New forum sub section on 'Workflow'?

[acrawnsley]

This is something that I've been thinking about for a while now - and it might be a good time to initiate it alongside the potential of ChatGPT integration with OM documentation - as the two may be related.

 

In addition to the specifics of functions/libraries and learning 'the language' - be it OM specific or CL more generally - I think that one of the biggest hurdles in using OM creatively is in developing a creative workflow that makes best use of the power of OM within each composer's needs and approach. I have given this a lot of thought because coming from a highly SuperCollider based approach to OM required a major rethinking of my system set-up, working with MIDI and a whole range of technical issues that ultimately had an effect on how I worked with OM as the primary interface for actually composing. This topic is touched on in Nigel Morgan's earlier Parametric Composition Book and also in the Fundamentals of OM book - but the approach is quite technical rather than workflow based and I think the latter is connected with the former and it might be helpful to have somewhere to discuss it on the forum. As it stands, I have to look in a variety of places for these sorts of ideas- and often they are buried in other posts not connected to this topic!

 

So I'm suggesting that we could really use a sub section on the forum for looking at different ways of working as a way of learning how to best use OM from others' experiences. A good example is Stephane's very insightful 'Zoom into OM' video on 'Instantiation of Musical Thinking', which helped me significantly to make a connection with how I work in terms of algorithm design, compositional ideas and final results and output.

 

If others think this would be a useful thing to have as a subsection, can we set it up - and I'll get the ball rolling with some topics?

 

bw 

 

Andrew

[opmo]

I am very happy to do that.
Any anyother name sugestions for the new forum?

[RST]

When I think of "workflow" I usually term the area of concern thusly:

Materials and Methods

 

In my own practice as a composer, it does not matter if I am using a pencil and manuscript (which I often do), compose at the piano (also typical), or use a programming language like Csound or a comprehensive system/environment such as Opusmodus.  My background considerations, and my notebooks and sketches, are concerned with the materials and methods for a given work (or series of works).  Over time the notion of "materials and methods" has become more expansive and inclusive and now describes (rather than defines) my "method" as a composer and, to an extent, the sound of my work.

As Ferneyhough once described, he is a "layers man" - working from from the description of the temporal lattices that he develops with an ear to complexity and utility.  Then, upon this temporal scaffolding (what Wishart somewhat disparages as "the lattice") he takes to the next "layers" of the musical context - pitch, articulation, dynamic, etc.  Likewise, Reynolds forms a set of plans and designs (often informed by extra-musical impetus) in geometric detail - much like an architect, drafted on paper in high-resolution detail - he develops with meticulous attention to detail and nuance the "materials" of the work - sometimes describing the entirety, but also replete with specificity down to the second and the sub-section. Then he attends to the notation and the creation of "the music." Yuasa often works with eye and ear in tandem, and relies upon graphic compositional techniques on paper to develop his polychronistic music. In fact, many composers work with graph-ism in similar ways as Yuasa (Xenakis and Ligeti come to mind), and this is why the graphic visualization tools in Opusmodus are invaluable to others who follow on with similar approaches.

 

Creating a complex musical expression (a work) cannot be fully realized in one Opusmodus script.  Therefore, the development of personal and idiosyncratic methods to utilize Opusmodus, perhaps in tandem with other tools and techniques, is key to mastery and utility in one's artistic practice.  The definition and outworking of "methods" is the composer's domain.  It is above and beyond "code" and therefore, sharing about this together in our community has enormous value not only to Opusmodus users but also the the art form itself.

[opmo]

Here it is:
"Strategies and Methods to Control Complexity"

[Stephane Boussuge]

If I have to resume my practice and workflow in OM, I generally design one or several process to generate one section and iterate or call this process through looping or several iteration/instantiation with parameters according to my needs.