ABSTRACT
Many contemporary composers describe, analyse and reflect on their creative processes to explain their musical work to the public. Such self-reflection is undoubtedly illuminating for those interested in music, and important for musicological research. Although composing processes develop particular dynamics, compositions do not write themselves - that is to say, the concept of agency seems highly relevant. Empirical studies of artists' creative processes risk not doing justice to the particularity and variety of artistic practices by falling into reductionist abstractions. This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses the great variety of relationships between people, artefacts and resources that characterise contemporary composing practices. It assumes that current sociological, musicological and psychological research into composing processes must be expanded by adding an epistemic conceptualisation of artistic agency. It metonymises a positive evaluation of the outcome of someone's endeavours.
