This dissertation extends the investigation of the utility and function of abstract graphic music notation through scholarly and creative practice-based research. Graphic notation is often situated    within an ephemeral current of aleatoric

music—a momentary and impulsive transaction between composers and performers commonly focused on spontaneous interpretation.  

   Analysis of graphic notation generally comprises artists' statements, historicization, and intrigue for the relatively obscure genre. As graphic notation continues to emerge within creative music, contemporary art contexts, pedagogy, and neurological research, it is important to survey its modern    affordances and socio-cultural outcomes.  

   I first examine existing research into graphic notation and trace its emergence in contemporary music over three quarters of a century. From a semiotic perspective, I measure the interpretation    and meaning-making of abstracted symbols and theorize about both qualitative and quantitative valuation of interstices within its syntax.  

   A scholarly framework sets the tone for an autoethnographic account of my doctoral research, ranging from semi-permanent exhibition environments to a large-scale concert of ensemble scores    spontaneously generated through graphic design techniques and commercial software.

For the capstone project, I explored multiple approaches to spontaneous notation in performance. The resulting work functioned as a form of conducting through the live transmission of graphic    scores to nine musicians via Zoom. Working within a single Adobe Illustrator document displayed in Apple's Preview application, I continuously revised and saved pages as the performance unfolded.    A custom script duplicated each iteration for archival compilation. Roughly 115 pages of notation were generated during each half of the concert.