July 2011
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Lessons From A Sick Computer
“We are limited. We need something more, we need that added extra in life. Technology provides all we need. Technology dominates a large part of our unique relationship with the exterior world. I have never wanted to hide behind technology. I have always wanted to use it, to control it, to display it. It has… Continue reading
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On Music and Socialization
17 Views On Music Music takes us unawares, through a good beat, a sneaky melody or cloud of harmony- working our circuits of desire, to beckon our bodies and respond to love and its pleasures- proposes a solution to its own internal problem, a sonic equation of fugal symmetries and angles- triggers the memory tombs… Continue reading
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On Music and Advertising: Weezer’s Tour de France Izod Commercial
I can’t seem to get enough of the Tour de France. A recent convert to the event, I sit transfixed in front of the screen, watching the peloton flow across the French countryside, up and down mountains, over winding roads and through picturesque towns, past lavender fields and 12th-century churches while the English ESPN commentating wizard Phil Leggett provides non-stop… Continue reading
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On Expressivity In Musical Performance: The Korg Wavedrum
When we talk about “expressivity” in musical performance we’re usually referring to the degree to which a musician is able to coax emotion or affect out of his or her instrument and make it seem to “sing” (the human voice remains our gold standard of musicality). We expect, as well, that there be some kind of obviously… Continue reading
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On The Sound Of Your Voice
“Welcome to Times Square, Crossroads of the World. Have a great evening, and remember, whatever your final destination, happiness is the way.” — voice of 7 Train operator, July 16, 2011 So it was the other day as I was getting off the 7 train at Times Square that I noticed the train conductor’s announcement… Continue reading
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On The Affective Power Of Quiet
“Not muteness: absence of linguistic noise.” — Alexandra Horowitz, Inside Of A Dog We have a very, very quiet two-year old dog named Sadie. Sadie hardly ever makes a sound, except when she sees a life-size furry animal on the TV, whereupon she lets out a combined growl-bark. But otherwise, Sadie is a study in quietude. I spend a… Continue reading
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From Geoff Dyer’s Criticism To Keith Jarrett’s Pianism
In his recent collection of essays, Otherwise Known As The Human Condition, novelist and critic Geoff Dyer writes beautifully and incisively about photography in a way that I wish more writers would (or could) write about music. Here is Dyer writing on Idris Khan’s work (pictured below) that digitally blends hundreds of photographs into a single composite image: “Each art… Continue reading
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On Max Neuhaus: The Sound Installation In Times Square
If you walk over the metal grating smack in the middle of the pedestrian island between 45th and 46th street where Broadway and 7th Avenue meet, slow down a little and listen closely to the space beneath your feet: you’ll notice a subtle shift in the soundscape around you. There is a mysterious low-pitched humming… Continue reading
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