Doing It to Death: An investigation into a session musician’s migration

Abstract

This doctorate dissertation is about the guitar and technology in a creative perspective – about a change and transformation in musical direction. Dreyer's quest is to clarify how technology can help break new ground for a former session musician with ambitions to deepen and create a more distinctive personal expression. Through different angles and with an exploratory approach, Dreyer is searching for his own personal sound, using improvisation, composition and sound manipulating tools. Dreyer is an experienced session guitarist now exploring creating his own music using technology. He has participated in more than 160 released albums, and toured with numerous Norwegian and international artists. He also has released four albums with three different self-initiated music projects, two of which combine music and sound art. This text is an autoethnographic depiction of the quest for a personal change in musical direction and a need for a strengthened profile as a performer and composer. The reader can acquire an insight into Dreyer’s search for, and aim at a clearer idiom and sound, using technology.