Vickery, L. (2021). Musica ex machina: integrating the sonic pallet of machines with acoustic instruments (in review).
This paper examines the evolution of the practice of integrating pre-recorded mechanical sounds and acoustic instruments. The discussion draws a distinction between this genre and: mechanical instruments; noise making instruments; “live” mechanical sounds; recording of machines; and instrument and tape works created using synthesis.
The practice of exploring mechanical sound as a subject for 'musical' investigation is discussed in relation to aesthetic and technological factors that assisted or inhibited the emergence of the genre. Techniques employed by composers for combining and coordinating mechanical sounds with acoustic instruments are also considered. |
Vickery, L. , James, S. (2021). Tectonic: Pannotia a telematic, interactive, generative-score
This paper describes the implementation of a telematic, interactive, generative-score work for four instrumental groups Tectonic: Pannotia. The work belongs to a series of chamber orchestra works that are named after theorised supercontinents - Tectonic: Vaalbara [2008], exploring indeterminate realtime structure and instrumental groups with independent tempi and Tectonic: Rodinia [2016], exploring networked generative scores on iPads - and ancient oceans, Iapetus [2020] and Mirovia [2021], fixed scores in which notational approaches are developed.
In Pannotia, geographically distant performing groups read individual parts that respond to the generative choices of all other simultaneously networked scores. In this manner the unfolding score analogises the concept of shifting Tectonic plates that “subduct”, “suture”, ”fracture” etc. at each other’s margins. Score are read on iPads in the Decibel Scoreplayer App using “Canvas Mode”, allowing an external device to send drawing commands creating and controlling graphical objects on multiple scores/parts and devices over the internet. This development allows for greater notational variety, specificity, and draw speed in comparison to Vaalbara (in which musical materials were limited to an A3 paper sized “mobile score”) and Rodinia (which was limited by layer drawing speed and used only relative pitch), Unlike the previous works, Pannotia is entirely generative and “conductorless”, but like Rodinia individuals read a single part a “Performer View” while the audience watches in an “Audience View” in which all notation streams are amalgamated into a single score. This allows deflections and deformations of each stream of notation to be followed in realtime by the audience.stream of notation to be followed in realtime by the audience. |
Vickery, L. (2023). The expansion of compositional mobility in Cage’s Variations I–III. In C. Hope & L. Vickery (Eds.), Actions | Remarks: John Cage’s Variations and the expansion of the score, sonic materials, space, and the environment (pp. 133–156). Mode Records. 
John Cage’s eight Variations (1958-67) occupy a unique position in the composer’s output. By the late 1950s, Cage had made significant progress in exploring the use of indeterminate sound sources (such as turntable1 and radio2 works), and had invented a range of chance procedures for generating notation and indeterminacy of notation. His attention now turned towards the indeterminacy and “mobility” of formal structure itself: “a way to further the diversity and flexibility of his compositions by removing the fixity of the score itself.”
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