Wendy Carlos: A Biography (Cultural Biographies Ser.)
Music
Synthetic audio, Automated braille
Summary
With her debut album Switched-On Bach, composer and electronic musician Wendy Carlos (b. 1939) brought the sound of the Moog synthesizer to a generation of listeners, helping to effect arguably one of the most substantial changes in popular music’s sound… since musicians began using amplifiers. Her story is not only one of a person who blazed new trails in electronic music for decades but is also the story of a person who intersected in many ways with American popular culture, medicine, and social trends during the second half of the 20th century and well into the 21st. This biography tells the full story of her life and work and about the ways in which they reflect many dimensions of American culture. Author Amanda Sewell traces how Carlos's identity as a transgender woman has shaped many aspects of her life, her career, how she relates to the public, and how the public has received her and her music. She shows how cultural factors surrounding the treatment of transgender people affected many of the decisions that Carlos has made over the decades. Additionally, the book describes how cultural reception and perception of transgender people has colored how journalists, scholars, and fans have written about Carlos and her music for decades. Wendy Carlos: A Biography is essential reading for all who are interested in contemporary music and culture.