Ethnographic study of collaborative music making among professional musicians: Work practices and technological integration

Computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) has a longstanding tradition of facilitating collaboration among individuals, including in music creation. However, most studies in music creation focus primarily on music generation and individual interaction with supportive software for music writing. Despite the potential usefulness of current technology, it is not clear how technology can effectively support bands in collaboratively creating music, leaving ample room to explore how musicians actually work in their daily workplace. Through a design ethnographic perspective, this paper unveils the work practices of a band, providing detailed descriptions of the music creation process. This paper contributes to our understanding of music creation from several dimensions, including creative collaboration, communication, repository building, and privacy protection. In conclusion, we offer reflections on implementation to inform future designs that may better support musicians with suitable technological solutions. This highlights the importance of the CSCW perspective in bridging the gap between academia and industry, emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts to advance technology for music creation.