Reading Synopsis

NOISE/MUSIC: MERZBOW
Merzbow--Masami Akita--is known as the master of noise. Proceeding the dicussions of Japanese noise music in the previous chapter, this chapter focuses distinctively on the strategies used by Merzbow in his work. Merzbow bases his work completely around noise....all of it is characterized as noise. Such strategies used are: duration volume, harshness, interference, luring listeners into attributing meaning,antri virtuousity, pulses, oscillations, crashes and explosive bursts.
Merzbow creates an experience for the listener that is out-of-body. His sounds do occur in sequence, but undo what happened just before. In his earlier work his equipment included mostly percussion, tapes and sample. He later moved on to analoque equipment, which primarily includes feedback, explosive residue, metallic scrapes and howls, pulses and "colored" noise.

SOUND UNBOUND: Chapter 35 - Theater of the Spirits: Joseph Cornell and Silence Catherine Corman
This chapter seems to tie the disciplines of art, music, writing, theatre and film together. Instances of each of these arts is mentioned while discussing uses of silence as well as how different mediums are used to portray silence. What I found most intersting in this chapter was that different artists have bounced ideas off of each other in various instances. This is something we've touched on in class a few times and whether or not using an idea from someone else is plagiarizing. In my opinion, boucing idea off of each other is an extremely effective way to grow as a community of artists and creators, as well as a great way to learn from each other.

SOUND UNBOUND: Chapter 20 - South Africa's Rhythms of Resistance
This chapter was great. Lee Hirsch's message that "song always has been, and continues to be, at the heart of humankind's jouner, at times arguably the fuel that keeps us going," seems to be the main point of this reading. He uses his own experience of traveling to South Africa after their civil war makes this message even stronger. Everyone can relate to the fact that music seems to bring people together, especially in times of crisis. People are able to use their emotions from difficult experience to channel into the creation of music that seems to obtain followers as the sound spreads. Music is a strong healer and this chapter mirrors this well.