Steve Taylor’s Business Basics session offered an insightful and practical overview of how sound artists can approach their practice from a sustainable business perspective. What stood out to me the most was the clear framing of the artist as an entrepreneur — an idea that might initially feel uncomfortable to those of us used to thinking of art and commerce as separate worlds.

One of the key takeaways for me was understanding the importance of multiple revenue streams. By exploring the working models of sound artists like KMRU, Emily Peasgood, and Rainy Miller, Steve illustrated how contemporary sound practitioners often work across diverse fields — from installations, live performances, and DJ sets to commercial commissions, teaching, and production. This made me reflect on my own practice and how I might expand my activities into areas such as sound design for film, workshops, or even residencies to create a more stable financial base.

I also appreciated the practical breakdown of business terminology and structures, especially the distinction between being a sole trader, freelancer, or operating as a limited company. It made me realise the importance of clarity when positioning myself not only as an artist but also as a service provider in certain contexts, such as working with festivals, agencies, or public bodies.

The discussion of value propositions particularly resonated with me. Instead of leading with what I want to create, Steve encouraged us to think about what clients or commissioners need, and how our skills can address that. This shift in perspective is something I will carry forward when applying for commissions or pitching projects.

Overall, the session demystified some of the daunting aspects of the business side of sound art, offering both practical tools and mindset shifts that I found valuable as I hopefully work towards making my practice more sustainable.

When thinking about artists who push the boundaries of sound and technology, two names stand out for me: Imogen Heap and Atau Tanaka. While they come from very different musical worlds, both use technology in innovative ways to turn the body into a key part of the music-making or “sound-sculpting” process. Their work continues to inspire my own creative journey as a sound artist and creative technologist.

Imogen Heap’s Tech-Driven Sound Art: Few artists are as closely linked with music technology as Imogen Heap. Her breakout single “Hide and Seek” (2005) featured innovative vocoder harmonies, and she later co-developed the Mi.Mu gloves – wearable controllers that let her sculpt music through hand gestures. Heap conceived these gloves to “break free from traditional instruments” and use her body as a musical interface, enhancing how she composes and performs. Projects like Me The Machine (2012) were written specifically for the gloves, highlighting her vision of seamlessly fusing tech with songwriting. This approach has made her a pioneer in live electronic performance, always ahead of the curve in exploring new tools.

Atau Tanaka’s Embodied Performance: In contrast, Atau Tanaka emerged from the avant-garde art scene, turning the performer’s body into the instrument. His early piece Kagami (1991) used the BioMuse (an EMG biosensor interface) to translate muscle tension in his forearms into MIDI sound controls. Tanaka co-founded Sensorband in 1993 – a trio using bodily sensors as musical interfaces – demonstrating a radically physical approach to music-making. His performances, often without traditional instruments, use biosensors and gestures to generate and shape sound in real time, exemplifying “corporeal” musical interaction. I find their approaches particularly innovative, especially considering that the digital technologies available at the time were far less advanced than what we have today.

Heap and Tanaka chart different paths – one integrating tech into electro-pop songwriting, the other rooted in experimental sound art – yet both align in pushing musical boundaries with technology. Heap’s expressive, song-centric use of tech shows how digital tools can serve emotion and melody, whereas Tanaka’s work explores raw human movement and physiology as music. As an aspiring sound artist, I’m inspired by Heap’s inventive interfaces (like the Mi.Mu gloves) that invite audience-friendly performance, and by Tanaka’s body-as-instrument ethos, which encourages me to treat physical gesture as creative media. Together, their careers demonstrate that innovation in sound art arises when technology and human touch converge – a lesson that continually shapes my own creative practice.