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Publication

A few reflections about compositional practice through a personal narrative

Book Contribution - Chapter

"The notion of Critical Technical Practice proposed by Philip Agre provides a perspective that can be fruitfully applied to the discourse on composition. Similarly to AI, composition is a very practice-based and contingent activity, that requires deep critical reflections upon technical ideas and practices as an integral part of the daily work.Through attentive observation of their own practice, composers can achieve a better understanding and awareness regarding the role of intuition and the processes underneath their own choices during the compositional work. A more honest knowledge could then emerge from the observation of daily routines and processes, incorporating, at the same time, a reflexive work that relates the personal experience to the ones of other thinkers and practitioners, or to other disciplines such as philosophy, neuroscience, aesthetics, etc. Such a perspective has guided me in the adoption of a personal narrative, through which I will share a few considerations about my work and the personal strategies observed in the routine of the compositional process.Considerations include the impact of contingencies on the decision-making process, as well as an overview of my personal practices and strategies. The practical and situated work on sound material is observed through the reconstruction of the process, but also through the reflection on different theoretical premises, which address the definition of forming principles of sound material, its possibility in terms of manipulation, and the role of memory in its understanding. The possibility to connect premises and methods through the observation of the compositional process allows for a better understanding of the personal practice, while inspiring for pursuing new paths."
Book: Sound Work: Composition as Critical Technical Practice
Series: Orpheus Institute Series
Pages: 231-246
Number of pages: 16
ISBN:9789461663665
Publication year:2021
Keywords:Critical Technical Practice, Piezo, Composition
Accessibility:Closed