Abstract
It is valuable to identify an integrated method of analysis that focuses on the variousmodes of interaction between the electronic and acoustic elements in mixed music, concentrating on the spaces in which these elements intersect. In mixed music, intersection analysis is a tool that focuses on the points in which acoustic and electronic elements interact, and it is what happens at these points that will be the focus of this document. At the point of intersection, the acoustic and electronic elements are tied together into a cohesive world that spans the physical, virtual, and logical spaces. Intersections in the virtual space consist of musical elements that can be time, pitch/frequency, or rhythmic- based interactions. Those in the physical space consist of tangible physical intersection points, such as the performer’s physical live interaction with technological resources, or how performers and technology are placed within the same physical space. Intersection points in the logical space consist of contextual relationships between electronic and acoustic elements and the listener’s comprehension. These intersections might not immediately be perceptible, but contribute to the electronic and acoustic elements existing in the same conceptual world. Sound source intercontextuality, or the source and characteristics of the electronic elements, as well as how they contribute to the elemental
cohesion and aural morphology of the constructed reality, fall into this category. While virtual space encompasses clear musical elements like time and pitch, logical space is more about meaning and intention and how the elements exist and contribute to the constructed type of reality.
I have identified common points of intersection occurring in the virtual, physical, and logical spaces within historical models of mixed music, and will examine these in order to create a web of intersection points that may be used to analyze other examples of mixed music, as well as provide strategies for the craft of creating integrated mixed
music. Through identifying elements like time-based intersection points, physical intersection points, and logical contextual relationships in Kontakte by Karlheinz Stockhausen, and The Rush of the Brook Stills the Mind by Elainie Lillios, I will be able to explore how composers utilizing disparate compositional and technological strategies may pursue similar types of integration between acoustic and electronic elements in their compositions. This will help to craft a common vocabulary for the discussion of mixed music, in order to more deeply understand how electronic and acoustic elements may come together to create cohesive statements.
Separately, I will also identify how the differences in physical technological resources may have an impact on the ability of performers to interact with electronic elements and infuse their own authorship into performances. Finally we will address strategies for composers to craft different versions of reality through the manipulation of sound source creation and how the treatment of these elements contributes to the intersection of realities in the logical space.