Making music in the real world : a professional practice portfolio and reflective commentary

• Main Author: McCallum, Stuart
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: University of Hull 2019
• Subjects: Music

This practice-as-research aims to explore the roles and working practice of a contemporary music practitioner. There are two elements included in the research: a musical portfolio and a written commentary. The creation of the musical portfolio is the primary way through which the critical and creative issues associated with studio-based, collaborative practices are explored. The written commentary addresses the fundamental research question that is: how does creativity take place in socially and technologically mediated contexts? Using Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi’s (1997) systems model of creativity as a framework, the commentary aims to offer insight through reflective critique and observation of the roles I undertake during my collaborative practices. There will be particular reference to the evolution of my individual studio-based working methods (as an example of contemporary professional practice) and to the detailed and specific nature of collaboration as it occurs in varied and differentiated ways. The main outcome of the practice-as-research is to offer further and deeper understandings of contemporary music practice and to show the interplay between the social, cultural, technological, architectural, musical and environmental forces in the writing and recording of new music.