Music [myoo-zik]: Organized sound.
Between 1930 and 1965, Edgard Varese gave a series of lectures, which have been collected and titled “The Liberation of Sound”, in which he explained his own artistic work with the above definition. Compositionally using sounds from the orchestral to the ambient to the electronic, he, along with Pierre Schaeffer and others, began to explore the organization of materials on phonograph (and then tape, as now we do with the computer) into cohesive works of audio art that reflected the changing and industrial world around them.
These cultural and mechanical influences continue to be strong today and I, like Varese and the others did previously, find it difficult to ignore the technological experience and aural consequence of contemporary life. Technology is everywhere and is expected to be everywhere. Sonic bombardment is constant and seemingly inescapable. In my compositional work I hope to combine these two daily features by organizing the noises that infiltrate our world into some sort of cohesive, musical experience that opens our ears a little differently. Some of these pieces will have more traditional melodic lines and harmonies, instruments and performers. Some will have none of them. Some will use easily recognizable sounds. Some will be masked through effects, layers and digital manipulations. All will have sound. All will be organized in some manner. And all will, hopefully, allow you to experience the aural and technological aspects of your day a little differently. Perhaps with a little Truth, Beauty and intrigue.
Peace to you.
-AhD
