Audience engagement with a sound work can extend beyond fixed conventions in which roles of creation and reception are separate. In an ‘open work’ these roles are blurred, and the audience takes on an active part of co-creation. Participatory sound works can be considered as ecologies of engagement rather than fixed compositions. Technologies of dissemination and interactivity have become part of the design of such ecologies, and sound artists have integrated them in highly diverse works. Two main aspects of participatory ecologies will be considered: the continuum of ‘active interpretation’ to ‘co-authorship’ and the creation of a community of intersubjectivity. These two aspects will be discussed in the context of a range of sound works, including the author's work Shadowgraphs (2009/11) and its interconnected manifestations: an installation, a live performance and a blog.

Given the growing acceptance of information and communication technology (ICT) as integral to today's middle and secondary school classrooms, electroacoustic music would seem on the surface to be a central feature of the music curriculum. However, models that approximate actual practices of electroacoustic music in the classroom are rare, with many schools focusing squarely on ICT, either as tools to facilitate traditional musical contexts or to explore innovative uses of that technology. Also, with the exception of some notable recent developments, there are few initiatives to bring middle and secondary students, or their teachers, into contact with the practices of electroacoustic music communities. The purpose of this article is to explore this problematic gap between the education and electroacoustic music communities in an attempt to identify some of the issues that lie at the foundation of an effective curriculum. The position taken is that these foundational matters need to be addressed prior to any discussion of ‘best practices’ for middle and secondary electroacoustic music education.

Public art invariably involves the drawing of individuals into the roles of audience and participant by virtue of it being in the public domain – in public places where those individuals are getting on with their everyday lives. As such, a large proportion of the ‘audience’ is an unwitting one, subjected to the art rather than subscribing to it. This is equally true of public sound art, where response to an intervention may vary from engagement to non-engagement to indifference to unawareness, along with a variety of transitional states between. This essay seeks to investigate this ambiguous territory in public sound art, proposing it both as an area rich in possibility for creative exploration and as a means by which artists may reveal and encourage sensitivity to the existing characteristics of a site (thus accommodating the pursuit of agendas relating to acoustic ecology). In particular it investigates and presents a case for the use of lowercase strategies in sound art as ways in which the public might be invited into a dialogue with works (invitation rather than imposition) and thus empowered as partakers of public sound art.

The article describes the design, production and usage of the ‘Rumentarium’, a computer-based sound generating system involving physical objects as sound sources. The Rumentarium is a set of handmade resonators, acoustically excited by DC motors, interfaced to the computer by means of various microcontrollers. Following an ecological/anthropological approach, in the Rumentarium discarded materials are used as sound sources. Every instrument is ‘produced while designed’ in an improvisation-like manner, starting from available materials. In this way, hardware is ‘softened’: that is, it can be continuously modified as in software development. Analogously, the onsite setup is very light, so that components can be added or removed on the fly, even while the Rumentarium is at work. Differently from typical computer music, the Rumentarium, while entirely computationally controlled, is an acoustic sound generator. On one hand, the Rumentarium can be played like an instrument in conjunction with a MIDI controller, for use in live musical performance. On the other side, it can be driven by algorithmic strategies. In this way, the Rumentarium can be configured also as a sound installation, in a standalone mode. Some artistic works are discussed while introducing the various control modalities that have been specifically developed for the Rumentarium.

This articles sketches the history, vision and implementation of the ElectroAcoustic Resource Site 2 (www.ears2.dmu.ac.uk), also known as the EARS pedagogical site. EARS 2 was originally intended to act as a miniature version of the original EARS site (www.ears.dmu.ac.uk), created specifically for young people, thus a site introducing vocabulary and relevant publications. However, after careful consideration, it proved much more valuable to create an entire pedagogical environment introducing primarily, although not exclusively, children aged 11 to 14 to electroacoustic music in terms of its concepts, repertoire and creative practice. The Compose with Sounds software (www.cws.dmu.ac.uk) package has been specifically developed for this initiative and is introduced in this article along with the EARS 2 project. The contextual discussion focuses on the issue of making innovative music accessible to inexperienced audiences, and includes a discussion of the project goal of enhancing learning through technology behind this new initiative.

This paper investigates how a contemporary constructed mechanical musical instrument driven by a steam engine can be used as an instrument that brings new knowledge and understanding to rudimentary conditions regarding electronic music. The investigation takes its starting point in the media archaeological repairman that digs out the malfunctioning music machine and gives the material physicality a pivotal role, in contrast to the otherwise more symbolic understanding of electronic music that seems to be predominant. This alternative conceptualisation of electronic music focuses on rudimentary understandings of physical and symbolic framings of machine-based music, which are unfolded through the notion of operative technology, and brings new knowledge regarding key epistemological issues regarding timing, malfunction and operation within electronic and machine-based music.

