Collabographies: Tracing shared processes between performer and composer

Petra Valtellina

This research aims to address the question of how performer-composer collaborations can effectively generate a jointly composed flute piece. By examining two collaborative processes undertaken over the past year with different composers, this research seeks to identify factors that facilitated successful collaborations and those that posed challenges. Through comparative analysis, the goal is to identify strategies and approaches that could inform and improve future collaborations of this nature. This study ponders the contrast in the background of the two composers involved and the different experiments in role balance. As the performer, I serve as the common thread between these collaborations; variations in the outcomes result from interpersonal dynamics and the composers' differing levels of familiarity with the flute. The methodology employed aligns with the principles of Action Research, with iterative cycles of feedback, reflection, and adjustments during the collaborations, prioritising the process over the final product. Outcomes of this investigation include that complementary skills, clear expectations, transparent and unfiltered communication, external deadlines, defined final goals, and narrower guidelines might enhance collaborative engagement, improving satisfaction and musical products. Following the introduction, which addresses the motivations underlying this study, Chapters 1 and 2 will contextualise the topic of collaboration through a literature review and present the chosen methodology. Chapter 3 will delve into a comprehensive overview of the two collaborations, while Chapter 4 will propose a comparative analysis of these processes and report the limitations of this study. Conclusions will follow.