Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
9-2025
Document Type
Doctoral Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Musical Arts
Program
Music
Advisor
David Grubbs
Committee Members
Jeff Nichols
Suzanne Farrin
Erica Dicker
Subject Categories
Music Performance
Keywords
New York City, Wet Ink Ensemble, Contemporary Music, Performance Practice
Abstract
In its twenty-five years in New York City’s new music scene, Wet Ink Ensemble has established a distinctive approach in which members blend the roles of performer, composer, and improviser. This dissertation investigates how the ensemble’s beginnings at the nexus of the experimental rock and avant-garde music scenes prepared it for a turn towards collaborative composition and improvisation. After defining essential elements of the ensemble’s performance practice, I analyze Eric Wubbels’ Auditory Scene Analysis (I) and Sam Pluta’s Lines on Black—compositions that exemplify opposing poles of notational specificity. I then trace the defined elements through two “Performance Practice” works, which incorporate contributions with shared authorship by Wet Ink members and Artists in Residence. This research will provide tools for further analysis and insights into how a group might move from a work-centered repertoire of individually-led compositions to one that welcomes a spectrum of notational specificity and a range of collaborators.
Recommended Citation
Frey, Carrie, "Performance Practice as Compositional Style: Wet Ink’s Collaborative Work" (2025). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/6449
