For your embodied piece you say you'll notate it with pencil and paper. Is notating a form of disembodiment? Does it make a difference if it's notated materially rather than digitally?
In general, I consider writing by hand an embodied activity that creates a disembodied artefact which contains the physicality of the authour in its markings. In the end, with this project, I created the whole composition at the instrument, so notating digitally or by hand made no difference except in terms of presentation - which is not insignificant.
A lot of composers still advocate writing with pencil and paper and only transcribe to software at the final stage. I am happy using software for a lot of things but still fill notepads with musical ideas, writing, and algorithms. I remind myself often of the extraordinary sensitivity of our hands and the multitude of nerve endings and touch receptors within them; my sense is the digital realm cannot give full experience to our hands, and the physical world is by no means obsolete in this regard. For this reason, I see it as best to use both.
Thank you, although I should confess it is somewhat plagiarised. I think in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance he refers to the Buddha in the Machine, and I have a faint memory of hearing the garden variation somewhere else. It is a beautiful image though, and I think a healthy metaphor for thinking about technology.
Very excited to see how this evolves.
For your embodied piece you say you'll notate it with pencil and paper. Is notating a form of disembodiment? Does it make a difference if it's notated materially rather than digitally?
Great questions.
In general, I consider writing by hand an embodied activity that creates a disembodied artefact which contains the physicality of the authour in its markings. In the end, with this project, I created the whole composition at the instrument, so notating digitally or by hand made no difference except in terms of presentation - which is not insignificant.
A lot of composers still advocate writing with pencil and paper and only transcribe to software at the final stage. I am happy using software for a lot of things but still fill notepads with musical ideas, writing, and algorithms. I remind myself often of the extraordinary sensitivity of our hands and the multitude of nerve endings and touch receptors within them; my sense is the digital realm cannot give full experience to our hands, and the physical world is by no means obsolete in this regard. For this reason, I see it as best to use both.
I'm looking forward to hearing your project.
I love Brian Eno's quote. I have to stop myself sometimes from over editing and just let my song have its little quirks.
Thank you! Yes, each individual edit can be justified, but when compounded they dehumanise and sanitise.
The title of this piece is such genius, I love it.
Thank you, although I should confess it is somewhat plagiarised. I think in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance he refers to the Buddha in the Machine, and I have a faint memory of hearing the garden variation somewhere else. It is a beautiful image though, and I think a healthy metaphor for thinking about technology.