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Yoder, Rachel M., Performance Practice of Interactive Music for Clarinet and Computer
with an Examination of Five Works by American Composers. Doctor of Musical Arts
(Performance), December 2010, 141 pp., 11 figures, references, 90 titles.
Since the development of interactive music software in the 1980s, a new genre of works
for clarinet and computer has emerged. The rapid proliferation of interactive music resulted in a
great deal of experimentation, creating a lack of standardization in both the composition and
performance of this repertoire. In addition, many performers are reluctant to approach these works
due to unfamiliarity with the genre and its technical and musical considerations. Performance
practice commonly refers to interpretation of a written score, but the technology involved in
interactive music requires a broader definition of performance practice; one that also addresses
computer software, coordination between the performer and computer system, and technology
such as microphones and pedals. The problems and potential solutions of interactive music
performance practice are explored in this paper through review of the relevant published literature,
interviews with experts in the field, and examination of musical examples from works for clarinet
and computer by Lippe, May, Pinkston, Rowe, and Welch. Performance practice considerations of
interactive music fall into the categories of notation, technology, collaboration, interpretation, and
rehearsal. From the interviews and the literature, it is clear that the performance of interactive
music requires specific knowledge and skills that performers may not encounter in other genres of
contemporary music, including microphone technique, spatialization, sound processing, and
improvisation. Performance practice issues are often mediated by close collaboration between
performers and composers, but they can inhibit the accessibility of these works to new performers,
and may be detrimental to the long-term viability of interactive music. Recommendations for
resolving these issues are directed at both composers and performers of interactive music. A
listing of over one hundred interactive works for clarinet and computer is also included.
