Robert Ashley
Robert Ashley
Robert Reynolds Ashley was an American composer, who was best known for his television operas and other theatrical works, many of which incorporate electronics and extended techniques. His works often involve intertwining narratives and take a surreal multidisciplinary approach to sound, theatrics and writing, and have been continuously performed by various interpreters during and after his life,
"This fact, the surfacing of structure in an undeliberate action, is too big to take on here, but it was enough to convince me that the structuralists—the advocates of planning music before you hear or care what the plan gives you—were right: do not rely on unplanned music; it comes out as though it were planned, but planned by someone you cross the street to avoid."
"Its not what youve been taught - in the conservative sectors - that you have a poverty of materials. Youre all healthy, youre all strong enough to make sounds until the end of time. The only problem you have is deciding whether your sound is any good. What Im encouraging you to do is not to think about that too much, not to reevaluate the sounds, but just to examine them, and see what the structure is. See whats actually there, before you start this process of trying to ask yourself whether Nancy Reagan would like it, or Mrs. Bush. Just take the whole big first chunk, and then break it down. Follow what you know about it to where it goes... The musics there. Im not trying to be weird, but its there. I was taught that I didnt have anything, and it was my job to work hard and get something, and thats just not true."
