This chapter is borne to the harbour of my being on three currents. The first, a series of gentle... more This chapter is borne to the harbour of my being on three currents. The first, a series of gentle swells on the phrase "in re", is manifested thus far in one published article, a second in press, and a third in preparation [5-7]. The second is a more enduring stream of thought deriving from the writings of William James and John Dewey. And the third, with which I shall begin, is a pool that formed and flowed from California in 2012. The Stanford Symposium In February of 2012 Stanford University hosted a symposium devoted to the teaching of composition at the doctoral level in the United States. Nine distinguished teachers from major institutions critiqued student works, joined in round-table discussions, and presented papers setting forth their own perspectives and philosophies. The latter, together with an overview of the entire event, were published in Contemporary Music Review [11, pp. 249-329]. Talent and Skill Erik Ulman [34] prefaced the papers themselves with a summary that stressed the diversity represented in pedagogy and curriculum. But in fact all the participants appeared to agree on at least one key point: the practice and therefore the teaching of W. Brooks (B)
This chapter is borne to the harbour of my being on three currents. The first, a series of gentle... more This chapter is borne to the harbour of my being on three currents. The first, a series of gentle swells on the phrase "in re", is manifested thus far in one published article, a second in press, and a third in preparation [5-7]. The second is a more enduring stream of thought deriving from the writings of William James and John Dewey. And the third, with which I shall begin, is a pool that formed and flowed from California in 2012. The Stanford Symposium In February of 2012 Stanford University hosted a symposium devoted to the teaching of composition at the doctoral level in the United States. Nine distinguished teachers from major institutions critiqued student works, joined in round-table discussions, and presented papers setting forth their own perspectives and philosophies. The latter, together with an overview of the entire event, were published in Contemporary Music Review [11, pp. 249-329]. Talent and Skill Erik Ulman [34] prefaced the papers themselves with a summary that stressed the diversity represented in pedagogy and curriculum. But in fact all the participants appeared to agree on at least one key point: the practice and therefore the teaching of W. Brooks (B)
MetaCage: Essays on and around Freeman Etudes, Fontana Mix, Aria, 2009
An overview of Cage's compositional practices that takes as its core observation Cage's use of si... more An overview of Cage's compositional practices that takes as its core observation Cage's use of singular and plural nouns ("sound" and "sounds"). This is placed in relation to the pragmatist notions of distinction and pluralism as set forth in the writings of William James, from the _Principles of Psychology_ through _A Pluralist Universe_. Additional distinctions (between types of notation, between sound and action) arise in the wake of the initial partitioning, and all are applied to various compositions by Cage—most extensively, the _Freeman Etudes_.
This article begins by considering the interaction of notation and analysis by means of a compari... more This article begins by considering the interaction of notation and analysis by means of a comparison of scores from the 1950s. This discussion leads to the domains of error, value, and ethics. An 'experimental’ mode of analysis is proposed, which takes taxonomy and statistics as a basis; from this one acquires an understanding that is observational rather than evaluative. A philosophical basis is noted in pragmatism, in the writings of James and Peirce. The consequences of this approach are explored through detailed study of _Music for Piano_ and the compositional process that Cage employed; certain anomalies emerge.
Patterns of Intuition: Musical Creativity in the Light of Algorithmic Composition, 2015
This appeared in a volume that summarized the results of the three-year "Patterns of Intuition" p... more This appeared in a volume that summarized the results of the three-year "Patterns of Intuition" project that Gerhard Nierhaus and others directed: the project investigated the creative act of composing by means of algorithmic composition. Central to the investigation were the compositional strategies of 12 composers, which were documented through a dialogic and cyclic process of modelling and evaluating musical materials. In the second part of the book contributions by various authors considered the project from different perspectives, offered independent approaches, or provided more general reflections from their respective research fields. The present chapter situates the project in the context of experimental practice in music, especially in the tradition of pragmatist aesthetics and education best represented in the writings of John Dewey.
A program note (short essay) written for a concert given by Lore Lixenberg, soprano, and Joseph H... more A program note (short essay) written for a concert given by Lore Lixenberg, soprano, and Joseph Houston, pianist, on February 21, 2018.
