ABSTRACT
Chapter 15 examines technology’s role in our musical past and present, and playfully imagines its future. We discuss acoustical principles, including: the properties of mechanical waves, fundamental and harmonic vibrations, and the differences between string vibrations and open- and closed-hole pipes, as well as developments in brass and keyboard instruments. Notation, preservation, and reproduction are examined, with overviews of the early phonograph, magnetic recording, and digital formats. Brief discussions of sampling, looping, and turntablism reveal how technology can influence musical production and creativity. The chapter ends with a section on electronic art music that features Karlheinz Stockhausen’s Gesang der Jünglinge (Song of the Youths).
