Monthly Archives: January 2014

Head Hurts — Please Stop

Posted on January 25, 2014 by midiguru

Today’s most memorable quote (though to be fair, it’s only 10:30 in the morning) comes from Dr. Francis Collins, the head of the National Institutes for Health. This gentleman is a scientist, but also says he believes in God. In … Continue reading →

Posted in random musings, religion | 1 Comment

That Big Bang

Posted on January 25, 2014 by midiguru

We have no clear idea about how the universe came into existence. Scientists have some hazy theories, but the theories are packed with assumptions that may be wrong. People who are inclined toward religious belief tend to assume that some … Continue reading →

Posted in random musings, religion | 2 Comments

Working Class Hero

Posted on January 10, 2014 by midiguru

Most of us have our low-class, guilty pleasures. My friend Bob is a fan of pro wrestling (or used to be), for no reason that I could ever fathom. Me, I have a large collection of paperbacks by Erle Stanley … Continue reading →

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When Is a Volt Not a Volt?

Posted on January 8, 2014 by midiguru

Regular readers of this space (all five of you) will be aware that I’m fussy about intonation. And yet, I’ve acquired an analog modular synthesizer. Go figure. Analog synthesis is good at many things, but precise intonation is not one … Continue reading →

Posted in microtonal, modular, music, technology | 13 Comments

Interlocking Organization

Posted on January 5, 2014 by midiguru

As part of my ongoing quest to learn more about how music is being made, or might be made, with a modular synthesizer, I’ve been having a few discussions on Facebook. This morning I found myself using the phrase “interlocking … Continue reading →

Posted in modular, music | 8 Comments

Follow the Bouncing Ball

Posted on January 4, 2014 by midiguru

I can’t imagine that any of the music tech magazines I write for will want me to review Musyc Pro, so I may as well tip you off to it here. It’s for the iPad, it’s a toy, it makes … Continue reading →

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Surprises

Posted on January 4, 2014 by midiguru

When everything is surprising, nothing is surprising. That’s today’s observation with respect to experimental electronic music. When a musical style has no norms, no method of organization that gives shape and structure to the musical ideas, then we can formulate, … Continue reading →

Posted in modular, music | 9 Comments

Composing in the Wild West

Posted on January 3, 2014 by midiguru

To compose music is to dictate some type of organization to a series of sound events. This is true even of John Cage’s aleatoric compositions; he doesn’t dictate the sounds themselves, but he dictates their organization quite carefully according to … Continue reading →

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