Auralising the Sublime: An Investigation into Creativity and Process in the Pursuit of Sonic Perfection

This paper investigates the creative process in the production of modern musical designs, from initial concepts through to process realization and explores the notions of expression, creative-wellbeing and closure. At what point in the creative process may a work of Art be considered complete? Is a modern creative artifact, especially digital, ever truly finished? The work considers compositional design and intent and to what extent creative direction and coherence are meaningful initial considerations; should creativity be burdened with consideration of outcomes at the outset? Technology and creativity are very often bound together in the contemporary creative process; how do we manage the process to ensure that we satisfy our aesthetic compass and promote a direction of travel to a satisfying sonic destination? Prevalent theories of creativity, tools and techniques will be investigated that can be utilised to provoke often unanticipated, but nevertheless, rewarding results. The exploratory use of digital audio manipulation tools and chance operations are considered alongside more determinate predictable processes in order to elucidate the role of the unforeseen in the production of creative content. The authors will document their own collaborative work and provide perspectives on artistic case studies from the world of education, visual arts and music. The work will promote the direct integrated teaching of creativity in music production and composition classes developing applicable tools that may help to stimulate original thought and address creative blocks, evaluating whether cognition of the creative mechanism offers positive stimulation in seeking creative solutions in the musical production process.