Re: [microsound] re: wrong kiosk .. list on the exhibition

[pelagius pelagius <pela_gius@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> From: Julian Knowles <julianknowles@xxxxxxx>
> I don't think anyone knows... At the risk of being called a cynic (or 
> deliberately provocative!!) , I would say it is music made by people who, 
> for whatever reason, are uncomfortable calling themselves /musicians'. ...
> At the time I saw the difference between sound art and music as 
> ideologically framed and based on a desire for the visual arts world to 
> obtain some 'ownership' and perceived credibility in the presentation of 
> 'music' events.

Far from being cynical I think you are saying something that badly needs to 
be said.  What makes the situation particularly annoying is that the "sound 
art" distinction arose after a point in time when the music world had 
already accepted the entire world of sound into the musical language.  
Perhaps a movement such as "color music" made sense since the artists didn't 
have an existing tradition of experimental cinema to frame their work.  But 
it's not like the ideas behind "sound art" are shunned by the music world at 
large.

> It seems to me that cleaving off 'sound art' from 'music' runs the risk of 
> promoting an ahistorical approach to understanding contemporary music 
> practices and seems to elicit a swathe of wild claims that all kinds of 
> 'experimental sound art' practices demonstrate 'new', approaches.

I agree and I see a similar dynamic at work on this list when it comes to 
discussions about technology.  Excitement about the frontiers of digital 
technology sometimes overshadow the actual techniques and concepts involved 
which more often than not have a solid basis in earlier analog technologies 
or existing musical theories and techniques.

_________________________________________________________________
Get a FREE online virus check for your PC here, from McAfee. 
http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963


---------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: microsound-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
For additional commands, e-mail: microsound-help@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
website: http://www.microsound.org