Scott Johnson (composer)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Scott Johnson (1952 – 2023) was an American composer known for his pioneering use of recorded speech as musical melody, and his distinctive crossing of American vernacular and art music traditions, making extensive use of electric guitar in concert works, and adapting popular music structures for art music genres such as the string quartet.
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John Somebody
His 1978 work John Somebody for electric guitar and recorded speech is an early example of speech melody framed in tonal harmony. It is named for the prominent tape loop of a single female voice, repeating variations on the phrases
- You know who's in New York?
- You remember that guy... J-John somebody?
- He was a-- he was sort of a--...
(It should not be forgotten that Johnson's early works were created long before the advent of digital music editing. Creating tape loops like this meant actually cutting and splicing long strips of magnetic tape into loops, running them through a player to dub onto a destination tape.)
John Somebody's influence on avant-garde music has been wide, notably on many works of Steve Reich including Different Trains and Three Tales.
Other work
Johnson is also known for his distinctive crossing of American vernacular and art music traditions, making extensive use of electric guitar in concert works, and adapting popular music structures for art music genres such as the string quartet.
Johnson has been widely commissioned by artists including the Kronos Quartet and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. He lives in New York City.
See also
References
- Kostelanetz, Richard (2001). A Dictionary of the Avant-Gardes. London: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-93764-7.
