Art of Noise Reading Response

This was a really interesting read. I liked the discussion on the evolution of music/sound. The way this is written is definitely a testament to its time period--a time when constant progression was especially prevalent within art. Each art movement was subsequently replaced by the next; the artists desired to push things further and further. Now it seems that art is at a bit of a standstill. Everything has been pushed to its limits. I suppose what I'm getting at is whether or not this idea of music evolution (noise overtaking music) is dated as a whole--the idea that this art noise will overtake the idea of music.

I definitely understand where the writer is coming from in instances. I know that over the years I have become more accepting of electronica music. What I would have conceived as noise before, I now view as music in some sense. However, I think that the noises have to be pleasing in some way. If all the noises are cacophonous and altogether displeasing, people will not take to it (The movie Untitled is a perfect example of this). When the writer was discussing the noises of crowds, machines, trains, etc (on page 4), my mind wandered to a scene from the movie August Rush. The musically gifted boy emerges from the back of a truck to experience the city for the first time. He looks around and notices all the little sights and sounds. The noises of the city turn into music in his head. He finds rhythm within the chaos. In this sense, I can see music being formed. Certain sounds are single out though, and the composition is put together in such a way that it is pleasing.

As for the section on boredom, I found that I could relate. When listening to music, it is particularly boring when all of an artist's songs sound alike. In that sense, it is important for the artist to experiment with different styles to add variety.

All in all, I found the reading really interesting. While I'm skeptical about some of the points that it makes, it certainly presents them in a nice way. I particularly loved the statement at the conclusions #9: "In this way motors and machines of our industrial cities will one day be consciously attuned, so that every factory will be transformed into an intoxicating orchestra of noises." It is so poetic and idealistic.