Performing Audiences: Composition Strategies for Network Music using Mobile Phones

Abstract

With the development of web audio standards, it has quickly become technically easy to develop and deploy software for inviting audiences to participate in musical performances using their mobile phones. Thus, a new audience-centric musical genre has emerged, which aligns with artistic manifestations where there is an explicit inclusion of the public (e.g. participatory art, cinema or theatre). Previous research has focused on analysing this new genre from historical, social organisation and technical perspectives. This follow-up paper contributes with reflections on technical and aesthetic aspects of composing within this audience-centric approach. We propose a set of 13 composition dimensions that deal with the role of the performer, the role of the audience, the location of sound and the type of feedback, among others. From a reflective approach, four participatory pieces developed by the authors are analysed using the proposed dimensions. Finally, we discuss a set of recommendations and challenges for the composers-developers of this new and promising musical genre. This paper concludes discussing the implications of this research for the NIME community