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 FiguresNotes on ContributorsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction, Andy Hamilton and Lara PearsonSECTION 1: THE POSITIVE VALUE OF IMPERFECTION1. The Aesthetics of Imperfection: The Finished Work, and Process Versus Product, Andy Hamilton2. Taking Aim at Imperfection , David Lloyd3. The Aesthetics of Imperfection, John Tilbury4. Reflections on the Value of Imperfection in Crafts Through the Japanese Philosophy of Wabi-Sabi, Vasiliki Tsaknaki5. Built from the Root, Ever-changing at the Bloom: The Role of Imperfection in Systems of Musical Phonology, Morphology, and Syntax, Nate Wooley6. Imperfect World, Linda Catlin SmithSECTION 2: SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT7. A Socially Situated Approach to Aesthetics: Games and Challenges in Karnatak Music, Lara Pearson8. A Social Aesthetics of Imperfection: Spontaneity and Meaning in Pop on the Streets of China, Samuel Horlor9. Age, Process, and Self-Raising Flour, Cara Stacey10. Learning Music Aesthetics Through Imperfection: The Transmission of Shakuhachi Music, Kiku DaySECTION 3: COMPOSITION V. IMPROVISATION11. The Inter-Dependence of Composition and Improvisation, Rohan De Saram12. Improvising Beyond Hamilton’s Aesthetics of Imperfection, Louise Gibbs13. Better Than Perfect: Dave Brubeck and The Aesthetics of Imperfection, Darius Brubeck14. The Aesthetics of Imperfection in Jazz and Free Improvisation, Trevor Barre15. Decisions, Revisions, Intentions and Integrity: A Subjective Understanding of Composition and Improvisation, Paul Edis16. A Literary Aesthetic of Perfection and Imperfection, Rebecca WallbankSECTION 4: INTERPRETATION AND FREEDOM17. Embracing Serendipity in Classical Performance, Stephanie Cant18. That is Not Freedom, That is Taking License: The Pitfalls in Performing Morton Feldman's Graph Scores, John Snijders19. Expanding the Ideal: Systemic Music as a Dialogue of Becoming, Kris TinerSECTION 5: RISK, DISRUPTION AND FAILURE20. Live Coding and Failure, Shelly Knotts21. The Aesthetics of Failure, Claire Zakiewicz22. The Mistake as Material, Corey Mwamba 23. The Aesthetics of Imperfection: Mistakes, and Hearing What You Intend, Enrico Pieranunzi24. Risk in Improvisation and in Comedy, Donnchadh O’Conaill 25. Risk, Failure and Courage: Improvisation and Stand-Up Comedy, Víctor Durà-Vilà26. Inciting Uncertainty, Mike Baggetta 27. Championing Risk and Discovery: Satoko Fujii and the Experimental Composition Improvisation Continuum, Alister SpenceSECTION 6: COLLABORATION IN PERFORMANCE28. Imperfect Unity and Productive Frictions: Ethics and Aesthetics of Play in Dance Improvisation, Annie Kloppenberg29. Cross Purposes: Imperfect Interactions When Improvising With Others, Graeme B. Wilson30. An Audience for Free Jazz: Joe McPhee Interviewed, Joe McPhee31. Is Love Too Strong a Term?The Dissolution of Distinction Between Aesthetics and Sociality in a Moving Orchestra, Jim Denley SECTION 7: THE INSTRUMENTAL IMPULSE32. The Instrumental Impulse: Developing a Free Improvisation Vocabulary for Alternative Keyboard Instruments, Adam Fairhall33. Rarely Heard, Small Unwanted Sounds Form the Focus, Dave Brown aka Candlesnuffer34. The Disagreeable Subject of Varése's Father: In Conversation With David Brown, Reuben Lewis35. The Necks on the Aesthetics of Imperfection, Chris Abrahams, Lloyd Swanton, Tony Buck36. 'Stardust': Seeing and Imagining What isn't There, Martin MayesSECTION 8: FINISHED AND UNFINISHED WORK37. Architecture of Imperfection: Unfinished Sketches and Burke's Sublime, Elizabeth Baldwin Gray38. Still Water Moves, Philip G. Robinson39. Notating Perfection? Beethoven and the Late String Quartets, Rachel StroudIndex

Failure, uncertainty, risk and imperfection are the topics that Hamilton and Pearson bring together, in a constellation of essays, interviews, music analysis and reflections by creative artists and writers. They show that if we embrace imperfection, we are celebrating the essence of human creativity. This book offers us solace that art will survive for as long as humans do.