Portfolio of Original Compositions

Abstract

This commentary discusses the aesthetic and technical background of the six compositions that I produced during my period of doctoral study at the University of Manchester between 2015 and 2019. Four of these (Oriol, Pink Bourbon, The Piano of the Jungle and Vuelvo al Sur) are for stereo configuration and the remaining two (La Fiesta del Diablo and Memories of the Pacific) are 8-channel pieces. My portfolio of compositions brings elements of Colombian culture into conversation with the practice of acousmatic composition. These compositions engage with the aesthetics of working with culture-associative sounds (including sonic souvenirs and culturally familiar sounds), as well as with related concepts, such as Smalley s orders of surrogacy and morphological behaviours. I draw equally on culturally emblematic and environmental sources, including a range of Colombian folk music (tiple, marimba de chonta, chirimia, salsa etc.), soundscapes (Andean cityscapes and countryside) and iconic cultural elements (coffee production). At the heart of the creative process lies a desire to capture, through my own compositional perspective, the unique flavours of Colombia s cultural diversity. To achieve this, I explore collaborative approaches to generating raw sound material. For example, I have worked closely with Colombian folk musicians, as a means to capturing, not only the sound(s) of their instruments and voices, but also the flavour (sabor) of their cultural context and experience. Furthermore, I explore how a range of different narrative modes can be engaged compositionally, as a way of portraying elements of Colombian culture. Collectively, the works of this portfolio offer a range of new perspectives on working with culture-associative sounds, focussing especially on the engagement of Smalley s orders of surrogacy and James Andean s narrative modes as a creative framework.

Date of Award	31 Dec 2020
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The University of Manchester
Supervisor	David Berezan (Supervisor) & Richard Whalley (Supervisor)