Abstract:

The academic study of music brings with it some baggage from the past, sometimes preventing a clear picture from emerging about music in society today, as well as excluding possible methodologies for other approaches to music making. This historical baggage includes an entrenched philosophical grounding in the Western tonal system, a rudiment whose assumed role is to provide a foundation for communicating and documenting music. This document explores some music that is clearly outside of the box in terms of tonal languages, while being connected to many styles of music making, through its role in social and cultural activities in specific geographic locations.

This study looks at three styles of textural music--phonography, noise, and free improvisation--music which is based upon the layering of spectrally dense "fabrics" of sound, usually improvised and performed live in front of an audience. I discuss the American Northeast Corridor subcultures and communities that host these scenes, by describing some of my own experiences as well as interviews with key artists who work within these realms of sound. Through these investigations, I demonstrate the importance of these points of view within the larger musical discourse.

This study is concluded by a brief analysis and assessment of the current academic model in place in most American music departments, with an introductory exploration of some possible modifications to this model. The music discussed in this document serves to demonstrate the importance of an eventual move toward a sound-centered model for musical fundamentals.