Peer-Reviewed Articles by Evan Ware
Like 1 in 6 men, I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. When I began writing my symphony, “Th... more Like 1 in 6 men, I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. When I began writing my symphony, “The Quietest of Whispers,” I had it in mind to write a log of my experiences in the process of recovery. But as my work progressed, I became keenly aware of another, deeper, and more pressing reason to compose. I started to realize that this symphony could be a means to give other men a chance to confront their past in a different way than through rage—sadly, the only deep emotion afforded men in our culture. I thought that perhaps, having lived through the confusion and hurt myself, I might be able help other men listen to their pain instead of inflicting it on themselves and others; open themselves instead of fortifying their battlements and retrenching into desperate loneliness; come through pain to know a more richly human experience of living and loving. Composing this piece was perhaps the most difficult artistic action I have ever taken. In this article I share my motivations, process, results, and hopes for the future of this work in the hopes of fostering the artistic expression and understanding of the male survivors in our midst.
Book Chapters by Evan Ware
Hardcore, Punk, and Other Junk: Aggressive Sounds in Contemporary Music, 2014
As an indicator of difference, as a way of dominating, stigmatizing and dehumanizing the other, f... more As an indicator of difference, as a way of dominating, stigmatizing and dehumanizing the other, food-or what is designated "food"-has served as a powerful political tool. In fact, the degree to which one feels superior to another people might be gauged by the degree of one's repugnance to their diet. Like all such imprisoned fictions, this one gave rise to a reality (i.e., haute cuisine), and to an abiding cultural principle: "Tell me what thou eatest, and I will tell thee what thou art." Sherod Santos 1 "Speculating irreverently on the qualities he would acquire after eating "a little bit of Elvis," Bangs, while punk's fire still glowed in 1980, has the chaos of Sid Vicious supplant the malaise of Presley: '…At least Sid Vicious got to walk onstage with "GIMME A FIX" written in blood on his chest and bash people in the first row over the head with his bass if he didn't approve of the brand of beer can they were throwing at him. Sid got to have all the fun.'" Neil Nehring quoting Lester Bangs 2
Conference Papers by Evan Ware
While film scholars and musicologists conceptually divide soundtracks into three constituent part... more While film scholars and musicologists conceptually divide soundtracks into three constituent parts—dialogue, sound effects, and music—most would agree that this categorization can be misleading. It neglects important moments of rupture in film sound, such as when a sound effect performs a task commonly executed by music, or when the human voice becomes a sound effect. Also left unconsidered are moments of transition, when a soundtrack shifts from foregrounding soundscape to foregrounding underscore. The liminal space between sound, music, and voice, however, offers film producers a rich, layered semantic area through which to communicate complex ideas. Composers and sound editors of science fiction and horror film in particular have employed this space for pragmatic and aesthetic ends. Drawing on techniques of avant-garde and electronic music, as well as musique concrète, they integrate disparate sound elements into a single aural space as a means of structuring a film’s narrative form while also influencing the spectator’s emotional responses.
This paper explores how the porous boundaries between the parts of the soundtrack are deliberately crossed in order to narratively and semantically construct a scene. Using the Ceti Alpha V segment from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) as a model, we analyze how the interplay between dialogue, sound effects, musique concrète, avant-garde orchestral scoring, and traditional Hollywood action music structure the scene’s dramatic arc while also revealing the delusional and complex motives of the film’s chief antagonist, Khan Noonien Singh.
In reflecting on Frank Sinatra’s recording of “My Way” (1969), French pop star Claude François mi... more In reflecting on Frank Sinatra’s recording of “My Way” (1969), French pop star Claude François misreads it as an homage, a cover version of his earlier “Comme d’habitude” [“As Usual”] (1967). This speaks directly to an ambiguity that surrounds cover songs. Although “My Way” was built on the same harmonies and melodies as “Comme d’habitude,” the original lyrics about a failing romantic relationship were discarded in favor of lyrics that speak of triumph at the end of life. Given such a complete narrative and affective change, can Sinatra’s recording really be considered a cover?
This paper proposes a new category of reproductions, “derivatives,” that arise when completely new lyrics are added to the appropriated music of a previous work. Starting from David Laing’s observation that words specify a song’s human universe, I argue that musical signifiers establish general expressive parameters that, when combined with different words, create new meanings. To illustrate this process, I use and adaptation of Philip Tagg’s interobjective comparison method to examine the signifiers of a musical trope that forms the core of the climax in both “My Way” and “Comme d’habitude.” By comparing this gesture to similar gestures in other works by Sinatra and François, I clarify the general significations of the music. I then put these significations in relation to each set of lyrics to examine how they support each text, and how each text focuses the signifiers, giving rise to the different meanings of these different songs.
