Almost Tangible Musical Interfaces

Abstract

Primarily I see myself as a musician. Certainly I¿m a researcher too, but my research is with and for musicians and is inextricably bound up in the practice of performing. Research questions arise through the execution of, reflection upon and examination of performance. This is because I¿d like the findings of my research, and the performance works which are at the core of the work, to be interesting and relevant to other musicians and composers. As someone who put a lot of work into trying to be a good musician for quite some time, this feels like a natural way to operate. I understand how musicians think, I speak the language and I respect their skill and dedication. I don¿t for a moment propose that the practicebased research approach I will describe in this chapter is the one and only way to conduct research in this area. It is, however, an approach that has worked for me. It has enabled me to continue to work creatively, while also engaging in research grounded in an epistemology of practice.