brettworks

thinking through music

June 16, 2020

(Untitled)

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improvisation, Uncategorized
June 15, 2020

On Music Production Disconnects

At the center of electronic music production is a disconnect between the technologies of the craft and the feelings I hope to conjure through the sounds. The disconnect arises from the fact that thinking through the potentials of technologies and seeking expressiveness are different ways of being in the world. The technologies I use are… Continue reading

Electronic music, music production, Uncategorized
June 12, 2020

Curating The Week: Headphones, Steve Reich, Four Piano Music

• They don’t go on your ears, or over your ears. They sit next to your ears. My favorite headphones. • Steve Reich on composing “Runner”: • Four Piano Music: Continue reading

Curating The Week, Uncategorized
June 9, 2020

(Untitled)

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clouds, composition, Electronic music, Uncategorized
June 8, 2020

(Untitled)

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(parenthetical posts)
June 5, 2020

Curating The Week: Genealogies Of Learning Percussion, The Import And Export Of Ideas, Lou Harrison

• An essay on genealogies of learning: reflections on learning percussion by my percussion teacher, Russell Hartenberger, who writes about his teacher, Alan Abel. “In my lessons, Mr. Abel played everything with me, providing the perfect template for learning. As I played, I would imitate the movement of his hands and try to duplicate the… Continue reading

Curating The Week, genealogies of learning, Uncategorized
June 4, 2020

Brett’s Sound Picks: Alva Noto’s “Xerrox Voyage” (2020)

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Brett’s Sound Picks, Uncategorized
June 3, 2020

Untitled

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ambient music, Uncategorized
June 2, 2020

Piano In A Space

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improvisation, piano music, Uncategorized
June 1, 2020

Inner Navigation: Music Production Routes

In a recent post I wrote about being continually lost whilst producing music. But I neglected to mention that in addition to being lost, I’m finding ways to navigate the uncharted paths of my music software. To put it another way: now that I’m okay with being lost, I’ve turning my attention to how… Continue reading

music production, musical navigation, Uncategorized

Thomas Brett is a musician and writer who holds a PhD in ethnomusicology from New York University. He is the author of Principles of Electronic Music Production and The Creative Electronic Music Producer, a book described by Sound On Sound magazine as “a deep philosophical analysis of the various creative inspirations, ideas and processes involved in producing electronic music.” His essays have appeared in the journals Popular Music and Popular Music and Society, as well as edited collections by Routledge, Oxford, and Cambridge University presses. Thomas has played percussion on Broadway since 1997 and writes about music at brettworks.com.