Scores and protocol in Sound Art

Score – Scores organise performance actions in real time, they are not just instructions, they are actually the work itself. A score can function as both a guide and contextual framework, allowing the piece to exist is several different interpretations

Protocol – A process defines a process for gathering, organising or responding to data in Sound Art. It often introduces rules that shape how work unfolds overtime

Why use scores?

Scores can be used as a good practice and a thinking tool. They provide a structure whilst still allowing freedom, encouraging artists to promote their performance in their own way. The same score can produce completely different outcomes depending on who performs it. This gives the power to the artists, emphasising interpretation and individuality, scores open up space for experimentation rather than fixed results.

Fluxus scores

The Fluxus movement played a major role in redefining what scores could.

• Influenced by John Cage
• Internal network of artists active mainly in the 1960’s
• Blends everyday life with scores
• They challenge what an artwork might be using humour
• Challenged traditional ideas of what an artwork is

Fluxus scores often read like short poetic instructions or actions rather than classic music notation.

Example Le Monte Young – Composition number 7

Just two notes held for a very long time, example of scores pushing the boundaries of what we consider music. These types of scores bring out the freedom to artist.