Joan La Barbara

with Libby Van Cleve

New York City

February 17, l998

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DAT 1

Side a                                                                                                                         pp. 1-17

Early musical memories--early love of piano--Responsive Resonance with Feathers--DAAD grant and Berlin experience--differences between cultural scene in Europe and America--early part of career, working with Steve Reich and Philip Glass--first piano lessons--love of theater--studying voice in high school--piano phobia develops--acceptance to Syracuse University--influence of Helen Boatwright--early exposure to Moog synthesizers, electronics, tape pieces--early goal of singing opera--enrolling in NYU--Tanglewood experience with Phyllis Curtin (1967-68)--growing interest in contemporary music (1969-70)--studying at Juilliard with Marian Szekeley-Freschl--moving away from classical training and toward jazz--WBAI Free Store--beginning to use the voice as an instrument.

Side b                                                                                                                        pp. 17-30

Working with Steve Reich and Musicians to develop Drumming--early 1970’s musical scene--1972: putting together New Wilderness Preservation Band improvisational ensemble and beginning to explore composition--Hear What I Feel--conflict with Steve Reich over working with Philip Glass--the feminine aesthetic.

Side c                                                                                                                         pp. 31-40

Exploring the voice as an instrument--receiving NEA solo recitalist grant--debut of Mort Feldman’s Three Voices at CalArts--controversy of CD-version of Three Voices--being asked by Feldman to be visiting artist-composer for Creative Associates in Buffalo--professional relationship with Feldman--follow-up questions regarding Hear What I Feel.

Side d                                                                                                                        pp. 41-55

Hear What I Feel--working with the Sonic Arts Union (Robert Ashley, David Behrman, Alvin Lucier, Gordon Mumma)--working with Alvin Lucier on Still and Moving Lines of Silence in Families of Hyperbolas and The Tyndall Orchestrations--inspiration for and performance of  Performance Piece (Ashley Gave Me an Idea)--compositional technique--compositional technique for Urban Tropics--Calligraphy II--Solar Wind--first meeting Philip Glass--singing and playing piano with Philip Glass--vocal quality in the early minimalist writing--piano phobia--John Cage as major mentor--witnessing performance of Cage’s HPSCHD in Berlin.

DAT 2

Side e                                                                                                                         pp. 55-69

John Cage, the person--meeting Cage--inviting Cage to performance of One-Note Internal Resonance Investigation--working on Cage’s Solo for Voice 45--juggling and prioritizing projects--working with Bernadette Speach--Now Eleanor’s Idea with Robert Ashley--working with Alvin Lucier--working with Cage on Einstein on the Beach--several composers writing pieces for La Barbara:  Charles Dodge, Roger Reynolds, John Cage, Jim Tenney--Mort Subotnick’s The Last Dream of the Beast--working together as a married couple (Subotnick and La Barbara).

Side f                                                                                                                         pp. 69-82

Intimate Immensity with Subotnick--Events in the Elsewhere--Prologue to The Book of Knowing...(and) Overthrowing with Judy Chicago--73 Poems with Kenneth Goldsmith--the American experimental tradition--European-based movements in the visual-art tradition--what does the future hold for experimental music?--plans for the future--writing reviews, hosting KPFA radio show to spread the word about contemporary music--the future of contemporary music.