I’ve found myself thinking about process vs (?) outcome a lot recently. I guess that’s what doing a PhD is bound to result in but it was brought into sharper focus twice in close succession recently. First in a discussion with Miles The Intern during one of our regular morning chats and then in a presentation by Andy Ingamells I watched as part of my PGCert.

Miles is from an art school background so immediately questioned my apparent focus on the musical outcomes of a project I was talking about when for him the process was sufficiently interesting / the art. Similarly, Andy was very clear that this is entirely the focus in his work.

This is potentially very freeing and not something I have even a hint of objection to in principle, though I am still mulling over how it relates to my research. My instinct is that in terms of my own music making I am on this page. I am definitely more interested in the instrument making process and how what is designed shapes the music created. In terms of my wider research, I think the opposite true. The outcomes can be very specific in terms of a given instrument and its role for a player or in a wider musical context.

I’ll continue to consider this.