Composing with Interfaces: Analog and Digital Feedback Loops in the Compositional Process

Composing with Interfaces:Analog and Digital Feedback Loops in the Compositional Process Dr. Marc Evanstein (bio) 1. Introduction Composers increasingly inhabit a musical world dominated by interfaces. With an ever expanding array of musical applications, plug-ins, digital instruments, controllers, and programming languages at our disposal, the act of composing is often mediated by menus, keyboard shortcuts, presets, and protocols. However, the truth is that the act of composing has always been mediated: if not by applications and devices, then by the instruments with which we compose and the systems of notation with which we express our ideas. These mediators profoundly affect both the experience of composing, and the music that results. The following theory of compositional interfaces began as a reflection on my own practice as a composer. I write using a variety of analog and digital tools—pencil and music paper, experimentation [End Page 159] at the piano, graphical sketches, notation software, digital audio workstations, analog synthesizers, Python code—and I noticed early on that the interfaces I used influenced both my creative process and the results of my efforts. Moreover, in much of my work, significant creative energy goes into the creation of bespoke interfaces—usually custom computer programs—with which I generate and shape the material. I have learned, through trial and error, to build and navigate these interfaces in ways that effectively serve my creative aims. A few years ago, I realized that I had developed a framework for understanding such interfaces that might be valuable to other composers. Through countless conversations with friends and colleagues, it became clear that there are some general principles of using, choosing, and creating interfaces that are widely applicable. This paper represents an attempt to codify these general principles, relying primarily upon the direct testimonial of composers as evidence. Some of these composers are friends, others are historical figures, but in large part the following text is based upon a series of in-depth video or in-person interviews with six composers: Natasha Barrett, Sarah Gibson, Jarosław Kapuściński, Elainie Lillios, Alex Temple, and Pamela Z. These composers were chosen so as to offer a diversity of compositional perspectives: among them are composers of acoustic music, electronic music, work for live performers and electronics, intermedia work, sound art, and theatrical work, as well as composers who lead dual lives as performers, researchers, and teachers. This research is ongoing, and will surely evolve as more perspectives are taken into account; however, these interviews already provide a solid foundation of evidence. We will begin with a brief review of the literature on interfaces in general, and on musical interfaces more specifically. With this background in hand, we will then turn our attention to compositional interfaces, beginning with a broad overview, and then proceeding to examine each component—musical storage, action, and feedback —in detail. Finally, we will take a step back and consider the role that these interfaces play in the larger design process of composition. 2. Background In Interface Culture, written at the dawn of the internet age, Steven Johnson defines an interface as "a kind of translator, mediating between two parties, making one sensible to the other" (1999). In [End Page 160] many cases, our entire experience of something is mediated through these points of contact. For instance, Johnson observes: Our only access to this parallel universe of zeros and ones runs through the conduit of the computer interface, which means that the most dynamic and innovative region of the modern world reveals itself to us only through the anonymous middlemen of interface design. Although Johnson is speaking of computer interfaces, interfaces are by no means limited to the digital domain. For instance, a bicycle translates its rider's intentions into motion, offering controls for turning, generating thrust, shifting gears, and braking. So what are the key ingredients of an interface? In his Interaction Design Sketchbook, Bill Verplank breaks down the interaction between a human and an interface into a feedback loop of "doing, feeling, and knowing" (2009). In order to understand any given interface, we must pay attention to the paths of action, the paths of perception, and the conceptual model that bridges the...