creation to ones which are less dependent on the direct connection between the hand of the creator and the music they create.

This research investigates qualities of physical and material risk within musical performance practices and the value that such properties may hold for less physical engagements afforded by computational instruments. The two studies designed for this research draw upon the experiences of practitioners directly, allowing them to speak about their creative processes, values, and priorities, and how risk and expressivity might factor into their practice. Through comparative studies, artifact design, in-depth discussions, and the application of thematic analysis, I am able to share the perceptions and experiences of practitioners as they themselves describe.

By identifying the value that physical and material risk, uncertainty, and the potential for failure play in the creative process we can potentially provide a compelling argument for the importance of such qualities in practices which do not naturally engage with them. Designing for risk and assessing the experiences of practitioners within the field of experimental media performance will contribute to a better understanding of the value of physical and corporeal materials within digital practices and present potential guidelines for the creation and use of new instruments for creative musical expression.