quantum improvisation: sonic consciousness and pauline oliveros

QUANTUM IMPROVISATION: SONIC CONSCIOUSNESS AND

PAULINE OLIVEROS

Sae-Hoon Stan ChungSupervisor: Dr. Dulic.Committee: Dr. Arthur, Dr. Belton, Dr. Arthur, Dr. Magnat.External: Dr. DiPaola, SFU

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OUTLINE

1. Introduction2. Contribution to Knowledge3. Research Questions4. Overview of Improvisation5. Methodology: Performance Autoethnography6. Indigenous Research Methods7. Triple Point and Filter8. Conclusion

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CONTRIBUTION TO KNOWLEDGE

DEFINITIONImprovisation is the performance of agency.Oliveros (1999) Sawyer(2006), Butler(1999), Conquergood) 1995), Denzin (2002)

THEORY Improvisation is enabled and constrained by “sociocultural referents.”Pressing(1988) and Sawyer(2006)

RESEARCH CREATION The first study of Oliveros’ quantum improvisation. Quantum improvisation attempt to transcend its own referents.

WHAT’S NEXT? 1. Perceptual activism of Oliveros. 2. Network theory of creativity. Creativity as a non-linear, self-transcending network.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

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What is

improvisation?

What does a cross field

study of improvisation

reveal?

What is Oliveros

improvising?

What happens

when musicians

improvise with a

listening and

playing agent?

Movement 1

Movement 2

Movement 3

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DEFINING IMPROVISATION AS COMPLEX--many fields/practices--parts larger than whole--many cultures--many connections/assumptions

Question--Does performance studiesoffer a useful perspective?

Where is improvisationemerging?

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Personal. Instinctive.

Spontaneous.

Freedom.

Jazz metaphor.

Emergent.

Neuroscience.

Systems.

Algorithmic.

Network

metaphor.

Social. Relational.

Cultural.

Emancipatory.

Theatre metaphor.

Systems.Agency.Ethics.Listening.

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1

2

3

4

critique the methodology

study culture in the field

examine knowledge

deepeninsight

PERFORMANCE AUTOETHNOGRAPHY

Indigenous research methodologies strengthened my methodological insight into myself, my impact upon others, and the politicalethics of my work/life/research.

Ethics: How to conduct a life that is political, socially just and socially conscious.

Thank you, Dr. Shawn Wilson, Dr. Mare Fulber, and Dr. Richard Atleo.

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METHODOLOGY:WHAT IS AUTOETHNOGRAPHY?Autoethnography is an approach to research and writing that seeks to describe and systematically analyze personal experience in order to understand cultural experience.

This approach challenges canonical ways of doing research and representing others and treats research as a political, socially-just and socially-conscious act.

(Ellis, Adams, Bochner, 2011, pg 1)

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A THEORY OF IMPROVISATION EXPLORES personal constraints

EVOLVES social constraints

TRANSCENDS ethical constraints

Constrained by Sociocultural Referent

IMPROVISATION

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TYPE 1 Example:What personal constraints inform your creativeperformance?

TYPE 2 Example:What social constraintslimit our ideas aboutcollective agency?

TYPE 3 Example:What constrainshuman limitations?

NON-LINEAR SYSTEMS

Characteristics

Employs a system perspective to explain interconnected parts.

Assumes non-linearity because whole is larger than sum of the parts.

Considers emergence of order as a self-organizing property.

Influenced by connectivism, quantum physics, neuroscience, and genetics.

Questions

Does improvising with machine augmentation produce valid theorizing on creativity?

Can improvisation suggest a non-linear system model of creativity?

Does quantum improvisation validate a network theory of non-linear creativity?

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QUANTUM IMPROVISATION WITHTRIPLE POINT

How do they sound?

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CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

Deep Listening improvises perceptual activism.

It may help us lead more political, socially just and socially conscious lives.

Improvisation is the performance of agency.

It allows the possibility of connection to networks that seem beyond our comprehension.

Oliveros’ quantum improvisation raises the possibility of using machines to help us become more deeply conscious and aware of ourselves, each other, and the universe.

OLIVEROS

“What is heard is changed by listening and it, in turn, changes the listener”

(Oliveros, 2010, p. 74)

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FAQ

questions

1. What do you mean by ethical?

2. What do you mean by co-emergent?

3. What do you mean by referent?

4. What is the core of quantum improv?

5. What is indigenous methodology?

6. Can machines help us be more conscious?

7. Are you suggesting improv is a political tool?

8. What is the main impact of this study?

answers

1. Foucault’s definition—political emancipation from state and capitalism.2. Combines Bakhtin and Bhahba as product of dialogical polyphony.3. The ideological and aesthetic structure that liberates and constraints creative agency.4. Ethical transcendence of self.5. A critique of ways of knowing and being.6. Yes, if we improvise together.7. I am suggesting that knowledge is a political tool, so yes, improv can help make knowledge serve our emancipation.8. Theoretical structure that builds on Sawyer and Pressing.

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