Exploring the interpretive potential of Soundpainting: An experiment in musical indeterminacy

Abstract

Soundpainting is a sign language for improvisation developed by Walter Thompson. It involves a Soundpainter who uses a vocabulary of gestures to guide performers through many musical and sonic parameters. Each gesture represents an instruction or musical idea, ranging from indicating changes in dynamics or tempo to suggesting particular playing techniques or even asking for improvised solos. The Soundpainter interacts with the performers in real time, shaping the music as it unfolds. The performers, in turn, respond in real time to these cues, exploring different sonic possibilities and contributing their own unique interpretations. On the other hand, various composers and musicians have explored the concept of indeterminacy in music throughout its history. It challenges traditional notions of composition and performance by introducing elements such as chance and performer's initiative. Composers either use chance or similar methods while creating their compositions or provide performers with vague or open-ended instructions, thus inviting them to actively participate in shaping the musical outcome. Thus, indeterminate music challenges conventional interpretation due to its inherent flexibility and variability in composition and performance. This study proposes Soundpainting as a dynamic tool for interpreting such works that resist traditional analysis. It looks closely at how effectively Soundpainting works as a way to understand indeterminate compositions. It focuses on the works of Christian Wolff, Pauline Oliveros, and Tom Philips. The goal is to evaluate how Soundpainting communicates the nuances contained within non-traditional scores characteristic of indeterminate music. The study also pays attention to how this method can be both faithful to composers' intentions and innovative for performers' expression. The study takes two consecutive routes. Firstly, it experiments with a Soundpainting ensemble to interpret selected indeterminate scores using the vocabulary of Soundpainting. Secondly, the study examines these practical interpretations with existing theories: the concepts of indeterminacy, Benjamin Brinner's theory of musical interaction, and Nattiez's tripartition model, which divides musical events into poietic (creative), esthesic (receptive), and neutral (objective) levels. The concept of indeterminate processes aligns with Soundpainting's spontaneous nature. Similarly, Christian Wolff's open-form compositions fit with Soundpainting's performer-driven musical content. Moreover, Tom Philips' graphic scores present a good opportunity to bridge visual art with sonic realization, which is already inherent in Soundpainting. Benjamin Brinner's musical interaction theory underlines the highly interactive aspects of Soundpainting. Such dynamics become crucial when interpreting scores that necessitate collective decision-making. Jean-Jacques Nattiez's semiotic approach provides a framework to dissect how meaning is constructed in Soundpainting performances. By exploring the theories mentioned, this research gives a more in-depth understanding of Soundpainting. Furthermore, the study looks at the potential for expanding the scope of Soundpainting by performing indeterminate pieces. The study involves qualitative analysis through experiments that illustrate effective uses of Soundpainting in interpreting indeterminate music.