Explorations in Sound [on fragilité]

For the last year or so I’ve been studying the concept of Microtonalism, which I actually stumbled onto while researching the Classical Music of India and the Middle East.  I’ve always been interested in alternate tuning and notation systems of non-western cultures, and their possible applications to western music.  Being trained with western sensibilities,  most of the experimental microtonal music I have found on line sounds rather…unpleasant.  Composing contrapuntal melodies becomes an exercise in dissonance. However, a few brave individuals and groups have conducted some nobel experiments, with mixed results. Two of the best website’s I’ve found with examples of Microtonal Music are John Starrets site:http://infohost.nmt.edu/~jstarret/microtone.html

Prent Roger’s Podcast on Microtonal Music: http://podcast1024.libsyn.com/

Coming in the next post: Alternate Notation Systems.