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Re: [microsound] site of sound



In response to an 'academic' take on 'site of sound', I do appreciate how
one would wish a more compelling text.  I do not have the book though, but I
am familiar with the writing style in question.  Is it like asking a
mathematician to write a poem about  finite analysis?  It would be purely
symbolic and lack a depth that language can not express.  So it seems with
the writing of artists, it is their perception that we attend to, not their
grammar and perfect tense.  Would an artists sound or vision be distorted by
proper language?  For example the writings of, Andrew M. McKenzie (Halfer
Trio) are purely narrations of a churning wonderful mind, in its own
context. I feel that 'academia' turns away from 'independent' artists
causing isolation.  In this isolation a new language and context is formed
that 'academia' may find naive.  Does being 'naive' allow an artist to
'find' a sound or vision that may be ignored or overlooked by the
'establishment'?

With all respects,
Marc McNulty

----- Original Message -----
From: "duul _drv" <thisoutleague@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <microsound@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, January 14, 2000 2:32 AM
Subject: Re: [microsound] site of sound


> I feel slightly compelled to reply to this investigation. I bought the
book
> thinking I would read the entire publication from front to back in the
> matter of hours, which I usually do with enlivening books(bataille's
'story
> of the eye'). This book after a couple of read articles sits on my shelf
> abandoned, and has been for some time now. The potential of this book,
well
> for me was very high and thought this mightbe the book that answer all my
> questions about lowercase, microwave and audio art. also the idea of the
> book intrigues me more than the articles. The book is very aesthetically
> appealing without a doubt in layout & graphics, size, and quality of paper
> in and on the cover, and the accompanying cd is such a great idea that if
I
> ever publish a book I want to mimic labelle and roden's idea. The cd is an
> aubile version of the articles, or the sound interpretations that inspired
> the writing. after reading one of the written articles, uber die stille
1997
> by christina kubisch i just had to hear the accompanying track on the
disc,
> and did so over and over. Living in winnipeg, mb in canada I rarely get
the
> chance to participate in performance such as hers, so having the disc as a
> conduit for a fuller understanding of her ideas was so helpful. This is
> probably the greatest thing about this book. One of my criticism is, being
> from the academia I was hoping for more academic writing, and I was a
little
> let down by some of the non academic and poor writing. I am not making the
> claim that academia is the only field for good writing, but one can sense
an
> absence of writing quality in these articles. My own writing is by far not
> the best, or even of the high academia I claiming these are not, so please
> don't make the impression I am letting my ego write this review. I think
> that it takes a very skilled artist to be both expressive in their
prefered
> medium and in language. The potential for the latter is great, but I found
> in this book that the writing was more representative of the style of
sound
> creation, using methods and language like they would use sound in the
> creation of a composition, than an academic explication. The ideas are
very
> abstract, often too abstract too be made coherent and distributed like
> juxtaposing sounds, "distribution of place that is extended towards the
past
> and towards the future; this is exactly what allows the place to exist
> there" (p.138)Although suiting for the time and era our thinking is in
right
> now, the ultra modernist and hyperfocused state is no excuse for poor and
> unclear writing. There are a lot of problems in our use of language and
the
> reasons we use language, I find some of the symptoms of these problems in
> this book. (sorry for the divergence) My want for the academia version of
> this style of sound should have not prompted me to want this book, but
> because it comes as a book, and my views on publishing are so narrow I
> expected a book and I was let down. two pieces are very inspirational in
the
> package; the alison knowles article 'untitled' and the composition by
achim
> wollsheid "piece(for a listener)". Both engage the listener in an active
> role opposed to a passive role of interpretation. Something I am very
> interested in and find very challenging.
>
> sorry if this has gone on for too long. I just felt like responding in
very
> personal length
> ad.ll
>
>
> "What passes for reality seems to me mostly a load of
> old rubbish invented by not very inventive minds. The
> reality that interests me is strange and flickering
> and haunting"
>   -Russell Hoban, the Medusa Frequency
>
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