Composing with the More-Than-Human: A Study of Reciprocal Voices

Abstract

This practice-led research explores the concept of reciprocity between humans and the more-than-human world through four distinct composition projects: Three Haiku (art song), The Sea (choir), Not Fish (string quartet), and The Lullaby (chamber opera). Drawing on cross-cultural theoretical frameworks (Born, Zhuangzi, Ingold, and Abram amongst others), the study explores sound as a medium for relational dynamics that foster co-creation and mutual transformation.

Rather than merely representing natural elements, these compositions facilitate exchanges where sound emerges as a dynamic process, connecting human and more-than-human agencies. Reciprocity is approached as an emergent, evolving relationship, explored through musical practices that emphasise exchange, resonance, and co-creation.

This thesis, with the portfolio of compositions, demonstrates how music-making is more than a human endeavour—it is a collaborative act that emerges through real and imagined interactions between human and more-than-human forces . The research offers a way of understanding sound as a practice of coexistence, one that reflects and amplifies the interconnected rhythms of life. By focusing on interaction and the emergent results of these projects, I aim to contribute to a perspective on the role of music in reflecting and deepening our relationship with the environment.