Electronic Music Composer


Electronic Music Composer

John Cage, electronic music composer and sound artist (1912-1992)

Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production, an electronic musician being a musician who composes and/or performs such music. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound producing devices include the telharmonium, Hammond organ, and the electric guitar. Purely electronic sound production can be achieved using devices such as the theremin, sound synthesizer, and computer.

The first electronic devices for performing music were developed at the end of the 19th century, and shortly afterward Italian futurists explored sounds that had not been considered musical. During the 1920s and 1930s, electronic instruments were introduced and the first compositions for electronic instruments were made. By the 1940s, magnetic audio tape allowed musicians to tape sounds (including natural sounds) and then modify them by changing the tape speed or direction, leading to the development of electroacoustic tape music in the 1940s, in Egypt and France. Musique concrète, created in Paris in 1948, was based on editing together recorded fragments of natural and industrial sounds

I am an electronic music composer. Over the past 20 years I have written, recorded and performed music for over 50 television shows, including The Emmy Awards, The Academy Awards, The Grammys, The Golden Globes, Saturday Night Live, Late Night with Conan O’Brien and many others.

I’m a recent convert to Apple products. My home studio is filled with Macintoshes and iPods. I love my MacBook Pro so much that I bought one for my wife. A few months ago I decided to take the plunge into iPhone development as a way of learning more about the system. I think it’s an amazing platform with tremendous potential.

I am a composer of electronic music from Melbourne, Australia. I have been composing electronic music for a number of years now and have recently released my debut album entitled “Songs from the Future”.

My album was inspired by my love for science fiction, especially classic science fiction such as “The Day the Earth Stood Still” and “Forbidden Planet”.

During the creation of my album I was fortunate enough to work with some great musicians, including two of Australia’s best known sci-fi authors. They helped me create the perfect soundscapes for my compositions and also provided some great voiceover work.

Electronic music is a form of music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production, an electronic musician being a musician who composes and/or performs such music. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means (electroacoustic music) and that produced using electronics only. Electromechanical instruments include mechanical elements, such as strings, hammers, and so on, and electric elements, such as magnetic pickups, power amplifiers and loudspeakers. Examples of electromechanical sound producing devices include the telharmonium, Hammond organ, and the electric guitar. Pure electronic instruments do not have vibrating strings, hammers, or other sound-producing mechanisms. Devices such as the theremin, synthesizer and computer can produce electronic sounds.

The first electronic devices for performing music were developed at the end of the 19th century, and shortly afterward Italian futurists explored sounds that had not been considered musical. During the 1920s and 1930s, electronic instruments were introduced and the first compositions for electronic instruments were made. By the 1940s, magnetic audio tape allowed musicians to tape sounds and then modify them by changing the tape speed or direction, leading to the development of electroacoustic tape music in the 1940

The term electronic musician is used to refer to musicians who create music using electronic equipment. Examples include synthesizers, computer sound cards, samplers, sequencers and live electronics.

The term is often used in contrast to other musical categories such as acoustic or electric musicians. In this sense electronic musicians are often labelled as experimental or avant-garde artists.

Electronic music can be made using instruments designed for traditional acoustic instruments (such as pianos), computers and other digital instruments. Some of the most popular examples of electronic music include: techno, synth pop, acid house and dubstep.

My musical computer programs and compositions are all written in the C programming language. I use a Power Macintosh computer with a MIDI interface to control synthesizers, samplers, and other MIDI equipment.

I am interested in algorithmic composition: music that is generated by a computer program. My work has focused on algorithmic development for real time performance of electronic music. My music is created with the intention of live performance; most of my pieces are neither pre-composed nor pre-recorded.

My compositions employ both algorithmic processes and manual interactions with the sounds. The algorithms determine the basic structure of the sound, while I control the development and evolution of that sound by changing parameters as the piece unfolds.

My compositional technique combines algorithmic processes with improvisation. I write computer programs that generate musical material according to certain algorithms and then I perform those materials live using MIDI equipment as acoustic instruments.

I have been writing electronic music since 1969. Since 1983 I have been performing my compositions in concerts throughout Europe and North America, and my compositions have been broadcast on national radio stations in many countries.

I am available for performances, lectures, workshops, or residencies anywhere in the world.

When I was in high school, my friends and I would drive around late at night listening to electronic music on the radio. We didn’t realize it at the time, but many of the artists we heard were from Germany. There were two great radio stations that played electronic music all night long, WLIR and WPRB.

I recorded many of those shows on cassette tapes, and now I have digitized them for my own reference as well as for anyone else who is interested. I think that most people will find it interesting to hear how electronic music has evolved over the years; some of it is still very fresh and exciting.


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