This article introduces research on the influence of teaching on the change of inexperienced listeners’ appreciation of electroacoustic music. A curriculum was developed to make Key Stage 3 students (11–14 years old)1 familiar with electroacoustic music. The curriculum introduced music using concepts, such as music with real-world sounds and music with generated sounds. Presented in an online environment and accompanied with a teachers’ handbook, the curriculum can be used online or as classroom-based teaching resource.

The online environment was developed with the help of user-centred design. Following this, the curriculum was tested in a large-scale study including four Key Stage 3 classes within three schools in Leicester, UK. Data were collected using questionnaires, a listening response test and a summary of the teaching (letter written by participants). Qualitative content analysis was used for the data analysis.

Results include the change of the participants’ appreciation of electroacoustic music during the study. Successful learning and a decrease in alienation towards electroacoustic music could be measured. The study shows that the appreciation of electroacoustic music can be enhanced through the acquirement of conceptual knowledge. Especially important was the enhancing of listening skills following a listening training as well as the broadening of the participants’ vocabulary that enabled them to describe their listening experience.

This paper presents an interactive sound design and interactive composition aesthetic. Three projects are presented as case studies and underline the importance of audience involvement: From snow [to space to movement] to sound (2011), Melodic walk (2012) and Points… (2012). All three projects have been designed, implemented and put in practice, and outline the aesthetic vision and approach of the authors. In the examples above, elements of interactive performance, sound installation and architectural design are blended together in order to deliver a sonic result, where the audience plays a central role. The members of the audience interact directly with the artworks, and as a result become part of the installation. Moreover, by bringing their own content into the interactive scenario, they also become contributors. The architectural space is an important parameter, as the spatial design is key to audience interaction with the music. Technical and aesthetic aspects are presented alongside the experiences of the audience/participants/contributors.

massMobile is a client-server system for large audience participation in live performances using mobile devices. It allows for rapid development, deployment and iterative experimentation in participatory design, while minimising technical and logistical overhead. It was designed to flexibly adapt to a variety of participatory performance needs and to a variety of performance venues. It allows for real-time bi-directional communication between performers and audiences utilising existing 3G, 4G or WiFi networks. Audience members access massMobile through a smartphone-optimised web application utilising common web standards. An offsite server passes data between the audience and the performer(s) and stores the data for later analysis. In this paper, we discuss the goals, design and implementation of the framework, and we describe several projects realised with massMobile.

The article is a discussion of works by two Danish composers who both, with self-constructed instruments, challenge computer music as genre, the understanding and use of conventional technology, and the music's relation to history. At first glance, the use of homemade instruments appears to be a common characteristic. But, when one takes a closer look, different discourses and various discussions of media and materiality are revealed. In the article the various positions are unfolded through discussions within the theoretical field of media archaeology – a science with its roots in media studies, but also an important framework for the production and understanding of a variety of DIY practices.

The overall purpose with the article is twofold: on the one hand it illustrates how theories from the field of media archaeology contribute interesting perspectives to discussions of artistic work within the area of DIY. On the other hand, it also serves as a critical discussion of media archaeology as not necessarily the solution to every aspect of artistic practices. The two artists are Morten Riis and Goodiepal.

Originally designed by Xenakis to free him from traditional music notation while allowing a faithful execution of his musical thought, UPIC (Unité Polyagogique Informatique du CEMAMu) was quickly diverted from its original functions. Even if Xenakis recommended to apprentice composers who came to study with him ‘listen to a lot of music and write’ (Serrou 2003: 20), this machine, since its inception, has enabled a large number of people to access music composition, because it does not require any preliminary theoretical training. Based on this observation we ask how UPIC, capable of converting a drawing into sound in real-time, upset the perception of musical pedagogy not only in Europe but also worldwide, through the many workshops/concerts offered to a wide audience. Exchanges and emulation around this invention are discussed as well.

After describing the technical development of this tool and, by extension, Xenakis's pedagogical thinking, we will highlight some of the most significant encounters between the machine and the public thanks to many unpublished sources found in the archives of the Centre Iannis Xenakis (CIX) recently deposited at the University of Rouen. We will highlight the pedagogical correlation between sound theory, gesture and image involved in the composition of a UPIC score. We will also approach other software applications that combine drawing and sound.

