The Four Domains: New Creative Processes for Intersections Between Jazz Composition and Performance

Abstract

This creative portfolio of sound recordings, scores and explanatory exegesis, submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the Elder Conservatorium of Music, University of Adelaide, consists of five separate composition and recording projects for different jazz ensembles. The submission is from an experienced jazz bassist and composer with an active career as a performer and composer across multiple areas of contemporary music practice. The diverse understanding of multiple areas of contemporary music practice has strongly informed the approach to the submitted works. Central to this investigation has been the concept of four interrelated ‘domains’ for negotiating the complex and multi-faceted creative process that applies to the composition of new works in the jazz tradition that lie at the intersection between composition and performance. The synthesis of these four compositional domains, as they are proposed through this study, is original to the author and is presented here for the first time. They are: Composer-Creator, Composer-Curator, Composer-Performer and Composer-Producer. The portfolio of original sound recordings and scores demonstrates the outcome of the four intersecting domains in creative practice and includes both original compositions and performances by the author. The exegesis component of this study presents an integrated conceptual framework that discusses the four domains and their application to original creative music. In doing so it outlines an approach that can be used by other contemporary musicians within their own composition processes from the beginning of the creative process through to the culmination of completed works in a recorded music context. Additionally, this research explores several other novel ideas in addition to the four interrelated domains, including the concept of a personal governing aesthetic. Through this practice-based project, the findings of the research have been applied to the creative process, from the inception of compositional ideas, through to their final iteration as a part of a portfolio of five CD sound recordings.