“Voice Lab: Songs of Being As Embodied Philosophical Inquiry”
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“Voice Lab: Songs of being as embodied philosophical inquiry” John Brennand Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (by Creative project) College of Arts Victoria University 2017 Doctor of Philosophy Declaration (by creative project) I, John Brennand declare that the PhD exegesis entitled “Voice Lab: Songs of being as embodied philosophical inquiry” should be at least 18,000 words in length including quotes and exclusive of tables, figures, appendices, bibliography, references and footnotes. This exegesis contains no material that has been submitted previously, in whole or in part, for the award of any other academic degree or diploma. Except where otherwise indicated, this exegesis is my own work. Signature: September 1, 2017 ii Acknowledgements My Supervisory team: Original Supervisor Dr Margaret Trail Interim Supervisor Dr Elizabeth Dempster Professor Ron Adams Dr Paola Bilbrough Dr John Howard I would like to acknowledge the magnanimous support of the Body Voice Centre in Melbourne and the Yoga Cycle studio in Adelaide. Special thanks and appreciation to the generous participants who contributed to this project. iii Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1 Prelude – Travelling on the Arachne avatar ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Situating the inquiry .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6 The acquisition and conveyance of knowledge in a performative art practice; an invitation .......................................................................................................... 13 Motivations and Influences: Locating the Self ................................................................................................................................................................................. 16 Convergence and Divergence with Beuys. Where we meet, and depart ......................................................................................................................................... 22 Embodied Resonance: theoretical and practical context ................................................................................................................................................................. 29 The Method(s) ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 33 Voice Lab: An overview; a confluence of contextual influences. Finding connecting threads on the virtual exegetic web .............................................................. 42 The Performance ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 58 Mapping of a 'virtual' Voice Lab workshop: developmental processes, origins & functions ............................................................................................................ 64 A review of workshop practices; a virtual Voice Lab ................................................................................................................................................................... 65 Voice Lab part 1........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 67 Tea-Break .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 75 Voice Lab part 2........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 76 Participants’ Experiences and Insights: To find a voice .................................................................................................................................................................... 82 Suppositions and Outcomes ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 91 References ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 95 Appendix .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................103 Voice Lab Participants: a brief biography ...................................................................................................................................................................................103 Participants Questions and answers ..........................................................................................................................................................................................104 Participant summary reports .....................................................................................................................................................................................................126 iv Abstract This PhD by Creative Project consists of three distinct but interwoven parts – the development and investigation of a wordless vocal performance practice with volunteer participants, a culminating performance ‘product’ which creatively documents, elucidates and illuminates the investigation, and a written exegesis which contextualises and complements the investigation and culminating production. The project sets out to cultivate an original voice practice and performance practice philosophy through an innovative re-interpretation and application of established practices and ideas. I locate the core generating propositions of the project in three recurring themes derived from the articulations and artistic life of Joseph Beuys (1921-1986), around the potential of every person as artist, the notion of artist as shaman, and the notion of creativity sourced at its spring point. I both concur with and diverge from Beuys through these themes in the cultivation of a practice and practicing philosophy that speaks of my desire to acknowledge and engage with the invisible yet emergent forces inherently available in inspiration, emotion, instinct, intuition, and perception, as implicit in the multi-resonant possibilities of voice, and as material for art practice and creative agency. The research project proposes that this immersive experiential performance practice can provide creative methods that broaden the constituents of knowing via the expansion of each individual’s perceptual and expressive palette, in relational creative engagement. The thesis is conducted through, for, and into, performance as art practice and generative method, as process and outcome via a practice led research methodology. 1 The performance practice explored in the project is the primary site of embodied knowledge production. The practice drew upon, synthesized, and developed from a very broad range of established body, perceptual, meditative and theatrical voice and breath-based practices. This includes influences and melding of practices from Ilse Middendorf (Perceptible Breath), Paul Newham (Voice Movement Therapy), Karlheinz Stockhausen (Composition “Stimmung”), Yoga (Prana and Nada), Chi gong, voice for actor training of Zygmunt Molik and of Michael Chekhov, the extended voice work of Linda Wise, and includes methods that have evolved from my own dedicated practice over several decades. The complementary exegesis performs as a map of the evolution, contextualization, and imbrication of the practice towards performance and performance philosophy, and comprises 30% of the overall creative project. The exegesis will be provided to examiners immediately following the performance. The creative component of the thesis comprises 70% of the project and included conducting voice workshops with two groups of volunteer participants from Melbourne and Adelaide spanning a period of one year. The heart of the creative project involved conducting intensive monthly four-hour workshops with participants in two groups - one in Adelaide, one in Melbourne - over a period of one year. These workshops evolved through the process of applying, and building upon, techniques drawn from the practices listed above, and included reflective journaling. This workshop process was followed by a systematic collection of individual improvised vocal recordings, and interview/conversational