Sonic Performance: Week 1 -Research

I’m so close to finishing my degree in Music Technology! For one of my final hurdles, I’ll be exploring my voice, who I am as an artist and performer. 

Up until May, I’ll be creating a performance study piece: a short set of around 5–8 minutes that reflects the persona I’ve developed over three years of sonic exploration. This feels like a really significant stepping stone into the next chapter of my life. 

Over the coming months, I’ll be documenting both the highs and lows, from troubleshooting to creative breakthroughs, as I continue this journey of sonic exploration and self-discovery. 

For this module, I’ll be working with Ableton Live 12 and the Ableton Push 3. I wanted to challenge myself by exploring something new, and I’ve always been drawn to the idea of live looping. 

For those who may not know, I’m also a vocalist, so this project gives me the opportunity to centre my voice within the performance, building layered textures and atmospheres around it. 

One idea I was particularly excited about was incorporating body tracking within Ableton Live, using movement as a form of MIDI control. Ever since discovering the work of Imogen Heap, especially her performances using Mi.Mu gloves, I’ve been really inspired by the connection between physical movement and sound. 

To begin my research, I started building a playlist and collecting YouTube videos of artists and performers who inspire me. This is helping me explore different methods and begin shaping the kind of sonic world I want to create. 

(You can have a listen here if you’d like.) 

Next, I set up my Ableton Live subscription and began working through tutorials to build my understanding of the DAW and performance workflow. As I’ve never used Ableton Live or the Ableton Push 3 before, this is going to be quite an intense deep dive for me, but also an exciting opportunity to push myself creatively and technically. 

Wish me luck…