Outcomes and Applications
What, then, are the outcomes of this research? With the conclusion of the analytical phase, the project enters a new cycle—one that moves toward more direct applications of the system. What, then, has been achieved so far? The central focus of the work has always been on process rather than outcome, and for this reason it would be misleading to evaluate its value based solely on finished musical results. All the works presented here represent early applications of the method, and as such, they remain in a state of refinement and exploration.
These outcomes are dynamic and porous—more like seeds than monuments. They include not only musical materials and structures, but also shifts in perception, awareness, and compositional methodology. The process itself has generated new tools for listening, selecting, shaping, and organizing material—tools that now form the basis for future development.
First and foremost, one of the clearest outcomes is the development of a personal system of notation that combines verbal cues with visual diagrams. This hybrid approach emerged not as a stylistic choice but as a necessity, through this, I’ve discovered that clarity does not mean reduction, and that even ambiguous or metaphorical instructions can lead to coherent and powerful results.
Another crucial outcome is a redefinition of tools—not as static objects or settings, but as evolving relationships between sound, gesture, attention, and interpretation. Pedals, effects, fragments, loops, analysis —all of these became tools not in their raw form, but in the way I learned to relate to them.
Third, this research has produced a method for generating material from improvisation without falling into repetition or randomness. By listening retrospectively to my improvisations and extracting fragments, I felt like a composer/archaeologist —digging into performances to uncover seeds of ideas worth developing. These fragments are micro-tools: they can trigger form, gesture, or mood depending on how they are placed and combined. Finally, perhaps the most important outcome is the shift in my own way of thinking. This research has made me more attentive, more patient, and more curious. I now listen not only to sounds, but to behaviors, resistances, and questions within the sound. This way of thinking transforms the very notion of outcome into something ongoing: not a product, but a practice. Not a solution, but an evolving process of learning how to listen again, differently.
Direct and Indirect Applications
While I was working on this research, I was also involved in several parallel projects. Even though the influence of this work was initially passive, it gradually began to surface—both in my role as a performer and as a composer. Here, I present three examples that illustrate how the ideas developed through this research have echoed across a broader creative spectrum.
The first, as already mentioned, is the piece for Big Band entitled "Futura," written for a concert held at Jazzcampus Basel in June 2025. I chose this composition as an example because it reveals how the system I developed proved useful as a source of inspiration, even as it collided with other compositional tools and processes. The outcome was something different from the research itself, yet it retained a clear and vital connection to its source.
The initial concept for "Futura" was based on an interest in employing a compositional structure inspired by the first movement of Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms. Having such a compelling framework in which to operate, what I needed was a body of concrete material with which to begin. The influence of fragment analysis here functioned as a unified block: I recognized in many of the fragments recurring elements—loops, repetitions, circular gestures—that resonated strongly with Stravinsky’s stylistic language. There was no direct or literal transposition of materials from the research into this piece. Rather, I believe that the ferment of reflection during those days of composition led to a natural transference of concepts, parameters, and sensibilities. This mode of thinking became the underlying structure upon which the entire piece was built.
This example is meaningful to me because it reveals something important: I cannot fully isolate myself from the tools and knowledge I’ve absorbed over time—those I choose to explore or those that have already shaped me. The creative seed may have emerged from the language of fragments, but it was cultivated and carried forward by other tools—ones that may not have been directly referenced in this research, but that nonetheless form part of my wider musical identity. No matter how strongly I try to define myself within a single method or creative approach, experiences like this remind me that musical fundamentalism has serious limitations. I am the sum of all the creative practices I’ve engaged with, and this research is now part of that sum.
You can click the pdf and scroll through the score of "Futura" and perhaps recognize elements—particularly in the type of notation—that reflect the parameters and illustrations described earlier in this document. Good luck!
