From Hyperreal Sonic-Images to Phonographic Sound: A Portfolio of Original Compositions
type: CreativeWork
description: This composition portfolio explores disembodied phonographic sound through nine original works; ‘Tidal Streams’, 'PLAY', ‘Tryst’, ‘Everyday Mimesis; Grey Day’, ‘Vivified’, ‘Thoroughfares’, ‘Tempest in a Teacup’, ‘Tacet’ and ‘Empire Drive’. From the outset of this creative journey, phonography was applied as a compositional resource, and used foremost as a mechanism for generating musical (and compositional) pathways. The early compositions born from exploring this process were developed through devising contextual frameworks, utilising the mimetic-aural1 and surreal2 characteristics of recorded sound. As the body of work developed over time, the implementation of phonographic process became more significant to the compositional methodologies explored, changing the focus of the kinds of musical languages (or sonic images) organised, which went on to centre more around the framing of place, time and space. This development materialised through exploring multichannel processes in octophonic (speaker and microphone) arrays and through spending time considering the parameters ofthe medium from both the perspective of a composer and a listener. In an attempting to document the creative pathway outlined, this three part commentary is structured thematically rather than chronologically. This reflects the developments in the compositional approaches taken and the methodologies explored. The commentary is not formulated to provide a detailed account of every compositional decision, device or process considered and employed; it is foremost used to document the personal journey whilst attempting to provide insight into the final compositions and the train of thought which prevailed at the time. It is the case that what resonates with me will not resonate with another listener, but as a composer that is a risk that has to be taken. Chapter 1 provides a general introduction to the work by identifying the areas, ideas and themes that were visited and contemplated over the period o…
abstract: This composition portfolio explores disembodied phonographic sound through nine original works; ‘Tidal Streams’, 'PLAY', ‘Tryst’, ‘Everyday Mimesis; Grey Day’, ‘Vivified’, ‘Thoroughfares’, ‘Tempest in a Teacup’, ‘Tacet’ and ‘Empire Drive’. From the outset of this creative journey, phonography was applied as a compositional resource, and used foremost as a mechanism for generating musical (and compositional) pathways. The early compositions born from exploring this process were developed through devising contextual frameworks, utilising the mimetic-aural1 and surreal2 characteristics of recorded sound. As the body of work developed over time, the implementation of phonographic process became more significant to the compositional methodologies explored, changing the focus of the kinds of musical languages (or sonic images) organised, which went on to centre more around the framing of place, time and space. This development materialised through exploring multichannel processes in octophonic (speaker and microphone) arrays and through spending time considering the parameters ofthe medium from both the perspective of a composer and a listener. In an attempting to document the creative pathway outlined, this three part commentary is structured thematically rather than chronologically. This reflects the developments in the compositional approaches taken and the methodologies explored. The commentary is not formulated to provide a detailed account of every compositional decision, device or process considered and employed; it is foremost used to document the personal journey whilst attempting to provide insight into the final compositions and the train of thought which prevailed at the time. It is the case that what resonates with me will not resonate with another listener, but as a composer that is a risk that has to be taken. Chapter 1 provides a general introduction to the work by identifying the areas, ideas and themes that were visited and contemplated over the period o…
author: Bird, David
language: eng
date published: 2014-7
date modified: 2026-07-24T03:54:59Z
provider: Queen's University Belfast
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Queen's University Belfast