Books by Adam Stanovic (Stansbie)
Sound Art and Music: Philosophy, Composition, Performance, 2020
This volume explores the mutually beneficial, but occasionally uneasy, relationship between sound... more This volume explores the mutually beneficial, but occasionally uneasy, relationship between sound art and music. It reveals how practices and theories associated with these art forms frequently result in corroboration, and contains chapters from both practitioners and theoreticians who work in areas where innovative synergies between sound art and music can be identified. Although practice and theory are inseparable, discourses surrounding practice are elusive but informative, and, as such, are given particular recognition and exploration in this volume. Taken as a whole, the book provides a snapshot of contemporary research across a range of sound art and music disciplines, showcasing the variety, scope and scale of this exciting, if bewildering, area of study.
Book Chapters by Adam Stanovic (Stansbie)
Early Sound Recordings: academic research and practice, 2023
Over the past few years, I have arrived at the conclusion that one should feel genuine sympathy f... more Over the past few years, I have arrived at the conclusion that one should feel genuine sympathy for any researcher that is misfortunate enough to study early recordings.1 This is not because their area of research is so bewilderingly broad.2 Nor is it because researchers of early recordings are required to read so many different kinds of text.3 Rather, it is because no matter how far their scholarship advances, and no matter how significant their findings appear to be, scholars of early recordings are constantly questioned about the legitimacy of the very thing that they study. I have experienced this firsthand, since involving myself in a research project focused on the production and analysis of mechanical recordings; even though the findings of this project were disseminated far and wide, involving both academic and public audiences, specialists and non-specialists, questions about the legitimacy of early recordings almost always dominated proceedings. The precise nature of the questions varied, of course, as did the terminology used. The overarching sentiment remained the same: to what extent can we really trust early
recordings?
Sound Art and Music: philosophy, composition, performance, 2020
Experimentation, serendipity, intuition, and emergence were the four most common terms in my rece... more Experimentation, serendipity, intuition, and emergence were the four most common terms in my recent literature review on the topic of compositional methods in acousmatic music. Although the use of these terms goes all the way back to the genesis of this music, this chapter argues that their continued use perpetuates a mythological, as opposed to methodological, account of the compositional process. The chapter presents a list of reasons why these terms are no longer fit-for-purpose. The list is certainly not exhaustive, and much of what is written relies upon anecdote, debate and conjecture. It is hoped that the reader might forgive such things, since the ultimate aim of this chapter is to inspire much-needed debate within the acousmatic community about the actual methods that composers now employ. Failure to do so risks misunderstanding and marginalisation of the entire field. Now is the time to rethink compositional methods in acousmatic music.
Journal Articles by Adam Stanovic (Stansbie)
Sonic Ideas, 2024
This article describes acousmatic music as an intertextual artform. It offers three central ways ... more This article describes acousmatic music as an intertextual artform. It offers three central ways in which specifc works of acousmatic music might reference the works of others, using the terms quotation, allusion, and pastiche. Although these terms will be familiar to anyone that has
studied intertextuality, the types of references typically found within
acousmatic music are fairly unique; the application of such terms
requires some discussion, therefore, to clarify the intended meaning in
each case. During this discussion, I notice that almost all of the existing
literature on this topic focuses upon quotations, despite these being
relatively scarce within the practice of acousmatic music. I present the
alternative view that allusion and pastiche are more common, but also
more diffcult to identify and describe. Along the way, I employ Davies’
notion of thick and thin art works (Davies 2004), Lacasse’s notion of
the autosonic and the allosonic (Lacasse 2000), and Genette’s notion
of the hypertext and the hypotext (Genette 1997a). I apply these terms
and concepts to To US.S..S… (Stanović 2021) – an acousmatic work
that intentionally references the music of around thirty other composers.
Although this level of intentional referencing may be unusual within the
feld of acousmatic music, I advance the idea that all works of acousmatic
music contain references to the works of others, even if these were not
directly intended by the composer. Taken as a whole, the article offers
a starting point for anyone wishing to conduct intertextual analysis of
acousmatic works, while advancing the idea that the study of references
in acousmatic music is increasingly important to our understanding of
the past, present, and future of the acousmatic tradition.
