Synths, racks and related gear: the impact of technology on the development of new music in the 20th century

Abstract

This study traces the technological innovation in musical instruments made between 1929 and 1983, and explores their subsequent impact on musical style and culture. It will place in context of the convergence of technology, music, and performance as found within a subset of electronic instruments and equipment that is part of the collection at Calgary's National Music Centre (hereinafter, NMC). This selection of instruments, covering developments in instrument making over five decades, illustrate tangible examples of how technology became a catalyst for new compositions, timbres, forms, and in some cases, new genres and contexts of music in the twentieth century. Since most of the instruments in this collection are playable (and played) rather than prototypes, with many of them owned by famous performers, this thesis will examine these instruments within the context of performers and performance, rather than as mere organological specimens divorced from music making. Finally, and most importantly, this thesis will also include a detailed catalogue of these electronic instruments, providing a description, acquisition history, and musical context for each.