Abstract

The term “prosthetic” usually refers to artificial limbs that replace the functions of what is missing. There are some medical uses of the term—reverting to the Greek via Latin origins meaning “an addition”—that hint at “enhancement” and “extension,” and in the performing arts and music this implication is more common. The work of performance artist Stelarc, for example, is consistently described as “prosthetic” (see stelarc.org) as are other musical research projects concerning the extension of the performer’s physical range of performance practice (Emmerson 2009).