ABSTRACT
In the twentieth century, electronic technology captured the imagination of musical creators, and as they used it to generate and manipulate sound waves, they created music that was unimaginable to previous generations. Phonographs, signal generators, radios, tape recorders, and computers were embraced by art- and popular music enthusiasts alike, and innovations in the university physics laboratory quickly impacted popular music and film. As electronic music developed, women were significantly underrepresented, and even as the twentieth century progressed, they continued to struggle with systematic lack of access to equipment and training. Still, women are breaking new ground in electronic music, and Chapter 15 chronicles this history with a special focus on women in art and popular music who have tapped the power of technology. Included in the discussion are Pauline Oliveros, Laurie Anderson, Kaija Saariaho, Neshim Sheerat, Kuttin Kandi, as well as sound engineers Vivian Stoll, Roma Baran, and Leslie Ann Jones.
