Lucier Guest Artist at Queen’s University

Alvin Lucier, the John Spencer Camp Professor of Music, is featured in an Oct. 23 article titled “Alvin and the experimentals: Alvin Lucier comes to town as a Queen’s visiting artist and special guest for Tone Deaf 8” published by The Journal of Queens University.

According to the article, Queen’s Tone Deaf 8 festival “brings an experimental sound adventure to campus through the genius of experimental composer Alvin Lucier and some of his critically-acclaimed students.”

Lucier teaches music composition, an experimental music course, as well as a freshman course on the Orpheus Myth at Wesleyan, where he’s been teaching for over 30 years. Lucier presented his work at the Sydenham St. United Church on Oct. 24 and gave a public lecture at Queens on Oct. 25.

Lucier said he strives to explore many of the natural characteristics of sound and sound waves. His work isolates single sounds and plays around with tone and synchronization for extended periods of time. His album, Still and Moving Lines of Silence in Families of Hyperbolas, contains songs with only one key on a piano being played at a time.

“This includes echoes from pulse waves reflecting off walls, ceilings and floors; brain waves, vibrating wires … rather than simply writing for musical instruments,” he said, in the article.