Revelations of composer self: a hermeneutic study of fifteen Australian composers

The construct of ‘self’ has been contemplated and researched from a plethora of disciplinary perspectives. However, to date, there has been little investigation into the specific concept of composer self, its defining features and contributing factors. Although there are a range of narrative, phenomenological and neuroscientific accounts of the composing process their focus does not address the identifying features of a composer self. Across a range of disciplines researchers increasingly view our interactions with music as a unique way in which we come to understand our phenomenological self. For composers, self is inextricably linked to the sound, expression and communication of their compositions. However, this research demonstrates that the concept of a composer self is problematic. It is not as simple as the choice of sound. Personal narratives, beliefs, physical sensations, emotions, personalities, cultural context, collaborations, composing spaces and sympathetic resonance with sound, all feature in composer practices. The complexities of this phenomenon are investigated in this study to determine the contributing factors and defining features of composer self. Fifteen Australian composers using diverse composing methodologies are engaged in extensive, in-depth, semi-structured interviews. A core aspect of the interviews involves composer discussions of two pieces of their music which they feel are particularly reflective of their composer self. Composers also articulate their motivations and inspirations, creative thinking, methods, collaborations, and understandings of self as musicians and composers. A hermeneutic framework is developed specifically for the study, to interpret the music, interview and associated texts. Samples from a portfolio of the researcher’s compositions and their development are also included to demonstrate the hermeneutic framework. The study finds that the contributing factors to the concept of composer self are based on five broad themes. They are composers’ relationship to sound and the way they interact with it; pivotal aspects of a composers’ musicality; self attributes; pivotal times in the development of composer self; and pivotal people influencing composer trajectories and sound choices. The defining features of composer self are drawn from these contributing factors. Although composer self is fluid and dynamic, altering with changing life experiences and adapting in collaboration with other musicians and composers to serve the music’s intent, a distinctive personal aesthetic preserves essential sound preferences across a composers’ oeuvre. Composers describe their composer self as an authentic, or deep evocation of who they are.