Master of Music in Composition

Abstract

This portfolio of compositions involved the creation of multimedia works within the context of collaborative artistic practice.

This interest has resulted from my increasing participation in multidisciplinary collaborative projects in recent years as a composer and singer. In the portfolio of works I have drawn on a range of theoretical texts from the fields of cognitive science, psychology, sociology and spirituality to develop a supportive discourse with which to reflect on the creative intersection of activities.

Five collaborative compositions were created and realised. These range from a self-generative installation to a traditional film score.

To examine the creative process, I have constructed a continuum that situates each piece between polarities of product or process-driven work.

On one side of this continuum is Beads, a generative sound/video installation which explores video tracking as a compositional agent. At the opposite pole is The Old Woman in the Woods, a typical cinematic film score.

Situated between these two extreme points are Terroir, Let It Go, and Aspects of Trees. Aspects of Trees is a hyperimprovisational system for visual projections, live cello, and software application. Let it Go explores the balance between improvisation, composition and “composed” instruments. Terroir is a fixed media experimental film which uses a single data source collected from an old cell phone.