[ARSCLIST] Alvin Lucier: "I am Sitting in a Room"

[Matt Bailey <msbailey@xxxxxxx>]

Some of you may be familiar with the experimental composer Alvin Lucier,
some might not. He once did a piece called "I am Sitting in a Room"
which was recorded by Lucier reading a text (transcribed below) into a
tape recorder and then repeatedly playing it back into another. Some of
you tapeheads might be interested in listening to it, so I've provided a
link below:

http://www.ubu.com/sound/lucier.html

The text: "I am sitting in a room different from the one you are in now.
I am recording the sound of my speaking voice and I am going to play it
back in the room again and again until the resonant frequencies of the
room reinforce themselves so that any semblance of my speech, with
perhaps the exception of rhythm, is destroyed. What you will hear, then,
are the natural resonant frequencies of the room articulated by speech.
I regard this activity not so much as a demonstration of a physical
fact, but more as a way to smooth out any irregularities my speech might
have."

Enjoy,

Matt
--
Matt Bailey
Audiovisual Archivist

Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies
University of Georgia Libraries
Athens, GA 30602-1641
(706)542-5788
http://www.libs.uga.edu/russell/