This article appeared in _Perspectives of New Music_ 31:2 (Summer 1993). Since then it has become... more This article appeared in _Perspectives of New Music_ 31:2 (Summer 1993). Since then it has become clear from writings about Cage's compositional methods that I had made incorrect inferences about the actual mechanics used in making _Hymns and Variations_. However, I believe the general principles, the analytical method, and the aesthetic implications are still valid.
This paper, given at the "Performing Indeterminacy" conference at the University of Leeds on 1 Ju... more This paper, given at the "Performing Indeterminacy" conference at the University of Leeds on 1 July 2017, is very much a work in progress. It was motivated, as was much of my life in 2017, by my revulsion at the state of political thinking (indeed, at the utter _lack_ of political thinking) in the United States at the time. I intended to expand this to continue a series of "In re" publications, several of which can be seen below. At this point, however, I think it is unlikely that it will be shaped into a separate, published article. The threads set out here will instead be woven into a larger study, I hope.
John Cage is universally associated with the phrase experimental music. But what did that phrase ... more John Cage is universally associated with the phrase experimental music. But what did that phrase mean, for Cage and for Cage's predecessors? I begin with Cage and Lejaren Hiller, both writing important texts on ‘experimental music’ in 1959. From there, I trace the phrase backwards, eventually reaching Émile Zola, Gertrude Stein, and William James. A final section traces the phrase forward to Cage and Hiller’s collaboration on HPSCHD (1969).
Chapter 6 in _Silence, Music, Silent Music_, ed. Nicky Losseff and Jenny Doctor (Aldershot, UK: A... more Chapter 6 in _Silence, Music, Silent Music_, ed. Nicky Losseff and Jenny Doctor (Aldershot, UK: Ashgate Publishing, 2007), in (slightly corrected) proof form. Writings and compositions by John Cage and Charles Ives are examined from a perspective grounded in the philosophy of William James. Particular attention is given to Ives’s two “contemplations” on Central Park and Unanswered Questions; to Cage’s account of silences in his earlier music, of which Experiences II and the Sonatas and Interludes are taken as examples; and to the genesis of the “silent piece” and its relation to Cage’s experience in the anechoic chamber. Figures that indirectly link Cage with James, such as Gertrude Stein and Daisetz Suzuki, are also discussed.
A contextual analysis of three compositions—One anti-personnel type-CBU bomb . . . by Philip Corn... more A contextual analysis of three compositions—One anti-personnel type-CBU bomb . . . by Philip Corner, ‘Majority’ by Charles Ives, and Lecture on the Weather by John Cage— reveals that each is ‘impossible’. Each manifests its impossibility in a different domain: moral, physical and perceptual. But the three scores were each resituated by comments made by the composers, independent of the scores; and these comments make these ‘experimental’ works viable as expressions of aspiration rather than mere achievements.
The full programme for a two-day conference held at the University of York, UK, on February 27 an... more The full programme for a two-day conference held at the University of York, UK, on February 27 and 28, 2015. Assembled, edited, and produced by Naomi Taylor; William Brooks, artistic director.
Edited and compiled by Naomi Taylor, this booklet summarizes the two day mini-festival held in Yo... more Edited and compiled by Naomi Taylor, this booklet summarizes the two day mini-festival held in York (UK) on July 3-4, 2015. Included are detailed notes for presentations and performances as well as a general introduction by Ronald Schuchard.
After Yeats is not a score for performance but rather a method for determining a score; it extend... more After Yeats is not a score for performance but rather a method for determining a score; it extends W. B. Yeats’s practice of poetic declamation to languages other than English. After Yeats describes a collaboration between a performer, who declaims a Yeats poem in translation, self-accompanied by a plucked string instrument, and a composer, who works at a remove to observe and amplify the implications of the declamation.
A reminiscence of the late composer (my teacher) written for _Sonorities_, the School of Music ma... more A reminiscence of the late composer (my teacher) written for _Sonorities_, the School of Music magazine at the University of Illinois and published in the 2014 issue. There it was rather severely edited ("edit Ed", he would have remarked with a twinkle . . .).
