ABSTRACT
Taking models offered by the oral tradition as its central focus, this paper explores an analogy between the intentions of storytelling and the performing activity of tape music composers who use ‘realworld’ sounds - that is, candid recordings of everyday life - as a means to reflect on human experience. By inviting a restructuring of both ordinary and more traditional ‘musical’ listening stances, this ‘realworld music’ reveals an approach to composition primarily concerned with the dynamic, experiential, contributions of both listener and composer.
