Notating the Unpredictable

Abstract

Notation can be seen to sit conformably between theory and practice as it symbolizes practice, generates and implements theory, and produces practice. Historically, its presence changes in significance across the development of activities such as music or architecture. From design tool to canonic text, notational artefacts both solidify and formalize practice, as will be expanded below. How, then, does the role and function of notation change with specific contemporary practices, which are by definition ill-defined and feed off fluidity and change? What is the nature of notation in distributed and collaborative practices such as improvised music or network music performance?

Keywords:

• Notation
• Graphic Scores
• Network Music Performance
• Improvisation
• Composition

Notes

[1] This separation between the performer's body and the instrument is explored in Schroeder, 2006.

[2] http://pedrorebelo.wordpress.com/works/illusion-of-control/.

[3] http://www.sarc.qub.ac.uk/∼prebelo/playspace.

[4] ‘Playspace’ was developed in the context of the CO-ME-DI-A project, supported by the Education, Audiovisual & Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) of the European Commission (www.comedia.eu.org).

[5] In this context the meta-score refers to predetermined information which defines the main temporal and structural aspects of a work as instructions for the display engine.