Robert Erickson

With Vincent Plush

Encinitas, California

November 10, 1982

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Side a                                                                                                                         pp.1-18

Swedish background--childhood in Marquette, Michigan--instrument makers in family--early piano study--violin study--school band and orchestra--Army band--move to Chicago--study with May Strong--Wesley LaViolette--Park House--Ben Weber, George Perle--Berg--organizing concerts--string quartet.

Side b                                                                                                                                    pp. 18-38

Move to Douglas, Michigan--Ernst Krenek--Hamline University--Tom Nee, Wilbur Ogden--improvisation--early music--opera seminars--Krenek's attitude toward America--musical life of Minneapolis/St. Paul--Mitropoulos--Army--Ford Fellowship in New York City--prose writing--move to Berkeley--attitude toward higher degrees--teaching at San Francisco College--Pauline Oliveros, Loren Rush--Composers' Forum--Babbitt--music director at KPFA--Alan Rich--attempts at blackmail--McCarthyism--ethnic music--teaching at Berkeley--music appreciation classes.

Side c                                                                                                                         pp. 38-57

Berkeley--San Francisco Conservatory--class on improvisation--electronic music--Sender, Oliveros, Subotnick--Tape Music Center--secular composers--happenings--John Cage--Terry Riley, In C—David Tudor Festival--Piece for

Bells and Toy Pianos—Don Buchla--Roddy--trip to Europe--Stockholm Conservatory--Ricercar a 5—Stuart Dempster--working closely with players during composition--General Speech--Kryl—formation of Music Department at UCSD--Wilbur Ogden--haven for composers--smooth administration means hard arteries.

Side d                                                                                                                                    pp. 57-69

Beginnings of Music Department--performances of electronic music--"Tureck Mafia"--growth of Department--cross-discipline research--cognitive psychology--anthropology--Center for Music Experiment--Rainbow Rising--White Lady--hard arteries--LOOPS--instrument building--Ed Hujsak--Aeolian instrument--Nine and a Half for Henry—music for large ensembles--California atmosphere--place where it's easy to have new ideas.