Sunday with Books: How Music Works by David Byrne
How Music Works is sorta like the working musician’s bible. David Byrne’s storied career and subsequent knowledge as elder statesman of “alternative” music lends itself to a fascinating series of deep-dives into the mechanics of the music world; his explicit step-by-step instructions on cultivating a “scene” as well as musings on the past, present and future of recorded music are must-reads for fans and non-fans alike.
Byrne’s advice applies to more than just musicians, though; the book’s sporadic biographical chapters recounting his transition from struggling artist to master of thy craft contain an infinite amount of general counterculture wisdom — widely applicable to most art forms (any racehorse owners out there? Byrne’s got you covered too).
“Music is made of sound waves that we encounter at specific times and places: they happen, we sense them, and then they're gone. The Music Experience is not just those sound waves, but the context in which they occur as well. Many people believe that there is some mysterious and inherent quality hidden in great art, and that this invisible substance is what causes those works to affect us as deeply as they do. This ineffable thing has not yet been isolated, but we do know that social, historical, economic, and psychological forces influence what we respond to – just as much as the work itself. The arts don't exist in isolation. And of all the arts, music, being ephemeral, is the closest to being an experience more than it is a thing – it is yoked to where you heard it, how much you paid for it, and who else was there.” – David Byrne, How Music Works
Feeling uninspired?
Lacking artistic direction?
Hopelessly distraught by consumer culture’s irreversible effect on popular music?
How Music Works is this week’s sacred text, an unconventional literary cure for the struggling musician, amongst other things. It’ll also look über hip on your coffee table.—Jackson Todd
