ECU Libraries Catalog

Wendy Carlos : a biography / Amanda Sewell.

Author/creator Sewell, Amanda, 1982- author.
Format Book and Print
Publication InfoNew York : Oxford University Press, 2020.
Descriptionxii, 248 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm.
Subject(s)
Series Oxford cultural biographies
Oxford cultural biographies. ^A1431475
Contents Introduction: the phenomenon of Wendy Carlos -- Origins (1939-1962) -- Foundations (1962-1967) -- Switched-on Bach and undesired fame (1968-1969) -- Something went wrong (1970-1978) -- "Welcome back, Wendy!" The Playboy interview (1979) -- Transformations (1979-1984) -- The last of the new (1985-1997) -- Reissuing the past (1998-2005) -- Preserving, protecting, and defending her legacy (2006-present).
Abstract With her debut album Switched-On Bach, the composer and electronic musician brought the sound of the Moog synthesizer to a generation of listeners, helping to effect arguably one of the most substantial changes in popular music's sound since musicians began using amplifiers. Her story is not only one of a person who blazed new trails in electronic music for decades but is also the story of a person who intersected in many ways with American popular culture, medicine, and social trends during the second half of the 20th century and well into the 21st. There is much to tell about her life and about the ways in which her life reflects many dimensions of American culture. The composer's identity as a transgender woman has shaped many aspects of her life, her career, how she relates to the public, and how the public has received her and her music. Cultural factors surrounding the treatment of transgender people affected many of the decisions that the composer has made over the decades. Additionally, cultural reception and perception of transgender people has colored how journalists, scholars, and fans have written about the composer and her music for decades.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references (pages 237-243) and index.
ISBN0190053461 (hardcover)
ISBN9780190053468 (hardcover)
ISBN(ebook)

Available Items

Library Location Call Number Status Item Actions
Music Music Stacks ML410.C3269 S49 2020 ✔ Available Place Hold