Abstract:
The term ‘NIME’ - New Interfaces for Musical Expression
- has come to signify both technical and cultural characteristics. Not all new musical instruments are NIMEs, and
not all NIMEs are defined as such for the sole ephemeral
condition of being new. So, what are the typical characteristics of NIMEs and what are their roles in performers’
practice? Is there a typical NIME repertoire? This paper
aims to address these questions with a bottom up approach.
We reflect on the answers of 78 NIME performers to an online questionnaire discussing their performance experience
with NIMEs. The results of our investigation explore the
role of NIMEs in the performers’ practice and identify the
values that are common among performers. We find that
most NIMEs are viewed as exploratory tools created by and
for performers, and that they are constantly in development
and almost in no occasions in a finite state. The findings of
our survey also reflect upon virtuosity with NIMEs, whose
peculiar performance practice results in learning trajectories that often do not lead to the development of virtuosity
as it is commonly understood in traditional performance.