Sonic frameworks

To understand the landscape of experimental music, I decided to look at the work of Laurie Anderson and Tod Machover.

I started out with Laurie Anderson. After reading her bio, it was clear to me that she cannot be labeled as one type of artist . On her website, she is described as a ‘creative pioneer” who has been a visual artist, composer, poet, photographer, filmmaker, and other roles. She has created music work for films as well as many known media organizations including PBS, NPR, and The BBC.

Anderson’s debut album, ‘Big Science’ came out in 1982 and one of its songs, “O Superman,” became an instant hit among the audience after it was aired in a radio show. Warner Bros signed an eight-album record deal with Anderson after the success of her debut album.

While I am unfamiliar with musical terms one would use to describe the composition of the song “O Superman,” it was clear that the song was unlike any other songs at the time. The vocals of the song were recorded through a vocoder which is “an audio processor that captures the characteristic elements of an audio signal and then uses this characteristic signal to affect other audio signals.” Anderson has expressed her fondness of a vocoder, calling it one her favorite instruments. She was inspired to create the experimental and the revolutionary piece, by the Operation Eagle tragedy that ended in a helicopter crash. The song is about technology and humans. I think Anderson’s music is a reflection of how her mind works. Once in an interview, she said that she doesn’t make music or any other art to express herself. It is her curiosity that drives her art creation process. Audio elements have been a big part of Anderson’s storytelling. Her experimentation of audio and vocal elements in more than one way, from poetry to musical performances, creates effects unique to only her art.

Next I explored the MIT Media Lab's musical production, Death and the Powers. The production introduces technology into opera. As Ted Machover, composer of the show describes it, he wanted to “use technology to bring the audience closer to the performers and closer to the human beings.” The story of the opera is based at a time when there are no human beings around and the robots are left with a text from the humans. The text is meant to show robots what it means to be a human. Machover uses physical objects to tell the story; the objects are portrayed as an extension of a human being. His work is known for “developing technologies that expand music’s potential for everyone.” In the robotic opera, Manchover’s music synchronized with the physical objects, makes for a powerful storytelling experience. The opera features Hyperinstruments, which I understand to be an advanced version of the instruments. As Machover explains, Hyperinstruments involve analyzing what's being played on an instrument and how it is being played. His team has been working with Hyperinstruments to create sonic experiences like the one in Death and the Powers.

Pioneers like Anderson and Machover are using technology to create unique sonic experiences for various forms of storytelling, from opera to immersive media. The work of the two artists is eye opening to those like me who have a limited understanding of sonic frameworks and its role in storytelling.