EarSketch is an all-in-one approach to supporting a holistic introductory course to computer music as an artistic pursuit and a research practice. Targeted to the high school and undergraduate levels, EarSketch enables students to acquire a strong foundation in electroacoustic composition, computer music research and computer science. It integrates a Python programming environment with a commercial digital audio workstation program (Cockos’ Reaper) to provide a unified environment within which students can use programmatic techniques in tandem with more traditional music production strategies to compose music. In this paper we discuss the context and goals of EarSketch, its design and implementation, and its use in a pilot summer camp for high school students.

This paper documents elements of a research project undertaken between 2008 and 2012. Building upon the Intention/Reception project of Leigh Landy (2006) and Rob Weale (2005), the project sought to investigate audience interpretations for works of electroacoustic audiovisual music and to utilise an expanded understanding of the audience – as active participants in interpretation – to subsequently inform the composition of new works. This project combined three distinct research methodologies: empirical data collection, scholarly research and composition. The composed works were both informed by the results of empirical data collection and scholarly research, and adapted (re-composed) throughout the latter stages of the research in order to explore emergent research findings and research hypotheses.

Interpretations were demonstrated to be contingent upon the individual lived experience of an audience member, with aspects of the work's discourse acting to narrow the interpretative potential of the work. The use of mimetic materials (sonic or visual) within works of electroacoustic audiovisual music were demonstrated to be potentially obstructing to an aesthetic interpretation of the work. And the importance of recognising the distinction between physical signal and perceived object was highlighted within the process of composition and the subsequent testing.

Do-it-yourself (DIY) in electronic music represents a new paradigm that is not just about DIY. Doing-it-together (DIT) and the idea of community and shared experiences are at the root of DIY practice. This article discusses how the workshop and the event have become central to practitioners working in the field of DIY. Collective instrument building, the concept of the living installation, and performance are viewed as a holistic event. Some specific examples of the author's work known as Dirty Electronics are considered, where emphasis is placed upon experience rather than the ‘something to take home’ factor. These include the following works: ICA Solder a Score, Noise Shadow, Still and Cut & Thrust. Composing ‘outside’ electronics is regarded as a method for revealing processes that can be represented in other areas of the work beyond sound-generating circuits. The article also looks at how building circuits and sound devices acts as a way to create a tabula rasa, and how the idea of delegated performance, where instruments are played by ‘non-experts’, serves to establish a naïve approach and authenticity in performance. Through the sharing of information online and in workshops, the DIY community has become knowledgeable, which has resulted in a community ‘full of experts’ and the growth of custom-designed circuits. The rise of discrete hand-held music players, such as the Buddha Machine, and the boutique synthesiser are also discussed, and the physical artefact and sound object are seen as a vehicle for the dissemination of ideas. Finally, the question is asked: ‘In DIY practice, where does the authentic document of the work lie?’

This paper observes the conditions of reception and understanding of music using the theoretical concepts of learning (Chevallard 1985; Brousseau 1998) adapted to the teaching of these various musics (Terrien 2006). We verify, in the light of an epistemological questioning, the nature of electroacoustic music, and if the didactic transposition (Verret 1975; Chevallard 1985) applied to Yan Maresz's Metallics allows us to understand the phenomena of music (listening, intention-reception: issues of perception and interpretation), and identify issues of language. Our contribution is a tool for reflection on a teaching approach that relies on new teaching methods in the teaching of this music.

Adorno's theory of musical reproduction is unfinished, inconsistent and attuned only to score-based acoustic music – but it has relevance for electroacoustic performance as well. His theory prompts contemplation about what ‘good’ interpretation, and interpretation itself, means for fixed electroacoustic music. A digital sound file is frequently, if not typically, viewed as more rigid and precise than a score. This article uses Adorno's theory to compare ontologies of score and digital file realizations respectively, thus questioning the above assumption. Do electroacoustic works truly exist apart from their performed features, or is a given work only its performances? Different answers imply different work concepts and interpretive strategies. Toward the essay's goals, we examine three features often viewed as nonontological to an electroacoustic work, namely performed spatialisation, equalisation, and amplitude balance. We consider the impacts of these features when they are manipulated in real time, or performance to performance. As Adorno asks how choices of timing or dynamics dictate a notated work's aesthetic ‘clarity’, this paper asks how performed choices contribute to an electroacoustic work's clarity, and to the unique interpretive potential of electroacoustic music. Tape music and acousmatic music, with its diffusion tradition, are central to this paper's thesis; but multi-channel works are circumscribed by it as well.