The entanglements which make instruments musical: Rediscovering sociality. Issue 2 (15th March 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Waters, Simon
• Is Part Of: Journal of new music research. Volume 50:Issue 2(2021)
• Page Start: 133
• Page End: 146
• Publication Date: 2021-03-15
• Subjects: Musical instruments -- design -- performance ecosystems -- ensembling -- musical sociality -- situatedness and entanglement; Music -- Periodicals; Musicology -- Periodicals; 780.72
• DOI: 10.1080/09298215.2021.1899247
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0929-8215

Abstract

Abstract : A thing becomes a musical instrument by virtue of its use in a social context, a use of which its initial intended design (if it had one) forms only a part: sometimes a very small part. Drawing on the notion of the 'performance ecosystem' this papersuggests that instrument designers/makers working with digital technologies might fruitfully attend further to the social contexts/constructs that characterise every level of musicking. It looks at the emergent, situated co-development of player, instrument and environment, suggesting that humans habitually use instruments to sense out, test and probe the possibilities of self-other relations in dynamic, mutually-engaging, and often playful and improvised behaviours. 1