Composing with Feedback

The paper illustrates my compositional research aimed at the creation of musical works distinguished by the integration of computer, electronic and electroacoustic systems with instruments, or other acoustic-mechanical vibrating bodies, for the augmentation of musical sound and gesture through the feedback phenomenon. The use of acoustic phenomena for compositional purposes, such as resonance, reflection, feedback, is part of a research area exploring the possibility of a tangible acoustic presence in the listening space. The first part of the paper deals with historical and aesthetic considerations concerning on the creative use of feedback in music. Some previous research on augmented instruments embedding feedback systems is then presented. These studies have been carried out since the 1990s by the CRM - Centro Ricerche Musicali in Rome, where I designed and built my works and related systems. The paper then focuses on my recent feedback augmented instrument ResoFlute, designed for the work Èleghos, for augmented flute, resonant pipe, and electronics (2014), and Feedback for Two, for 2 voices, 2 megaphones, and 2 feedback systems (2016-2018)