Ideas Sónicas, 2024
I have edited this issue of Ideas Sónicas (Sonic Ideas) to provide a snapshot of contemporary ele... more I have edited this issue of Ideas Sónicas (Sonic Ideas) to provide a snapshot of contemporary electroacoustic works that explore a relationships between what I call 'The Electroacoustic and the Other'. It consists of eight chapters, each articulating a meeting-point between the electroacoustic and another art form, medium, or context (please see the foreword for a clearer explanation). The intention is not to comprehensively survey the territory in which electroacoustic music is changing or expanding. Nor is it to present the works of the ten authors as paradigmatic examples of all newly emerging practices. Rather, it is to provide a sample of contemporary practices that are diverse, interesting,
and fully invested in their relationships with others.
Nordlit 46 (2020) – Conceptualizing the North, 2020
In 2015, occursus-a network of artists, researchers, and academics with an interest in space and ... more In 2015, occursus-a network of artists, researchers, and academics with an interest in space and spatialities in art-commissioned a series of musical compositions based on a small patch of land close to the centre of Sheffield, England. The land in question, which houses one of the world's oldest cementation furnaces, has witnessed a remarkable period of transformation; initially standing among some 2,500 furnaces in the heart of the industrialised city centre, the national decline of steel production resulted in dereliction and for much of the past sixty years the furnace towered over wasteland. occursus acquired the land in 2012, and turned it into a community arts space, now known as Furnace Park. This article explains how a series of composers responded to this park through the creation of new musical works. Although most attention is directed to the author's own work, Foundry Flux (2015), the primary focus of the article is on the collective approach to occursus' objectives which, to the surprise of all of the commission-holders, focused their attention way beyond the tiny patch of land in the heart of Sheffield; the project became a catalyst for: 1) studying the identity of the city; 2) observing and initiating transformations of that identity; and 3) reflecting upon one's own role within such identity transformations. In combining these three, those in the group found themselves engaged in a practical process of composing the north.
Over the past hundred years, philosophers of music have debated the nature of, and relations that... more Over the past hundred years, philosophers of music have debated the nature of, and relations that hold between, musical works and their performances. The gradual proliferation of recording and reproduction technologies over the same period further complicated such debates, encouraging some contemporary philosophers to consider similar relations between musical works and their recordings. In recent years, profound changes in the nature of such technologies have resulted in a new phenomenon, in which recordings of the past have been transferred from their original medium into the digital domain. Responding to this phenomenon, thisarticle assesses the relations that hold between musical works, recordings and their digitisations. It starts by surveying existing theories that relate works and performances, paying particular attention to the realist notion of types and tokens. It goes on to consider three possibilities in which this notion might be employed and adapted in order to account for existence of recordings and their digitisations. The final of these three possibilities, which is viewed as the most plausible, does not merely offer a revisionist account of ongoing philosophical debates. Rather, it argues for a radical expansion of our understanding of musical works, and addresses the complex network of relations that they enter into with regard to recordings and digitisations.
The University of Sheffield Sound Studios is one of the leading institutions in the United Kingdo... more The University of Sheffield Sound Studios is one of the leading institutions in the United Kingdom for the study of acousmatic music. Key to this reputation is the staff team, an international collective of research students and a curriculum that prioritizes creative practice whilst recognizing the importance of technological skill. This paper focuses upon the recent activity of USSS and acousmatic music at Sheffield.
In recent years, a significant number of musical philosophers have aligned themselves with the ty... more In recent years, a significant number of musical philosophers have aligned themselves with the type-theory. According to this theory, which was popularised by Richard Wollheim (1980), musical works are types – abstract, generalised entities that are encountered in or through their various instances (performances and recordings), known as tokens – concrete, specific entities. Furthermore, musical works have been described as types of sound structures; although there is much debate as to the precise nature of such structures, this view has become something of a dominant ontological paradigm, and is frequently invoked to describe or explain the nature of performance interpretation and authenticity. This paper presents a bespoke type-theory designed to address music of the acousmatic tradition. It starts by suggesting that acousmatic works are types that are encountered in or through their various tokens. However, the language of sound structures requires some adjustment to account for the diverse kinds of compositional methods employed in the acousmatic tradition and, more importantly, the centrality of space. Accordingly, the term sound sculpture is proposed and explained, and various different types of sound sculptures are considered. The paper concludes by indicating future research goals that may build upon the type-theory and the notion of the acousmatic sound sculpture.
