Page 107 - Composing Processes and Artistic Agency

96 Orchestrating different forms of knowledge

experience as a composer. The catalyst is not some theoretical knowledge, but
a form of learning that is fully integrated into practice and results in ability.
Thus, when we observe composers while they are creating music, we also
notice how they are implicitly learning to create music.
Artistic practical knowing comes from learning by doing and while doing.
Such learning begins with artists familiarising themselves with a practice
domain, then finding their bearings and knowing their way around. This leads
to maturity and in certain cases to above-average mastery, meaning a clar-
ification and consolidation of artistic goals, increased skilfulness and accuracy
in determining the appropriate criteria, and ultimately wise artistic decisions
(see Aubenque 1962/2007: 66, 139f.; Shotter & Tsoukas 2014). This schematic
description of the process of achieving mastery should not be taken to be a
reformulation of the five-step model devised by the Dreyfus brothers (Dreyfus
& Dreyfus 1986: 19ff.), which contains a phenomenological analysis of the
way beginners develop into experts. Our reason for not adopting this model is
because we regard the objectification of artistic quality – namely, differ-
entiating between a good and a bad composition – largely as the result of
social negotiating processes that lie beyond the individual’s sphere of influ-
ence. The definition of mastery described by Dreyfus and Dreyfus is proble-
matic in art because the recognition and appreciation of artistic achievements
is highly dependent on contingent social factors. 6
Transformative learning processes based on experience change what we are
able to do and consequently what we are – our very identity. The extent of the
changes is hard to measure because they are subtle. Bernhard Gander
describes his own transformation in these terms:

It has somehow got easier, because 20 years ago I was still a novice. I
mainly knew the things I didn’t like or didn’t want to do, or absolutely
had to avoid so I didn’t copy so-and-so’sclichés.So I defined myself largely
by negation. Now, I define myself more by positive things. I remember at
the beginning it took ages till I was satisfied with something. Insane
amounts of sketches and graphical notes to find a melody or a chord. A
lot of thought went into it. Now, over the 20 years, certain things or
preferences have got reinforced. Now it just works quicker.

Skills may be learned by doing or through vocational training, but proficiency can
only be acquired through wide experience and rich reflectivepractice(seeSchön
1983; Winterton, Delamare-Le Deist & Stringfellow 2006: 26f.; Nicolini 2011).
When Marko Ciciliani was younger, he had several jobs as a sound technician.
The experiences he gained were helpful “because I actually studied instrumental
composition, but I soon started using electronics more and more” (for the concept
of transferable skills, see Shove, Pantzar & Watson 2012: 51, 128).
What, then, constitutes competence in composing? However detailed the
list of general knowledge and specific abilities might be, the answer will always
be incomplete. Competence not only necessarily requires a multitude of elements,