Compositions by Evan Ware
Like 1 in 6 men, I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. When I began writing The Quietest of ... more Like 1 in 6 men, I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. When I began writing The Quietest of Whispers I had it in mind to write a log of my experiences in the process of recovery. But as my work progressed, I became keenly aware of another, deeper, and more pressing reason to compose. I started to realize that this symphony could be a means to help other men engage with their pasts in a way other than through rage—sadly, the only deep emotion afforded men in our culture. Perhaps, having lived through the confusion and hurt myself, I might be able help create a space for other men to listen to their pain instead of inflicting it on themselves and others; to open themselves instead of fortifying their battlements and retrenching into desperate loneliness; to come through hurt to know a more richly human experience of living and loving. Maybe I could help simply by telling others that they are not alone, and that there is a way to let go. Because I have seen that inside all of us resides something beautiful and indestructible, though at times we must strain to perceive it; the faintest of lights, the quietest of whispers.
This piece would have been impossible without the constant support, criticism, enthusiasm, and honesty of Bright Sheng, Marc LeMay, and my wife, Megan Hill. My thanks go also to the many performers whose input has improved this work immensely. Lastly, to all survivors—of any gender description— who have spoken up before me: regardless of the nature of your abuse be it emotional, physical, sexual, or any other, my thanks for your courage, your vulnerability, and your strength.
Papers by Evan Ware
Routledge eBooks, Nov 24, 2022
Routledge eBooks, Nov 24, 2022
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Peer-Reviewed Articles by Evan Ware
Book Chapters by Evan Ware
Conference Papers by Evan Ware
This paper explores how the porous boundaries between the parts of the soundtrack are deliberately crossed in order to narratively and semantically construct a scene. Using the Ceti Alpha V segment from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) as a model, we analyze how the interplay between dialogue, sound effects, musique concrète, avant-garde orchestral scoring, and traditional Hollywood action music structure the scene’s dramatic arc while also revealing the delusional and complex motives of the film’s chief antagonist, Khan Noonien Singh.
This paper proposes a new category of reproductions, “derivatives,” that arise when completely new lyrics are added to the appropriated music of a previous work. Starting from David Laing’s observation that words specify a song’s human universe, I argue that musical signifiers establish general expressive parameters that, when combined with different words, create new meanings. To illustrate this process, I use and adaptation of Philip Tagg’s interobjective comparison method to examine the signifiers of a musical trope that forms the core of the climax in both “My Way” and “Comme d’habitude.” By comparing this gesture to similar gestures in other works by Sinatra and François, I clarify the general significations of the music. I then put these significations in relation to each set of lyrics to examine how they support each text, and how each text focuses the signifiers, giving rise to the different meanings of these different songs.
Compositions by Evan Ware
This piece would have been impossible without the constant support, criticism, enthusiasm, and honesty of Bright Sheng, Marc LeMay, and my wife, Megan Hill. My thanks go also to the many performers whose input has improved this work immensely. Lastly, to all survivors—of any gender description— who have spoken up before me: regardless of the nature of your abuse be it emotional, physical, sexual, or any other, my thanks for your courage, your vulnerability, and your strength.
Papers by Evan Ware
This paper explores how the porous boundaries between the parts of the soundtrack are deliberately crossed in order to narratively and semantically construct a scene. Using the Ceti Alpha V segment from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) as a model, we analyze how the interplay between dialogue, sound effects, musique concrète, avant-garde orchestral scoring, and traditional Hollywood action music structure the scene’s dramatic arc while also revealing the delusional and complex motives of the film’s chief antagonist, Khan Noonien Singh.
This paper proposes a new category of reproductions, “derivatives,” that arise when completely new lyrics are added to the appropriated music of a previous work. Starting from David Laing’s observation that words specify a song’s human universe, I argue that musical signifiers establish general expressive parameters that, when combined with different words, create new meanings. To illustrate this process, I use and adaptation of Philip Tagg’s interobjective comparison method to examine the signifiers of a musical trope that forms the core of the climax in both “My Way” and “Comme d’habitude.” By comparing this gesture to similar gestures in other works by Sinatra and François, I clarify the general significations of the music. I then put these significations in relation to each set of lyrics to examine how they support each text, and how each text focuses the signifiers, giving rise to the different meanings of these different songs.
This piece would have been impossible without the constant support, criticism, enthusiasm, and honesty of Bright Sheng, Marc LeMay, and my wife, Megan Hill. My thanks go also to the many performers whose input has improved this work immensely. Lastly, to all survivors—of any gender description— who have spoken up before me: regardless of the nature of your abuse be it emotional, physical, sexual, or any other, my thanks for your courage, your vulnerability, and your strength.