A proposal for some working definitions (a partial response to Schmidt)

Schmidt's review -- like many of the articles in the book itself -- points to some contentious but ill-defined conceptual categories: Real-time, Scene, and Discourse among others. Some of his criticisms make more, or less, sense from a musical perspective, but instead of getting carried away with specific arguments I'm inclined to take one particular comment to heart:

"Die vorgenommene Selbstbeschreibung im Buch ist auf gleichem Niveau gelagert und bietet sozusagen eine Dokumentation der musikologischen Debatten, welche an den Gruppen der Szene reiben, ohne musikologisch zu sein. Weder Theweleitisch noch nach Virilio wird Echtzeit zu einer pragmatischen Metapher, ohne voll anwendbar zu sein, ohne label zu sein, so lange die Gemeinschaften im vorinstitutionellen Status verbleiben. Echtzeit kann man sehen als Umsetzungsversuch eines Wunschs nach einem Gut, das nicht zur kaufbaren Ware wird, im Raum der Zeit von selbst organisierten Produktions- oder Spielstrukturen, die zunaechst gegen die bereits organisierten zu stehen scheinen, mit diesen aber dealen muss."

Since I am also writing a review of the book, AND since I am concerned with these categories at the level of practical music-making, I would like to propose some working definitions of terms which I consider to be fundamental to an ongoing conversation about larger issues related to echtzeitmusik. They are informed both by my own experience, and current research musicology and cognitive science.

What do you think?

DEFINITIONS

Piece: An instantiation of music which is distinguishable from other instantiations.

Compose: To situate a piece by means of a score and/ or improvisation.

Score: All elements of a piece chosen prior to performance, including but not limited to notation.

Notation: All written artifacts belonging to a score, including but not limited to those provided by the composer.

Performance: The instantiation of a piece in time.

Improvisation: All elements of a piece chosen in the course of performance.

THUS - PLAYING AROUND,

All music is experienced through pieces, but is not limited to them.

All pieces have scores, but not all scores have notation.

All scores may invite or represent improvisation, but cannot contain it.

All improvisors are composers and performers, but not all composers are improvisors. Not all composer-performers are improvisors. All performers may engage in composing through score-making or improvisation.

All listeners are improvisors. All listeners may become composers and/ or performers.

QUESTIONS

If not all music is composed, are all pieces composed?

Do all improvisors necessarily engage in score-making, if only through their choice of instrumental setup & material, or with whom and where to play? If not, who is responsible for the score -- organizers, architects, instrument builders, technicians?

Is all notation necessarily composition? What about copywork, editing, performers' annotations?

Is performing possible without any degree of of composition or improvisation? Consider a continuity: Sound design, listening to an iPod, DJ performance practice.

CONSEQUENCES?