Two words: Sonic Art
Which is a degree at Middlesex University. I was there thinking it would be learning audio engineering to underpin my electrical engineering science major, in the words of George Costanza in 'The Bubble Boy' - "oh nooo".

It turns out that traditional standards in musical arrangement, audio quality and signal processing are severely frowned upon. Performing and recording a perfect solo rendition of a country and western ssong (as a friend did) gets you a fail.

For a first, you should 'explore the possibilities of a crips packet' - by recording yourself scrunching and tearing it at different distances from a microphone, for about twenty minutes.

Then, everyone has to sit around and listen to it, then discuss it at great length. With approximately thirty people in the class, this becomes torturous pretty quick.



As for myself, in first school we used to do 'Music and Movement' or something it was called. It was sort of like freeform physical interprative expression in response to combinations of music & stories which came on record or tape (CD had yet to be invented). I remember one class we were supposed to be being diggers, as my classmates whirled and flailed their arms I just stood there, puzzled. "What does it mean to be a digger? How do I become the digger?" I had no muse. The essence, the spirit, the concept of diggerness was alien to me and, as a vessel void of content or meaning I stood. Frozen to the spot, rivers of queries of my own validity cascading into oceans of self doubt. I was about 5-7 years old at the time...

... pretentious? Moi? Ich don't think so
( Liquid Crystal, Thu 29 Sep 2005, 10:50, Reply)