2019 Theses Doctoral

Mixed Media and Metaphor: An Analysis of the Performance Technologies Utilized in Drop and Decoder

Bird, David

This research examines two pieces composed by me: Drop, for string octet, strobe lights, and electronic sounds (2015), and Decoder, for MIDI drums, holographic projections, and electronic sounds (2017). Both works interrogate a particular manifestation of digital technology: in the case of Drop, strobe lights, and in Decoder, digital screens. This process involves unpacking the character, language, and associations of a particular technology, and exploring how human performance complements, opposes, and negotiates with these elements. My analysis highlights the influence of Post-Digitalism in my work and aims to show how mixed-media performance technologies function metaphorically, and how their influence can be traced from their physical presence on stage to notated gestures in performance.