Notation systems act as a set of instructions for a performer to recreate an existing work. The very notion of representation implies the absence of the original, a translation to another form of media that can be understood and distributed. In order to translate performance into a readable set of instructions, one has to compromise the integrity and complexity of the represented.

Western traditional music notation is largely still held sacred even though it was developed at a time when music was based solely around the orchestra, piano and choir. Applying this system in a modern context can stifle creativity and limit the potential for innovation. Furthermore, this system and others, such as the International Phonetic Alphabet, have been enforced with a colonial attitude across the globe, attempting to standardise vast cultures to a Western standard. They often fail to interpret music that does not adhere to the rules around which they were developed.

Thus, a notation system will always fail to represent the timbre of the original; “the non-repeatable production of the totality of sound matter… the essence of sound itself” (J.C. Francois, 1992). When a notation is distributed, it sacrifices the original performance. When the representation is held sacred and differentiation is regarded as sacrilege, it becomes simulacra. The importance of the representation overtakes the importance of the original. The timbre is lost, and will never be found.

My project uses Nina Simone’s 1976 performance at Montreux Jazz Festival as an example of a non-representable performance. The performance is heartbreaking and difficult to watch, it is clear that she is battling with her deteriorating mental health as she tries to connect with the audience. It is laced with emotional and political significance, briefly displaying moments of pain and freedom alike. Drawing from musical, linguistic, gestural and dance notation, I have attempted a total representation of Simone’s performance. Due to its intense emotional weight, there will be aspects that are beyond representation. By highlighting these glitches and using them to expose the powerful video of the performance, I aim to demonstrate the limitations of these widely accepted languages, questioning the idea of representation as we accept it and the power structures that hold them dominant in society. Not to represent the performance, but to highlight the non-representable.