These notes for my composition _Madrigals_ were written for the Electric Phoenix tour of the Unit... more These notes for my composition _Madrigals_ were written for the Electric Phoenix tour of the United States in early 1984. The work had been recorded two years earlier, on Wergo 60094; the score, in a new edition, is available from Frog Peak Music. I have left these notes as a scanned image of the original typescript, which is now located at the Sousa Archives and Center for American Music, University of Illinois.
This chapter is borne to the harbour of my being on three currents. The first, a series of gentle... more This chapter is borne to the harbour of my being on three currents. The first, a series of gentle swells on the phrase "in re", is manifested thus far in one published article, a second in press, and a third in preparation [5-7]. The second is a more enduring stream of thought deriving from the writings of William James and John Dewey. And the third, with which I shall begin, is a pool that formed and flowed from California in 2012. The Stanford Symposium In February of 2012 Stanford University hosted a symposium devoted to the teaching of composition at the doctoral level in the United States. Nine distinguished teachers from major institutions critiqued student works, joined in round-table discussions, and presented papers setting forth their own perspectives and philosophies. The latter, together with an overview of the entire event, were published in Contemporary Music Review [11, pp. 249-329]. Talent and Skill Erik Ulman [34] prefaced the papers themselves with a summary that stressed the diversity represented in pedagogy and curriculum. But in fact all the participants appeared to agree on at least one key point: the practice and therefore the teaching of W. Brooks (B)
This chapter is borne to the harbour of my being on three currents. The first, a series of gentle... more This chapter is borne to the harbour of my being on three currents. The first, a series of gentle swells on the phrase "in re", is manifested thus far in one published article, a second in press, and a third in preparation [5-7]. The second is a more enduring stream of thought deriving from the writings of William James and John Dewey. And the third, with which I shall begin, is a pool that formed and flowed from California in 2012. The Stanford Symposium In February of 2012 Stanford University hosted a symposium devoted to the teaching of composition at the doctoral level in the United States. Nine distinguished teachers from major institutions critiqued student works, joined in round-table discussions, and presented papers setting forth their own perspectives and philosophies. The latter, together with an overview of the entire event, were published in Contemporary Music Review [11, pp. 249-329]. Talent and Skill Erik Ulman [34] prefaced the papers themselves with a summary that stressed the diversity represented in pedagogy and curriculum. But in fact all the participants appeared to agree on at least one key point: the practice and therefore the teaching of W. Brooks (B)
MetaCage: Essays on and around Freeman Etudes, Fontana Mix, Aria, 2009
An overview of Cage's compositional practices that takes as its core observation Cage's use of si... more An overview of Cage's compositional practices that takes as its core observation Cage's use of singular and plural nouns ("sound" and "sounds"). This is placed in relation to the pragmatist notions of distinction and pluralism as set forth in the writings of William James, from the _Principles of Psychology_ through _A Pluralist Universe_. Additional distinctions (between types of notation, between sound and action) arise in the wake of the initial partitioning, and all are applied to various compositions by Cage—most extensively, the _Freeman Etudes_.
This article begins by considering the interaction of notation and analysis by means of a compari... more This article begins by considering the interaction of notation and analysis by means of a comparison of scores from the 1950s. This discussion leads to the domains of error, value, and ethics. An 'experimental’ mode of analysis is proposed, which takes taxonomy and statistics as a basis; from this one acquires an understanding that is observational rather than evaluative. A philosophical basis is noted in pragmatism, in the writings of James and Peirce. The consequences of this approach are explored through detailed study of _Music for Piano_ and the compositional process that Cage employed; certain anomalies emerge.
