Digital transformation and the sustainability of organ and carillon culture.

Abstract

This practice-led PhD thesis explores digital transformation and the sustainability of organ and carillon culture. The organ and carillon are two of Western music’s oldest and largest musical instruments. Heritage protections often conserve the tangible, material musical instrument while their sustainability as sources of intangible cultural heritage in a digitally transforming society remains fragile. This study presents a series of organ and carillon projects (2016–2025) drawn from the artistic practice of an organist & carillonist based in Australia. It examines sustainability via the artistic outputs that emerge when digital transformation intersects with organ and carillon culture. The diverse, real-world projects produce international transdisciplinary artistic outputs. These include live performances, compositions, oral presentations, recordings, articles, lectures, webpages, interviews, social and broadcast media, museum exhibitions and gallery installations. Chapter 1 introduces the foreground, context and objective of this artistic research thesis. The significance of the artist’s tangible instruments being in Australia, remote from the European centres of organ and carillon culture is discussed. Chapter 2 reviews literature related to organ and carillon culture and performance, digital transformation, sustainability and artistic research. Chapter 3 outlines the methodology of artistic research and artist-led cultural mapping as a tool of cultural inquiry. Chapter 4 reports the results from eight organ and eight carillon artistic projects. Chapter 5 contains the discussion. The conclusion in Chapter 6 summarises the impact of digital transformation on organ and carillon culture to illuminate cultural sustainability strategies. Integrity in leading with artistic practice, an experimental digital mindset, active community participation and vigorous civic engagement appear to be crucial in ensuring the longterm relevance and appeal of the organ and carillon.