December 2010

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Creating a Virtual Heart:

Arts practice with a defective mind

Colin Webber - M. Mus

Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor Musical Arts

Abstract

Creating a Virtual Heart explores the relationship between the author's creative practice as a composer and audio producer, and his adult diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome, a pervasive developmental disorder on the Autism Spectrum. Autoethnography, systematic self-observation, surveys and interviews are used to explore the ways in which the heightened autistic traits of the condition impact both positively and negatively upon his practice, both in musical and social terms. The study reveals how the "differences" of autism can be capitalized on or circumvented by compensatory mechanisms.

Autistic traits that impact on creative practice include impairments in empathy, Theory of Mind and emotional response to music, sensory anomalies and increased local coherence. These traits affect the author's creative process in composition through an enhanced interest in detail versus gestalt, the inclusion of unusual auditory experiences and the means of embedding affect within the music. Collaborative work is examined in terms of communication and understanding between members of creative teams, including verbal and non-verbal language and empathic responses.

The study documents an internal perspective on two very personal, and almost inseparable themes - a musical life and the experience of Asperger's Syndrome. By their very nature these themes are strongly loaded with subjectivity, bias and very personal experience. The resulting analysis of this affects first, foremost and strongest, the researcher himself and offers a window through which the reader may glimpse another reality.

The live, interactive version of this dissertation, including comment capability and discussion, is hosted at http://colinwebber.com


This work has not previously been submitted for a degree or diploma in any university. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the thesis itself.


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