Embodied Composition: Composing the Body with Sound

Embodied composition is the practice of organizing sound in relation to the body and its internal/external experiences. It includes the intuitive and corporeal capacity to create, remember and respond to the environment. This creative practice manifests in the use of voice, gesture and the creative state. While many composers work with embodied composition, a clear definition is lacking. Toward this end, the author offers a perspective from her own creative practice as research. Her definition is illustrated with examples from Meredith Monk, Pamela Z and Cassandra Miller.