Electroacoustic music occupies a curious position within the arts. On the one hand, it appears to... more Electroacoustic music occupies a curious position within the arts. On the one hand, it appears to be aligned with the plastic arts, such as painting and sculpture; composers often refer to the haptic, kinaesthetic and even proprioceptive nature of their compositional acts in terms of crafting, moulding and sculpting sounds in the studio. On the other hand, electroacoustic music appears be aligned with the performing arts, such as drama, dance and most forms of instrumental music; the proliferation of diffusion systems and the increasing sophistication of tools for real-time spatialisation lend credence to associations with traditional notions of performance practice. This paper seeks to demystify this ostensible paradox. It starts considering an ontological distinction that holds between the plastic arts and the performing arts, goes on to consider whether electroacoustic music is ontologically similar to one or the other, and concludes with the following point: electroacoustic music may be characterised by either plasticity or performance but, in many cases, it falls between these polarities. This observation may help to explain why some philosophers, aestheticians and musicologists have struggled to accept electroacoustic music whilst enabling one to identify where the unique value of this exciting and uncompromising art-form resides.
Journal of Music, Technology and Education, Intellect Press, Dec 2010
This article places computer music directly into Stan Godlovitch's Model of Musical Performance; ... more This article places computer music directly into Stan Godlovitch's Model of Musical Performance; an idealized conception of musical performance based on four fundamental constituents: sounds, agents, works and listeners. Godlovitch's model was originally intended to promote the unique value (Godlovitch 1998: 4) of scored instrumental music; as a result, one is not surprised to find computer music excluded on the grounds that it is not performed; it is played back (Godlovitch 1998: 100). Following a brief introduction to the Godlovitch model, this claim is rejected; performance is central to the computer music tradition and aesthetic, a fact that is frequently overlooked by those unfamiliar with the genre. In order to prove this point, a model of computer music performance is presented and defended; this may be seen as a direct challenge to Godlovitch's central thesis. However, it also represents a genuine attempt to align computer music with the performing arts and, in doing so, provide a framework through which the performance of such music can be accurately located and discussed.
L'espace du Son III, Musique et Recherches, Belgium, 2011
The intention of this paper is to discuss space in acousmatic music from a phenomenological persp... more The intention of this paper is to discuss space in acousmatic music from a phenomenological perspective. It will argue that space, and our spatial experience, is radically dependent upon intentional acts of consciousness and thus, to some extent, listener dependent. It will go on to demonstrate that intentional acts are not uniform; different sound materials invoke different kinds of intentionality and, for this reason, space in acousmatic music is heterogeneous. The paper will begin by identifying different sorts of intentional acts and consider the role they play in the construction of our spatial experience. Following this, we will introduce Bakhtin’s concept of the chronotope and, taking this as a point of departure, provide some much needed terminology to facilitate spatial discourse.
Journal of Music and Meaning, 2010
The ontology of music is a lively and much debated branch of metaphysical philosophy. However, mo... more The ontology of music is a lively and much debated branch of metaphysical philosophy. However, most of the available literature focuses upon works of the Western classical tradition; as a result, the various challenges posed by tape compositions are either marginalised or ignored. Coupled with this is the familiar claim by some musicologists and philosophers that such works cannot be described as musical; one such philosopher, Linda Ferguson, claimed that tape compositions are ontologically distinct from scored musical works and, as a result, are “in search of their metaphysics” (Ferguson, 1983). This paper will address such claims through an investigation of the ontology of tape music. It will be argued that such works share their metaphysical status with scored compositions and that the various differences can be ascribed to the “extent, depth, and saturation of their work-determinative properties” (Davies, pp. 26-27, 2004). Ultimately, it will be noted that there are some significant differences between these two art forms. However, tape music is not “in search of its metaphysics”; it is merely lacking an accurate philosophical assessment.