Patterns of Intuition: Musical Creativity in the Light of Algorithmic Composition, 2015
This appeared in a volume that summarized the results of the three-year "Patterns of Intuition" p... more This appeared in a volume that summarized the results of the three-year "Patterns of Intuition" project that Gerhard Nierhaus and others directed: the project investigated the creative act of composing by means of algorithmic composition. Central to the investigation were the compositional strategies of 12 composers, which were documented through a dialogic and cyclic process of modelling and evaluating musical materials. In the second part of the book contributions by various authors considered the project from different perspectives, offered independent approaches, or provided more general reflections from their respective research fields. The present chapter situates the project in the context of experimental practice in music, especially in the tradition of pragmatist aesthetics and education best represented in the writings of John Dewey.
A program note (short essay) written for a concert given by Lore Lixenberg, soprano, and Joseph H... more A program note (short essay) written for a concert given by Lore Lixenberg, soprano, and Joseph Houston, pianist, on February 21, 2018.
This article appeared in _Perspectives of New Music_ 31:2 (Summer 1993). Since then it has become... more This article appeared in _Perspectives of New Music_ 31:2 (Summer 1993). Since then it has become clear from writings about Cage's compositional methods that I had made incorrect inferences about the actual mechanics used in making _Hymns and Variations_. However, I believe the general principles, the analytical method, and the aesthetic implications are still valid.
This paper, given at the "Performing Indeterminacy" conference at the University of Leeds on 1 Ju... more This paper, given at the "Performing Indeterminacy" conference at the University of Leeds on 1 July 2017, is very much a work in progress. It was motivated, as was much of my life in 2017, by my revulsion at the state of political thinking (indeed, at the utter _lack_ of political thinking) in the United States at the time. I intended to expand this to continue a series of "In re" publications, several of which can be seen below. At this point, however, I think it is unlikely that it will be shaped into a separate, published article. The threads set out here will instead be woven into a larger study, I hope.
John Cage is universally associated with the phrase experimental music. But what did that phrase ... more John Cage is universally associated with the phrase experimental music. But what did that phrase mean, for Cage and for Cage's predecessors? I begin with Cage and Lejaren Hiller, both writing important texts on ‘experimental music’ in 1959. From there, I trace the phrase backwards, eventually reaching Émile Zola, Gertrude Stein, and William James. A final section traces the phrase forward to Cage and Hiller’s collaboration on HPSCHD (1969).
Chapter 6 in _Silence, Music, Silent Music_, ed. Nicky Losseff and Jenny Doctor (Aldershot, UK: A... more Chapter 6 in _Silence, Music, Silent Music_, ed. Nicky Losseff and Jenny Doctor (Aldershot, UK: Ashgate Publishing, 2007), in (slightly corrected) proof form. Writings and compositions by John Cage and Charles Ives are examined from a perspective grounded in the philosophy of William James. Particular attention is given to Ives’s two “contemplations” on Central Park and Unanswered Questions; to Cage’s account of silences in his earlier music, of which Experiences II and the Sonatas and Interludes are taken as examples; and to the genesis of the “silent piece” and its relation to Cage’s experience in the anechoic chamber. Figures that indirectly link Cage with James, such as Gertrude Stein and Daisetz Suzuki, are also discussed.
A contextual analysis of three compositions—One anti-personnel type-CBU bomb . . . by Philip Corn... more A contextual analysis of three compositions—One anti-personnel type-CBU bomb . . . by Philip Corner, ‘Majority’ by Charles Ives, and Lecture on the Weather by John Cage— reveals that each is ‘impossible’. Each manifests its impossibility in a different domain: moral, physical and perceptual. But the three scores were each resituated by comments made by the composers, independent of the scores; and these comments make these ‘experimental’ works viable as expressions of aspiration rather than mere achievements.
The full programme for a two-day conference held at the University of York, UK, on February 27 an... more The full programme for a two-day conference held at the University of York, UK, on February 27 and 28, 2015. Assembled, edited, and produced by Naomi Taylor; William Brooks, artistic director.
Edited and compiled by Naomi Taylor, this booklet summarizes the two day mini-festival held in Yo... more Edited and compiled by Naomi Taylor, this booklet summarizes the two day mini-festival held in York (UK) on July 3-4, 2015. Included are detailed notes for presentations and performances as well as a general introduction by Ronald Schuchard.
