- 272 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
About this book
Written by a composer long immersed in new and experimental music, this book provides a tour of the music, technologies and people that have transformed how we make, hear and think about sound over the past fifty years.
As both a participant and critical observer in the post-Cagean musical landscape, Nicolas Collins uses anecdotes and analysis to survey the history and aesthetics of the musical avant-garde. Among the topics explored are: relationships between popular culture and the avant-garde; the shifting definitions of improvisation and composition in a world where musical scores might take form as charts, drawings, words, notes written on a staff or electronic circuits; the social and aesthetic effects of analog and digital resources in the production and consumption of music; and more broadly, the nature of experimental thinking in creative pursuits.
The book follows a personal chronology of observations and experiences with music, technology, economics and culture-from youthful encounters with John Cage and Minimalism, to the Downtown and East Village scenes of the 1980s, the assimilation of avant-garde sensibilities into European concert halls and global pop, the burgeoning of sound art, and the transformative influence of digital technologies both positive and negative.
As both a participant and critical observer in the post-Cagean musical landscape, Nicolas Collins uses anecdotes and analysis to survey the history and aesthetics of the musical avant-garde. Among the topics explored are: relationships between popular culture and the avant-garde; the shifting definitions of improvisation and composition in a world where musical scores might take form as charts, drawings, words, notes written on a staff or electronic circuits; the social and aesthetic effects of analog and digital resources in the production and consumption of music; and more broadly, the nature of experimental thinking in creative pursuits.
The book follows a personal chronology of observations and experiences with music, technology, economics and culture-from youthful encounters with John Cage and Minimalism, to the Downtown and East Village scenes of the 1980s, the assimilation of avant-garde sensibilities into European concert halls and global pop, the burgeoning of sound art, and the transformative influence of digital technologies both positive and negative.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription.
At the moment all of our mobile-responsive ePub books are available to download via the app. Most of our PDFs are also available to download and we're working on making the final remaining ones downloadable now. Learn more here.
Perlego offers two plans: Essential and Complete
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1 million books across 1000+ topics, we’ve got you covered! Learn more here.
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more here.
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS or Android devices to read anytime, anywhere — even offline. Perfect for commutes or when you’re on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Yes, you can access Semi-Conducting by Nicolas Collins in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Media & Performing Arts & Social Science Biographies. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Half-Title
- Title
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 A Hidden Switch
- 2 I Am Sitting in a Classroom
- 3 Worlds of Music
- 4 Four Ridiculously Large Speakers
- Interlude: Multitrack
- 5 Playing with Chips
- 6 The Infinite Amplification of Silence (or I Ching for Dummies)
- 7 Old Guard Avant-Garde
- 8 Newcastle to Narvik
- 9 The Eden Before the Apple
- 10 A Bright Red Electric Guitar
- Interlude: 33 1/3 RPM
- 11 Devil’s Music
- 12 Planes, Trains, and Step-Down Transformers
- 13 A Computer Walks into a Bar
- 14 We Were All Seated Around the Campfire
- Interlude: Sound Check
- 15 Still Lives
- 16 STEIM—IRCAM with a Human Face
- Interlude: Silence
- 17 Whistling in the Woods
- 18 Strange Heaven
- 19 Art School
- Interlude: How Things Work
- 20 Hardware Hacking
- 21 Salvage
- 22 The Missing Switch
- Interlude: Things I’d Like to Own
- 23 Surprise Me
- Notes
- Index
- Copyright