Proceeding from Performance: an ethnography of the Birmingham Laptop Ensemble

Inspired by recent third-stream research in the field of human computer interaction, we describe a recent ethnomethodological study of the Birmingham Laptop Ensemble (BiLE) and detail our approach to thick description of the group’s working methods. A core aim of this work was to examine the range of performance modalities that players engaged in during the course of a composition. Initial findings show how traditional notions of composer and performer roles are complicated by the stakeholders in the collaborative process, who engage in both infrastructural and instrumental modes of design. We conclude with a series of observations that highlight the socially constituted nature of the group’s performance systems and practice.