Talking Music Conversations With John Cage, Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson, And 5 Generations Of American Experimental Composers

Talking Musicis comprised of substantial original conversations with seventeen American experimental composers and musiciansincluding Milton Babbitt, Pauline Oliveros, Steve Reich, Meredith Monk, and John Zornmany of whom rarely grant interviews.The author skillfully elicits candid dialogues that encompass technical explorations; questions of method, style, and influence; their personal lives and struggles to create; and their aesthetic goals and artistic declarations. Herein, John Cage recalls the turning point in his career; Ben Johnston criticizes the operas of his teacher Harry Partch; La Monte Young attributes his creative discipline to a Morman childhood; and much more. The results are revelatory conversations with some of America's most radical musical innovators.

William Duckworth is a composer, professor of music at Bucknell University, author of two books on music theory, and editor of John Cage at 75. He lives in New Jersey.