Re: [microsound] Intellectual Property

[alex@xxxxxxxx]

On Mon, 2 Oct 2000 kim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> working in an IP (intellectual property) rich environment I have come
> to understand why a software developer/artist/etc does not want their
> "process" exposed...

This is fair enough, it is the artists choice.  But there are many reasons
to keep a process open.  A couple of examples:

- When I am bored with a program, it would die unless I released the
  sourcecode for others to expand upon
- If you make an advance, but don't tell anyone about it, its value is 
  much reduced
- Processes are beautiful

> although I am more than willing to share some ideas on an abstract
> level I tend to be rather guarded when it comes to the details...I
> like knowing the general concept of an artists work and guessing as to
> how it was implemented...

Well there is value in that, but personally I get frustrated with
conceptual art where I am not provided with the concepts, and feel
similarly about experimental music (which may also be conceptual art).

> on improvisatory laptop performances: when I was performing in
> Stuttgart with Pita and Hecker I was stunned to see them madly opening
> patches, tweaking them on the fly, closing them, opening others and
> browsing for samples without a break in output...I was blown away by
> their technique...

I wasn't trying to suggest that laptop performances are inherently bad,
just that I, selfishly, want to see more of what is going on..  Did the
audience see their screens?  If not, do you think they'd have benefited
equally from your experience?  As a programmer and generative musician I
live in processes throughout the day.  I find it almost unbearable to be
denied access to them in leisure.

I like to know whether a musician is using software they have written
themselves, how they are interacting with it, how much is 'live'..  These
things dramatically change the way I experience a performance, how I
relate to it as a human.


Alex

-- 
A member of the state51 conspiracy
alex@(state51.co.uk|lurk.org|generative.net|(vx)?slab.org)
it may be something trying to force its way into our world