181 lines
8.7 KiB
TeX
181 lines
8.7 KiB
TeX
\documentclass{scrartcl}
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\usepackage{enumitem}
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\usepackage[british]{babel}
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\usepackage[style=apa, backend=biber]{biblatex}
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\DeclareLanguageMapping{british}{british-apa}
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\usepackage{mathptmx}
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\addtokomafont{disposition}{\rmfamily}
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\addbibresource{~/PerryPerrySource/LaTeX/ExperimentalMusic_Bibliography.bib}
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\DeclareCiteCommand{\citeyearpar}
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{}
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{\mkbibparens{\bibhyperref{\printdate}}}
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{\multicitedelim}
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{}
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\begin{document}
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\title{Experimental Music\\Formative Assignment 2\\Essay Proposal\\}
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\author{Sam Perry\\U1265119}
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\subtitle{The role of electronics, feedback and amplification in
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experimental music composition.\\}
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\date{}
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\maketitle
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\section{Essay Objectives}
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This essay will explore the ways in which prominent composers utilise
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electronic devices and systems to compose music; focusing primarily on
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feedback and amplification as techniques for creating and manipulating
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sounds in both the analog and digital domain. This will provide a detailed
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overview of these widely used processing techniques, and will explore the
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reasons behind their popularity amongst experimental composers. The
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advantages and disadvantages of using these techniques will be explored in
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detail with regards to established concepts, and the aesthetics of such
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effects.
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\section{Subject Rationale}
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Electronics have played a key role in the development of experimental music
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in the past fifty years and have had a dramatic effect on the ways in which
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experimental music is realised. The ability to control amplitude and cause
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feedback has influenced a number of compositions, which will be explored in
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this essay.\\
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Examples of compositions include:
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\begin{enumerate}
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\item \textbf{Acoustic Feedback}
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\begin{itemize}
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\item Steve Reich's Pendulum Music~\parencite[p.31]{reich2002wom}
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\item Robert Ashley's The Wolfman~\citeyearpar{ashley2003w}
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\end{itemize}
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\item \textbf{Electronic Feedback}
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\begin{itemize}
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\item David Tutor's Untitled ~\citeyearpar{tudor1996twfle},
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Toneburst ~\citeyearpar{tudor2004lem}, and
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Pulsers ~\citeyearpar{tudor1996twfle}
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\item Gordon Mumma's Hornpipe~\citeyearpar{mumma2002lem}
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\end{itemize}
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\item \textbf{Amplification}
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\begin{itemize}
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\item John Cage's Cartridge Music~\citeyearpar{cage2013cm}
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\item Stockhausen's
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Mikrophonie~\citeyearpar{stockhausen1995mmt}
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\end{itemize}
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\end{enumerate}
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\section{Areas of Interest}
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The areas that will be explored in detail in this essay include:
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\begin{enumerate}
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\item \textbf{Types of amplification and feedback}\\
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This will discuss the different variations of the techniques based
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on the development of technology and the implications of these
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variations.
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\begin{enumerate}[label*=\arabic*.]
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\item \textbf{Analog feedback}\\
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Referring to the use of a microphone and loudspeaker to
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generate an amplified feedback loop of sounds in the cross-over
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field between the two.~\parencite[p.185]{holmes2012eaem}
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\item \textbf{Tape feedback}\\
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Referring to the technique of recording input to a tape and
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looping over a playhead to produce repetitions in the output
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signal. Used by Robert Ashley in "The
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Wolfman".~\parencite[p.186]{holmes2012eaem}
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\item \textbf{Electronic feedback}\\
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An alternative to tape feedback which works entirely
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electronically, where a signal is ``generated within an
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electronic instrument whose design enables the recirculation of
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a signal within a closed circuit''.
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~\parencite[p.187]{holmes2012eaem} This technique features heavily
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in David Tudor's works.
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~\parencite{tudor1996twfle, tudor2004lem}
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\item \textbf{Feedback manipulation}\\
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The delay in time between a direct signal and a feedback signal
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allows for the manipulation of repetitions. This gives scope
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for a wide range of possible manipulations to the overall
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output and is explored in pieces such as Gordon Mumma's
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``Hornpipe''. ~\parencite[p.390]{holmes2012eaem}
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\item \textbf{Digital feedback}\\
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With the growing use of computers for musical processing,
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feedback is possible in the digital domain, as it is in the
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analog domain. This allows DSP techniques to be applied to
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feedback loops leading to significant advancements in effects
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such as artificial reverb, giving even further scope to the
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possibilities for composers.
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\item \textbf{Artificial Amplification}\\
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Amplification is an important part of any feedback system as it
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allows for control over both initial input and the feedback
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loop. It also allows for ``small
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sounds''~\parencite[p.6]{cage2011silence} to perceived at much
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higher volumes than they naturally occur. This is explored in
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John Cage's ``Cartridge Music'' and Robert Ashley's ``The
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Wolfman''.
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\end{enumerate}
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\item \textbf{Reasons for interest in these techniques}
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\begin{enumerate}[label*=\arabic*.]
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\item \textbf{Indeterminacy}\\
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Due to the ``exponentially complex patterns of information flow
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in feedback networks''~\parencite[p.11]{weisert2010ioi},
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feedback adds an element of indeterminacy to composition. The
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build up of audio on each repetition causes varying and often
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unpredictable effects in the output
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sound.~\parencite[p.100]{nyman1999em} This will be compared to
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other techniques for introducing indeterminacy (such as John
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Cage's use of the I Ching).
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\item \textbf{Rhythmic/Temporal implications of feedback}\\
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Feedback allows for the repetition of a sound source over an
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extended period of time. This has implications rhythmically that
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can be controlled by the composer. The level of signal feedback
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will determine the decay and repetition of a signal and can
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create infinite loops of a single source sound. The
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implications of this will be discussed with reference to
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compositions such as Alvin Lucier's ``I am sitting in a
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room''.~\parencite[p.57-59, 64-68]{weisert2010ioi}
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\item \textbf{Dynamic implications of artificial amplitude
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adjustment}\\
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Both directly and as part of a feedback system, artificial
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amplification will change the perceived level of the input
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sound. This allows composers to artificially boost or attenuate
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sound in compositions and, in conjunction with a feedback loop,
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control feedback decay. This will be discussed with reference
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to many of the compositions discussed above (this is used to
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varying degrees across practically all previously discussed
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compositions.)
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\end{enumerate}
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\item \textbf{Forms of control}
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\begin{enumerate}[label*=\arabic*.]
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\item \textbf{Process and systems}\\
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Due to it's unpredictable nature, feedback can be difficult to
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control and can produce unexpected results. Composers have used
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a variety of methods to structure and control feedback as part
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of their compositions.~\parencite{weisert2010ioi} These
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processes will be explored to understand the different methods
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for structuring compositions when composing using feedback.
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\end{enumerate}
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\end{enumerate}
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\section{Potential Issues}
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The area of feedback in experimental music has a greater depth than
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initially anticipated (as does amplification). This essay may focus more
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heavily on feedback than amplification although both will be discussed as
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they are intrinsically linked. This may need more thought when planning the
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essay.\\
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Further refinement of areas may also be needed to focus on the most
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important aspects of the subject. This will become clear through writing
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the first draft.
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\printbibliography
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\end{document}
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