Embodiment, process, and product in ensemble expression

To what extent do musicians need to have a common idea about the music in order to give a coherent, joint performance? An expressive performance is traditionally seen as generated from a cognitive representation of music, which predicts that a shared musical idea should be central. An embodied and enactive perspective on performance, in contrast, emphasizes the emergent and externalized character of performance, as “togetherness” is achieved in the sounds, movements, and material performed. Reconsidering cognitive processes from an embodied perspective challenges us to find new ways to measure and conceptualize ensemble performance. This includes how we measure musical coordination as something that is achieved not between pairs of individuals, but in relation to the joint sonic output. It also includes how we conceive of expression and aesthetics in performance contexts, as an emergent product that is the outcome of embodied processes and ways of interacting.