Summary of David Byrne's How Music Works

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 The path of creation is different from the romantic notion of how creative work emerges out of an upwelling of passion. We unconsciously and instinctively make work that fits the preexisting formats. We work backward, creating work that fits the available venues.

#2 The room at CBGB, where some of the music I wrote was first heard, was remarkably good for sound absorption and uneven acoustic reflections. Because of the lack of reverberation, one could be fairly certain that details of one’s music would be heard.

#3 The New York club was initially meant to be a bluegrass and country venue like Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge in Nashville. The audience behavior was similar in both places, and the music was identical.

#4 The music and dance styles of these cultures are metaphors for the social and sexual mores of the societies they emerge from. The music perfectly suits the available niche, and it is absolutely ideally suited for this situation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Jun 9, 2022
• ISBN: 9798822536371

IRB Media

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Insights on David Byrne's How Music Works

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 5

Insights from Chapter 6

Insights from Chapter 7

Insights from Chapter 8

Insights from Chapter 9

Insights from Chapter 10

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

The path of creation is different from the romantic notion of how creative work emerges out of an upwelling of passion. We unconsciously and instinctively make work that fits the preexisting formats. We work backward, creating work that fits the available venues.

#2

The room at CBGB, where some of the music I wrote was first heard, was remarkably good for sound absorption and uneven acoustic reflections. Because of the lack of reverberation, one could be fairly certain that details of one’s music would be heard.

#3

The New York club was initially meant to be a bluegrass and country venue like Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge in Nashville. The audience behavior was similar in both places, and the music was identical.

#4

The music and dance styles of these cultures are metaphors for the social and sexual mores of the societies they emerge from. The music perfectly suits the available niche, and it is absolutely ideally suited for this situation.

#5

The idea that music has progressed because of the advent of instruments and orchestras is a myth. Creativity does not improve. The music Bach wrote for smaller spaces in the 1700s sounded good in those spaces, and the space made the single instrument, the pipe organ, sound larger.

#6

The original orchestra section at La Scala in Milan, Italy, comprised a series of booths or stalls, rather than the rows of seats that exist today. The sound in these opera venues was pretty tight, unlike today's larger halls.

#7

The music of Mahler and other later symphonic composers works well in large halls like Carnegie Hall. Groove music, percussive music featuring drums, has a very difficult time in such spaces.

#8

The origin of jazz was a pragmatic solution to the problem of the written melody running out while the musicians were playing. The music was originally played in bars, at funerals, and in whorehouses and joints where dancing was going on.

#9

The classical music world was changed in the 1900s when audiences were no longer allowed to shout, eat, or chat during a performance. This exclusionary policy affected the music being written, as well, since no one was dancing or drinking anymore.

#10

The advent of recorded music in 1878 changed the way music was heard. It allowed music to be completely free from any live context, and it allowed music venues to exist without stages and live musicians.

#11

The most successful pop music began to be performed in basketball arenas and stadiums, which have terrible acoustics. The music was written to be performed in these environments, and it is a soundtrack for a gathering.

#12

The music of hip-hop is unlike anything that could be produced with acoustic instruments. It sounds best in cars, and people do dance in their cars, or try to. As big SUVs become less practical, I foresee this music changing as well.

#13

The music scene has changed in response to the popularity of private listening. The African Diaspora, which is the foundation of much popular music today, sounds great acoustically in both the context of the private listening experience and as a framework for much contemporary recorded music.

#14

The adaptive aspect