March 20, 2018

Paul Stapleton seminar

On the 21st March, Paul Stapleton from SARC, Queen’s University Belfast will be visiting Queen Mary and giving a seminar.

Improvising Musicians Are Not Users: Observations from the design and study of performance ecosystems

The talk will focus on an ecosystemic approach (Bowers, Waters, et al.) to thinking, making and performing musical interactions between instruments, musicians and environments. This discussion will be informed by past and present observational studies conducted at SARC, as well as critical reflections on Paul’s own design/performance practice including Ambiguous Devices (with Tom Davis) and VASBPI (with Maarten van Walstijn and Sandor Mehes). These observations will lead into a broader discussion of enskilment, stylistic diversity, control, unpredictability, as well as distributed agency and co-tuning in musician-instrument relationships.

Bio

Paul Stapleton is an improviser, sound designer, musical instrument inventor and researcher originally from Southern California, currently based in Belfast. He designs and performs with a variety of metallic sound sculptures, custom made electronics, virtual-acoustic instruments, found objects and electric guitars in locations ranging from experimental music clubs in Berlin to remote beaches on Vancouver Island. Since 2007, he has been lecturing at the Sonic Arts Research Centre (SARC), where he teaches, supervises and conducts research in critical improvisation studies, musical skill acquisition, performance ecosystem design and site-specific sound art. More info here.