After Yeats is not a score for performance but rather a method for determining a score; it extend... more After Yeats is not a score for performance but rather a method for determining a score; it extends W. B. Yeats’s practice of poetic declamation to languages other than English. After Yeats describes a collaboration between a performer, who declaims a Yeats poem in translation, self-accompanied by a plucked string instrument, and a composer, who works at a remove to observe and amplify the implications of the declamation.
A reminiscence of the late composer (my teacher) written for _Sonorities_, the School of Music ma... more A reminiscence of the late composer (my teacher) written for _Sonorities_, the School of Music magazine at the University of Illinois and published in the 2014 issue. There it was rather severely edited ("edit Ed", he would have remarked with a twinkle . . .).
These notes for my composition _Madrigals_ were written for the Electric Phoenix tour of the Unit... more These notes for my composition _Madrigals_ were written for the Electric Phoenix tour of the United States in early 1984. The work had been recorded two years earlier, on Wergo 60094; the score, in a new edition, is available from Frog Peak Music. I have left these notes as a scanned image of the original typescript, which is now located at the Sousa Archives and Center for American Music, University of Illinois.
A handout prepared for the presentation and panel discussion "How to Improve the World (Matters C... more A handout prepared for the presentation and panel discussion "How to Improve the World (Matters Could Hardly Be Worse)" at the Society for American Music international conference, 25 March 2017. I spoke ex tempore, using this handout as a basis.
This talk was the first academic presentation deriving from an ongoing study of the musical setti... more This talk was the first academic presentation deriving from an ongoing study of the musical settings of John McCrae's WWI poem, "In Flanders Fields." I have added footnotes and corrected a few minor errors, but otherwise the text is as I delivered it, even though the research has advanced substantially since then.
An overview of referentiality as I conceived it in 2000, illustrated by four of my own compositio... more An overview of referentiality as I conceived it in 2000, illustrated by four of my own compositions: Footnotes, A Peal for Calm, The Kitchen Sink, and in memoriam reducere studemus.
Truth happens to an idea.” So wrote William James in 1907; and twenty-four years later John Dewey... more Truth happens to an idea.” So wrote William James in 1907; and twenty-four years later John Dewey argued that artistic experience entailed a process of “doing and undergoing.” But what do these ideas have to do with music, or with research conducted in and through music—that is, with “artistic research”? In this collection of essays, fourteen very different authors respond with distinct and challenging perspectives. Some report on their own experiments and experiences; some offer probing analyses of noteworthy practices; some view historical continuities through the lens of pragmatism and artistic experiment. The resulting collection yields new insights into what musicians do, how they experiment, and what they experience—insights that arise not from doctrine, but from diverse voices seeking common ground in and through experimental discourse: artistic research in and of itself.
Over Here, Over There Transatlantic Conversations on the Music of World War I, 2019
During the Great War, composers and performers created music that expressed common sentiments lik... more During the Great War, composers and performers created music that expressed common sentiments like patriotism, grief, and anxiety. Yet music also revealed the complexities of the partnership between France, Great Britain, Canada, and the United States. At times, music reaffirmed a commitment to the shared wartime mission. At other times, it reflected conflicting views about the war from one nation to another or within a single nation. Over Here, Over There examines how composition, performance, publication, recording, censorship, and policy shaped the Atlantic allies' musical response to the war. The first section of the collection offers studies of individuals. The second concentrates on communities, whether local, transnational, or on the spectrum in-between. Essay topics range from the sinking of the Lusitania through transformations of the entertainment industry to the influenza pandemic. Contributors: Christina Bashford, William Brooks, Deniz Ertan, Barbara L. Kelly, Kendra Preston Leonard, Gayle Magee, Jeffrey Magee, Michelle Meinhart, Brian C. Thompson, and Patrick Warfield.
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Papers by william brooks
Contributors: Christina Bashford, William Brooks, Deniz Ertan, Barbara L. Kelly, Kendra Preston Leonard, Gayle Magee, Jeffrey Magee, Michelle Meinhart, Brian C. Thompson, and Patrick Warfield.