SONGISTS IN DIALOGUES:

desires, absences and listening to yourself

Abstract

This article aims to reflect in the light of autoethnography and artistic research on musical creation processes by the authors Gabriela Silveira and Sarah Alencar, both singers and composers in the realm of Brazilian popular song. To this end, we use conversation as a method for the emergence of self-listening, in which we focus on recordings of dialogues between the authors/artists, where the creative processes of each were discussed. The reflections on the dialogues fostered different perspectives, according to the singularities of each research. For Gabriela, in research on an already finished artistic process, the dialogue was reflected upon through the lens of subjectivity in musical creation. Based on the work of “Sentimental Cartography” by Suely Rolnik, the figure of the cartographer was related to the figure of the composer to consider how subjectivity and desires can drive the process of musical creation. From the conversation conducted, triggering materials were identified to weave relationships and provoke reflections on the theme in the realm of musical creation of the present authors. For Sarah, in research on an ongoing artistic process, the conversation enabled tracing a reflection on the relational aspect of the theoretical subjects addressed in her research. Based on the theme of rhythm addressed in the conversation with Gabriela, it is proposed that body, memory, word, voice, and sound be examined under their relational aspect, so that a new song can be created. In this way, the song is planned from its composition, arrangement and performance based on its relationship with absences, in an action of sculpting silence.