Compositional methods in electroacoustic music
Journal of Music, Technology and Education, 2013
Tracking production strategies: Identifying compositional methods in electroacoustic music
Journal of Music, Technology and Education, 2013
ABSTRACT
PhD by Adam Stanovic (Stansbie)
The Acousmatic Musical Performance: an ontological investigation, Jan 15, 2013
"This investigation provides an answer to the following ontological question: what is an acousmat... more "This investigation provides an answer to the following ontological question: what is an acousmatic musical performance? Chapter 1 discusses acousmatic sound – a fundamental constituent of the acousmatic musical performance – and considers ways in which acousmatic sounds are determined in advance of, and during, a performance. Chapter 2 presents the acousmatic performance as an agent-centred, skilful enterprise that serves both composers and listeners through intentional communicative acts. Chapter 3 examines the nature of, and relations that hold between, acousmatic performances and acousmatic works. Chapter 4 considers interpretations of works and highlights some of the various ways in which interpretations are formulated, regulated and executed. Chapter 5 focuses upon the notion of performance authenticity and questions whether it is possible for an acousmatic performance to be considered inauthentic. Taken as a whole, these five chapters highlight the central constituents of the acousmatic
musical performance, unravel the collective input of composers, performers, listeners and technologies, and explicate the complex network of relations that coalesce within the performance environment.
The methods employed within this thesis relate to the practice of musical ontology, and have been significantly influenced by Richard Wollheim’s realist account of type and tokens (Wollheim 1980) and Stephen Davies’ notion of thick and thin musical works (Davies 2004). These ontological theories provided a method for identifying and discussing the relations that hold between acousmatic performances and acousmatic works, and were ultimately fundamental to the formulation of a bespoke type-theory that serves music of the acousmatic tradition. Accordingly, the research serves two distinct communities. On the one hand, it serves the ontological community; acousmatic music has received very little ontological attention and, as a result, this research broadens the investigative scope of the discipline whilst considering how existing theories may be applied to music of the acousmatic tradition. On the other hand, it serves the acousmatic community; by abstracting and explaining the central constituents of the acousmatic musical performance, this investigation clarifies the roles of composers, performers and listeners, and demonstrates how understanding of these roles may inform creative practice.
A portfolio consisting of six original acousmatic compositions has been produced. This compositional research allowed theoretical ideas to be tested, and works in the portfolio are cited to contextualise key points. These works can be found here: www.sargasso.com/?product=adam-stansbie-isthmus "
Talks by Adam Stanovic (Stansbie)
In 2015, plastiCities – a network of artists, writers, researchers and academics with an interest... more In 2015, plastiCities – a network of artists, writers, researchers and academics with an interest in space and spatialities in art – commissioned a series of musical compositions based on a small patch of land on the edge of Sheffield. The patch of land, still home to one of the world's oldest cementation furnaces, was once situated at the heart of the industrial city centre where it was engaged in the production of blister steel. Following the national decline of this industry, the land lay forgotten and derelict until a recent rediscovery, or re-imagination, of the space produced Furnace Park – a community park that invites reflection upon the changing nature of the city through the act of artistic engagement and activity. plastiCities launched the commissions as part of their wider artistic agenda: " We believe that voices from the arts have a critical role to play in the ways in which our cities are designed, produced, distributed and lived. We do not treat the city as an object to be represented, but as a more-than representational plastic object, in the sculpting of which we all have a democratic right to intervene. " (plastiCities 2015 p.5). In this context, sound appears to be a perfect medium, particularly when plasticity may be enacted through the combined processes of recording, transforming and composing, as are often found in forms of sound art and electronic music. Despite this, the result of these processes were not intended to embellish the city with yet more public art, and nor were they intended to illuminate ways in which the city's soundscape might be redressed. Instead, through the process of reflection, creation and engagement, the act of 'doing' was intended to encourage individuals to think of the city as artwork in and of itself. This paper considers the various commissions in light of this project. It starts by elaborating the commission objectives, setting these alongside the aims of plastiCities. It goes on to address the act of composing in this context, paying particular attention to the one of the author's works Foundry Flux (2015), particularly in terms of the compositional methods and the resulting form of the piece. It finishes by assessing the whole project alongside the stated aims; whilst the process of artistic engagement did (at least in some cases) necessitate (re)engagement with the city, this was often highly personalised and frequently opaque. The aims of the project, however, remain substantive and this paper concludes with a call for a great engagement with the city as a plastic work of art.
