Impromptu Curations - A research into the effect of multi-purpose venues on the aesthetic experience of experimental music

The basis of this research work begins with observing the spaces used for the presentation of experimental music. We find that there is variety in the venues and that it often includes more informal club environments. With this choice musicians must decide how to adapt to the conditions and adjust them to what is presented. Their experience and intuition help them assess, both before and during the presentation, how they can intervene so that the outcome fulfills their intentions. But how close are their expectations to the public's experience? A concert was organized for the purpose of the research in WORM Institute for Avantgardistic Recreation (Rotterdam, The Netherlands), an alternative, multi-purpose venue. Through the analysis of semi-structured interviews of audience and musicians we wanted to observe trends in the interpretations of the works. At the same time, the combination of the empirical data with theoretical approaches helped us understand the different factors involved in perception and signification processes; the performance, the listener (knowledge, training and lived experience) and the context – venue. This study has gone some way towards enhancing our understanding of multi-genre venues. It has revealed that these types of venues amplify certain qualities of experimental music, while obscuring others. Furthermore, we can confidently say that such curations encourage audiences to approach specific kinds of experimental music in a positive way.