Worldmaking in Music, Sound Art, and Instrument Design

Abstract

The audio arts, and music in particular, have often been understood according to a narrative concept based on a dramatic arc of conflict and resolution. I propose that a body of work exists that is better understood as an act of worldmaking in which artworks exist as assemblages of continuous process. This thesis explores ways in which the idea of worldmaking has shaped artistic practices in the audio arts. It begins by proposing a theoretical framework based primarily on the work of Ursula K. Le Guin and Anna Tsing, then examines how these ideas have been applied in the work of several composers, sound artists, and instrument designers. In music, Pauline Oliveros, Brian Eno, and Hildegard Westerkamp have each created bodies of work that have been influential on the practice of worldmaking in music. I examine the concepts underpinning their individual practices as well as the larger cultural movements that they have each contributed to before moving on to the distinct but related musical ideas of John Luther Adams and Anna Þorvaldsdóttir, focusing on their immersive instrumental works Inuksuit and METAXIS. In addition to his work as a composer, Adams has also created sound installations that sonify natural systems. I explore how the indefinite nature of sound installations affects their ability to create a sense of place by comparing Adams’ The Place Where You Go To Listen with Andrea Polli’s Atmospherics/Weather Works and with other sound installations based on nature data. Finally, I discuss the application of worldmaking concepts to instrument design. I begin with a broad discussion of the modular synthesizer as an assemblage instrument, then examine two instruments that demonstrate distinct approaches to worldmaking: Peter Blasser’s Plumbutter, and Tyler Etters’ Arcologies. The portfolio section of this dissertation includes my composition a body in a place, my sound installation Sound Fisher, my electro-acoustic instrument Resin, and my software instrument Flyway. Together, these provide an illustrative overview of my creative work at Princeton.