Description
Book SynopsisAn anthology of primary documents that collects material from the end of the 19th century up through World War II on the material history of sound technologies and music in America. It is divided into three sections: on the phonograph, sound in the cinema (including musical accompaniment), and music on radio.
Trade Review“Measuring the cultural importance and metaphysical weirdness of that change is part of the project of
Music, Sound, and Technology in America, an anthology of fascinating artifacts whose prosaic title belies its insights into the early years of the recorded-sound era. . . . [T]he editors of
Music, Sound, and Technology in America exhibit a canny ear for the electrifying echoes between then and now.” - Andy Battaglia,
Wall Street Journal“A fascinating new book on early media. . . . A delightful read.” - Steve Ramm,
In the Groove“The editors have selected and assembled their material with perspicuity and wit, and anybody interested in the infancy of sound recording, cinema, and radio is guaranteed to experience frequent ‘aha!’ moments that transport them with a simple turn of phrase to the mind-set of an earlier age.” - James M. Keller, Santa Fe
New MexicanTaylor, Katz, and Grajeda have culled print and visual materials from the popular press, trade journals, and company archives that neatly capture the excitement of the new enterprises of radio, sound recordings, and film and the quandaries surrounding these media. . . . Highly Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty.” - N. Newman,
Choice“Part history of technology, part reception studies, this anthology gathers advertisements, sales agents’ scripts, personal accounts, editorials and letters from hobbyist journals of the early days of recorded sound... At its best, the selections convey an eyewitness sense of first reactions to new technologies, before users’ expectations ossified… What shines through the book is how new technologies have opened up cultural battlegrounds for creativity, access and control.” - Emily Bick,
The Wire“As a resource, the collection is very usable and particularly student-friendly. The introductions are insightful without being exhaustive, which encourages further inquiry and discussion by providing guidance and direction to sound studies, cultural studies, and technological studies. This approach creates a versatile collection that is not only useful for research and scholarship, but which is also strikingly teachable.” - Victoria Willis,
Popular Music and Society“This is a much needed anthology…. We owe the three editors a considerable debt for doing the necessary research and for organizing and explaining the value of what they have unearthed.” -
European Journal of Communication"
Music, Sound, and Technology in America provides a useful overview of the impact of technologies on American music and musical culture. It is a valuable resource, an engaging, well-organized anthology that will raise provocative questions for students of American cultural history."—
Michele Hilmes, author of
Radio Voices: American Broadcasting, 1922–1952“A fascinating new book on early media. . . . A delightful read.” -- Steve Ramm * In the Groove *
“As a resource, the collection is very usable and particularly student-friendly. The introductions are insightful without being exhaustive, which encourages further inquiry and discussion by providing guidance and direction to sound studies, cultural studies, and technological studies. This approach creates a versatile collection that is not only useful for research and scholarship, but which is also strikingly teachable.” -- Victoria Willis * Popular Music and Society *
“Measuring the cultural importance and metaphysical weirdness of that change is part of the project of
Music, Sound, and Technology in America, an anthology of fascinating artifacts whose prosaic title belies its insights into the early years of the recorded-sound era. . . . [T]he editors of
Music, Sound, and Technology in America exhibit a canny ear for the electrifying echoes between then and now.” -- Andy Battaglia * Wall Street Journal *
“Part history of technology, part reception studies, this anthology gathers advertisements, sales agents’ scripts, personal accounts, editorials and letters from hobbyist journals of the early days of recorded sound... At its best, the selections convey an eyewitness sense of first reactions to new technologies, before users’ expectations ossified… What shines through the book is how new technologies have opened up cultural battlegrounds for creativity, access and control.” -- Emily Bick * The Wire *
“The editors have selected and assembled their material with perspicuity and wit, and anybody interested in the infancy of sound recording, cinema, and radio is guaranteed to experience frequent ‘aha!’ moments that transport them with a simple turn of phrase to the mind-set of an earlier age.” -- James M. Keller Santa Fe * Santa Fe New Mexican *
Taylor, Katz, and Grajeda have culled print and visual materials from the popular press, trade journals, and company archives that neatly capture the excitement of the new enterprises of radio, sound recordings, and film and the quandaries surrounding these media. . . . Highly Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty.” -- N. Newman * Choice *
“Although the book is aimed at scholars and students (the book would work admirably as a reader for any number of courses in music, media studies, or history),
Music, Sound, and Technology in America will appeal to nearly anyone who has an interest in exploring further the fascinating early history of phonography, cinema, and radio from the perspective of its founders, critics, and consumers. Truly a landmark documentary in every way, this collection should go a long way in stimulating further historical work in the field.” -- Rob Haskins * ARSC Journal *
Table of ContentsGeneral Introduction: Music Technologies in Everyday Life / Timothy D. Taylor 1
Part 1. Sound Recording
Introduction / Mark Katz 11
Sound Recording: Readings 29
Predictions 29
The Listener and the Phonograph 44
Learning to Listen 44
The Phonograph in Everyday Life 48
The Phonograph and Music Appreciation 65
Men, Women, and Phonographs 70
Music and the Great War 78
Performers and the Phonograph 84
In the Recording Studio 84
The Phonograph and Music Pedagogy 94
The Phonograph and the Composer 104
The Composer in the Machine Age 104
The Phonograph as a Compositional Tool 110
Phonograph Debates 113
Con 113
Pro 126
Part II. Cinema
Introduction / Tony Grajeda 137
Cinema: Readings 145
Technologies of Sight and Sound 145
Sounds of the Cinema: Illustrated Song Slides; The Role of the Voice (lecturers, actors); Incidental Musics, Special Effects, Ballyhoo, and Noise of the Audience 153
Playing to the Pictures 173
Performative Accompaniment 173
The Organist of the Picture Palace 192
Conducting and Scoring to the Movies 200
Taste, Culture, and Educating the Public 212
Responding to the Talkies 226
Part III. Radio
Introduction / Timothy D. Taylor 239
Radio: Readings 255
Radio as Dream, Radio as Technology 255
Early Broadcasts: Performer and Listener Impressions 266
Radio in Everyday Life 275
Healing 279
Economics of Radio Broadcasting 285
Advertising 288
Music on the Radio 301
Con 301
Pro 305
What Do Listeners Want? 311
Crooning 316
Radio Behind the Scenes 324
Getting on the Air 324
Talent 340
Production behind the Scenes 344
Composing for the Radio 354
How to Listen to Music on the Radio 361
Notes 367
References 387
Index 399