The type-token theory enables philosophers of music to explain how musical performances, and more... more The type-token theory enables philosophers of music to explain how musical performances, and more recently recordings, can remain faithful to a given work despite their inevitable differences. According to this theory, popularised by Richard Wollheim, works are types (abstract formations laden with properties) and their performances and recordings are tokens (concrete manifestations which, providing their properties correspond with those of the type, are deemed to be equally and ideally permissible as instances of the work in question) (Wollheim 1980). In most cases, tokens have substantially more properties than their corresponding types, and this serves to explain the notion of performance interpretation, and variability among recordings; the properties of types (works) are conditional and non-negotiable, but their tokens (performances and recordings) add additional properties to produce substantial variability. This observation is certainly not new; Roman Ingarden, for example, suggested that there is a " sphere of irrelevance " built in to each musical work which accounts for variability (Ingarden 1986, p.23; original 1931). More recent contributors have described musical works as thin types (Davies, 2004) that underdetermine the many details of their fully-formed tokens (Godlovich 1998; Scruton 1997). The digitisation of performances and recordings requires an extension of this theory; the choice of microphone(s), hardware, software, the room and available acoustic, the choice of format or media, the digitisation format and distribution medium are but some of the many factors that potentiate variability. Vastly different digitisations may be drawn from the same performance or recording, depending how these variables are negotiated. With this in mind, it may seem sensible to refer to digitisations as tokens of tokens; digitisations are instances of performances or recordings which are, in turn, instances of works. A more sophisticated theory, however, considers performances and recordings as second-order types, for which digitisations are their tokens in their own right. Such a theory, elaborated in this paper, would serve to explain how the many variables involved in the production of digitisations substantially extends those associated with first-order types (works) and their performances and recordings. This observation does not merely account for the relations that hold between works, performances, recordings and their digitisations; it also suggests that the sphere of irrelevance must be extended, albeit in conceptual terms, to account for the ever-increasing variability that the age of digitisation has produced.
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Books by Adam Stanovic (Stansbie)
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Journal Articles by Adam Stanovic (Stansbie)
studied intertextuality, the types of references typically found within
acousmatic music are fairly unique; the application of such terms
requires some discussion, therefore, to clarify the intended meaning in
each case. During this discussion, I notice that almost all of the existing
literature on this topic focuses upon quotations, despite these being
relatively scarce within the practice of acousmatic music. I present the
alternative view that allusion and pastiche are more common, but also
more diffcult to identify and describe. Along the way, I employ Davies’
notion of thick and thin art works (Davies 2004), Lacasse’s notion of
the autosonic and the allosonic (Lacasse 2000), and Genette’s notion
of the hypertext and the hypotext (Genette 1997a). I apply these terms
and concepts to To US.S..S… (Stanović 2021) – an acousmatic work
that intentionally references the music of around thirty other composers.
Although this level of intentional referencing may be unusual within the
feld of acousmatic music, I advance the idea that all works of acousmatic
music contain references to the works of others, even if these were not
directly intended by the composer. Taken as a whole, the article offers
a starting point for anyone wishing to conduct intertextual analysis of
acousmatic works, while advancing the idea that the study of references
in acousmatic music is increasingly important to our understanding of
the past, present, and future of the acousmatic tradition.
and fully invested in their relationships with others.
PhD by Adam Stanovic (Stansbie)
musical performance, unravel the collective input of composers, performers, listeners and technologies, and explicate the complex network of relations that coalesce within the performance environment.
The methods employed within this thesis relate to the practice of musical ontology, and have been significantly influenced by Richard Wollheim’s realist account of type and tokens (Wollheim 1980) and Stephen Davies’ notion of thick and thin musical works (Davies 2004). These ontological theories provided a method for identifying and discussing the relations that hold between acousmatic performances and acousmatic works, and were ultimately fundamental to the formulation of a bespoke type-theory that serves music of the acousmatic tradition. Accordingly, the research serves two distinct communities. On the one hand, it serves the ontological community; acousmatic music has received very little ontological attention and, as a result, this research broadens the investigative scope of the discipline whilst considering how existing theories may be applied to music of the acousmatic tradition. On the other hand, it serves the acousmatic community; by abstracting and explaining the central constituents of the acousmatic musical performance, this investigation clarifies the roles of composers, performers and listeners, and demonstrates how understanding of these roles may inform creative practice.
A portfolio consisting of six original acousmatic compositions has been produced. This compositional research allowed theoretical ideas to be tested, and works in the portfolio are cited to contextualise key points. These works can be found here: www.sargasso.com/?product=adam-stansbie-isthmus "
Talks by Adam Stanovic (Stansbie)