The Aesthetics of Imperfection in Music and the Arts

Andy Hamilton teaches Philosophy at Durham University, UK. Lara Pearson is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Germany.

List of Figures
Notes on Contributors
Acknowledgments
Introduction, Andy Hamilton and Lara Pearson

SECTION 1: THE POSITIVE VALUE OF IMPERFECTION
1. The Aesthetics of Imperfection: The Finished Work, and Process Versus Product, Andy Hamilton
2. Taking Aim at Imperfection , David Lloyd
3. The Aesthetics of Imperfection, John Tilbury
4. Reflections on the Value of Imperfection in Crafts Through the Japanese Philosophy of Wabi-Sabi, Vasiliki Tsaknaki
5. Built from the Root, Ever-changing at the Bloom: The Role of Imperfection in Systems of Musical Phonology, Morphology, and Syntax, Nate Wooley
6. Imperfect World, Linda Catlin Smith

SECTION 2: SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT
7. A Socially Situated Approach to Aesthetics: Games and Challenges in Karnatak Music, Lara Pearson
8. A Social Aesthetics of Imperfection: Spontaneity and Meaning in Pop on the Streets of China, Samuel Horlor
9. Age, Process, and Self-Raising Flour, Cara Stacey
10. Learning Music Aesthetics Through Imperfection: The Transmission of Shakuhachi Music, Kiku Day

SECTION 3: COMPOSITION V. IMPROVISATION
11. The Inter-Dependence of Composition and Improvisation, Rohan De Saram
12. Improvising Beyond Hamilton’s Aesthetics of Imperfection, Louise Gibbs
13. Better Than Perfect: Dave Brubeck and The Aesthetics of Imperfection, Darius Brubeck
14. The Aesthetics of Imperfection in Jazz and Free Improvisation, Trevor Barre
15. Decisions, Revisions, Intentions and Integrity: A Subjective Understanding of Composition and Improvisation, Paul Edis
16. A Literary Aesthetic of Perfection and Imperfection, Rebecca Wallbank

SECTION 4: INTERPRETATION AND FREEDOM
17. Embracing Serendipity in Classical Performance, Stephanie Cant
18. That is Not Freedom, That is Taking License: The Pitfalls in Performing Morton Feldman's Graph Scores, John Snijders
19. Expanding the Ideal: Systemic Music as a Dialogue of Becoming, Kris Tiner

SECTION 5: RISK, DISRUPTION AND FAILURE
20. Live Coding and Failure, Shelly Knotts
21. The Aesthetics of Failure, Claire Zakiewicz
22. The Mistake as Material, Corey Mwamba
23. The Aesthetics of Imperfection: Mistakes, and Hearing What You Intend, Enrico Pieranunzi
24. Risk in Improvisation and in Comedy, Donnchadh O’Conaill
25. Risk, Failure and Courage: Improvisation and Stand-Up Comedy, Víctor Durà-Vilà
26. Inciting Uncertainty, Mike Baggetta
27. Championing Risk and Discovery: Satoko Fujii and the Experimental Composition Improvisation Continuum, Alister Spence

SECTION 6: COLLABORATION IN PERFORMANCE
28. Imperfect Unity and Productive Frictions: Ethics and Aesthetics of Play in Dance Improvisation, Annie Kloppenberg
29. Cross Purposes: Imperfect Interactions When Improvising With Others, Graeme B. Wilson
30. An Audience for Free Jazz: Joe McPhee Interviewed, Joe McPhee
31. Is Love Too Strong a Term?The Dissolution of Distinction Between Aesthetics and Sociality in a Moving Orchestra, Jim Denley

SECTION 7: THE INSTRUMENTAL IMPULSE
32. The Instrumental Impulse: Developing a Free Improvisation Vocabulary for Alternative Keyboard Instruments, Adam Fairhall
33. Rarely Heard, Small Unwanted Sounds Form the Focus, Dave Brown aka Candlesnuffer
34. The Disagreeable Subject of Varése's Father: In Conversation With David Brown, Reuben Lewis
35. The Necks on the Aesthetics of Imperfection, Chris Abrahams, Lloyd Swanton, Tony Buck
36. 'Stardust': Seeing and Imagining What isn't There, Martin Mayes

SECTION 8: FINISHED AND UNFINISHED WORK
37. Architecture of Imperfection: Unfinished Sketches and Burke's Sublime, Elizabeth Baldwin Gray
38. Still Water Moves, Philip G. Robinson
39. Notating Perfection? Beethoven and the Late String Quartets, Rachel Stroud

Index