Electronic and Experimental Music: Pioneers in ... - Aaaaarg

INTRODUCTION 3
John Cage performing Improvisation l—Child of Tree or Branches (1975). It consisted of
playing on cacti and plant materials that had been connected with contact microphones.
“My reason for improvising on them,” explained Cage, “is because the instruments are so
unknown that as you explore, say the spines of a cactus, you’re not really dealing with
your memory or your taste. You’re exploring.” Used with permission of the John Cage
Trust.
I have tried to write a book combining a rich history of technical invention
with parallel ideas formulated in experimental music. In a world where
technology now infiltrates every nuance of our existence, one must remember
that the arts succeed where computers fail in elevating the human being in us all.
The development of electronic music—itself a by-product of technology—
exemplifies everything about being human that the arts can offer.