Constructor (role)

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Participant that doesn't influence music directly, but rearranges the objects in the playing space.

Usage

Despite having narrow associations, "Dealer" may be a term used synonymously. In the piece "Construction" by Teodora Stepančić, a music game published in Synzine magazine #4, apart from activities like "blindfolding" or "swapping instruments" Constructors are also tasked with manipulating cue-cards (which "theoretically" might intrude in Conductor's competences ;) ). An overlap of roles is obviously not a problem in practice, but in the purest form the relation between Constructors and Gamers is not communicative.

Design issues when working with Dealer roles are a few. When Constructors are given a lot of freedom, the relation tends toward socially awkward or even unsafe and needs attention in testing especially for casual games. When Constructors are given specific tasks, this might soon get uninteresting for them and often this role should be best taken over by organizers of the meeting, facilitators, or other "crew".

Apart from obvious shuffling and dealing cards, in games with physical constraints like Houdini Exercise by Cornelius Cardew

Improvise on your instruments with your hands tied behind your back.

… it would be Constructors' task to provide restraints. Players might also interact with this role similarly to Puppets like in a game from improvisational theatre: http://improvencyclopedia.org/games//Puppets.html

Other roles:


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