Re: [microsound] maths science and electronic music

[David Powers <dpowers3@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Yes, but sometimes certain mathematical processes create aesthetically
interesting sounds.  There are plenty of serial pieces that sound good
to my ears, and I don't have to be aware of the math, as a listener. 
However, the math does matter in a sense, if the composer did not use
that mathematical process, the piece wouldn't sound that way, and thus I
as a listener would never have the pleasure of experiencing that
particular sound.  The math does not JUSTIFY the piece as being
aesthetically pleasing, but it is a necessary moment in creating that
piece.

Math and science (or, on the other hand, absurd and laborious chance
games) can be very useful in constructing unique or interesting sonic
events.  The listener doesn't have to understand the math to enjoy the
particular sonic experience that the sound event provides.  These
techniques are useful insofar as they allow composers to create
differentiated sonic material that has aesthetic interest as sound.  

~David

David Powers
Faculty Assistant
DePaul University, School of Education
Department of Leadership in Education, Language, and Human Services
773-325-4806

>>> artsonics@xxxxxxxxxxx 04/12/05 06:02PM >>>

In the discussion of math/music, the esthesic/poietic division seems 
crucial- after all, where is the math? The math may be important to the

composer or producer, but does it matter to the listener? That is, do
we 
hear math? I remember reading, ages ago and I have no idea where, a
critique 
of serialism based on studies of aural perception. The point was that
we 
don't hear by counting. And if you make a piece with Galois cohomology
or 
pseudo-Riemannian manifolds, what of this will come across in the
sound? Do 
people think that this will encode some deep structure in the music
that 
will be communicated as musical structure in the listening experience?

That's certainly not self-evident- I think the case that needs to be
proved 
is that mathematics is somehow relevant to the aural experience and the

perception of music, form, structure, etc. Obviously there's math
floating 
around, because sound obeys physical laws, but that doesn't mean that
math 
can tell us anything deep or profound about music and why we find it 
interesting enough to spend half our lives doing it and talking about
it.

all the best,
Ian



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