Paper short abstract:

An inquiry into how artistic practice can enhance academic research practices and vice versa; and how each can serve as means to transform a stagnant world.

Paper long abstract:

My work as a musician and a feminist activist led me to explore the topic of music, technology and gender, through the experiences of female musicians who use technology in their music making (including myself). Through ethnographic methods, my informants and I took a close look at how the creative process unfolds at the conjunction of music and technology, and how

gendered preconceptions residing in technological objects can influence the process.

Building from theories of material culture, phenomenology and affect, it became apparent how deep-rooted dualist thinking, such as mechanic vs. organic and logical vs. aesthetic, influence people's views and experiences of technology. Gendered preconceptions can be traced back to the very same dualist thinking (male vs. female), which, in addition to the prevailing gender imbalance, greatly affects the way research participants experienced the fields of music and technology.

Using technology to creative ends bridges the gap between what is commonly understood as opposites. Technology is not inherently masculine, but it takes time to change the ideas that adhere to it. During such a transformation, a somewhat paradoxical and confusing reality can unfold.

In this paper, I intend to shed some light on how the research project has enhanced my own endeavors, both as a musician and a feminist activist within the field of music and youth empowerment. My threefold identity mentioned in the title is essentially a cycle where each continuously feeds into, and transforms, the other.