Harrison-Ledger, Kate ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0469-1796 (2023) Body as performing subject, body as compositional object: the pianist's embodied practice in the context of composer-performer collaborations. PhD thesis, University of York.
Abstract
This research used collaborative practice, informed by my practical knowledge of the Feldenkrais Method, to investigate the nature and creative potential of my pianistic movement. The work involved developing seven projects in collaboration with different composers, each designed to explore different aspects of the moving body in relation to the piano. The focus of each project, their collaborative processes and working dynamics varied considerably, leading to a diverse range of artistic outputs: live performances of new pieces for piano, audiovisual pieces, and an exhibition.
My study and practice of the Feldenkrais Method informed this investigation. Developed by Moshe Feldenkrais (1904-1984), the Method’s aim is to improve the effective and efficient delivery of actions by paying attention to the body’s habitual tendencies as it moves. Increasing the awareness of habitual movements may lead to an improvement of function in relation to the body’s interaction with an environment. Each collaborative project focused on identifying my performing habits: characteristic movements that have emerged over time and that incorporate remnants of previously learned techniques and different aspects of my embodied relationship to the instrument. The practice research explored the subjective nature and functionality of my habits, with the purpose not being to ‘improve’ performance, but rather to experiment with the creative possibilities of my habitual pianistic movements. As we worked, the projects gradually formed and shaped around my functional movement in two ways: either ‘pushing against’ or ‘allowing for’ it. As a result, the artistic output and accompanying critical text examine the situatedness of functional movement in performance. Moreover, the uniqueness of a pianist’s functional movement, as something to creatively explore, not only underlines her subjectivity and its affordance in creative performance practice, but points to the necessity for an ‘inside view’ when exploring crucial aspects of performance that are significant to all bodies.
Metadata
Supervisors: | Laws, Catherine |
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Related URLs: | |
Keywords: | piano; performance; collaboration; embodiment; Feldenkrais; experimental music; technique |
Awarding institution: | University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > School of Arts and Creative Technologies (York) |
Depositing User: | Kate Harrison-Ledger |
Date Deposited: | 23 May 2024 09:16 |
Last Modified: | 23 May 2024 09:16 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:etheses.whiterose.ac.uk:34895 |
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