This master's thesis examines traditional singers' artistry in a holistic approach. Through my own artistic practice as a traditional singer and bearer of tradition, and through studies of archival recordings of four traditional singers and a film of singing games from Hedmark, I research the following questions: How can I, by exploring different artistic qualities of traditional singing, design artistic tools for creative processes and performances? How can I design artistic tools for interactive experiences of traditional singing? 

The project explores the role of being a creative interpreter in the moment. The meeting between a singer, the room, human beings, the audience, songs, sounds, texts and melodies, movements and use of space in a holistic musical and scenic form. How does this meeting affect the artist and the audience’s experiences? The methods are based on hermeneutic theories, and the examination of artistic qualities is delimited to contextual qualities and certain qualities of vocal style and technique. The purpose is to create an artistic context that is closer to traditional contexts, where the distinction between artist and audience is blurred. 

The artistic outcome of the research is an artistic concept, a folk song performance, documented by a score/music script and films of two performances. The concept is in continuous development and no performances are the same. A result is also an artistic toolkit with playful and exploratory methods that I, and hopefully others, can use and develop further in artistic practice.