Part 1: Laurie Spiegel Bell Labs Interview 1984

This interview was taped at Bell Labs in 1984, with brief intro by Max Mathews. Some of this footage may have made it into the documentary for which this was recorded but most of it has not been seen anywhere yet.

Apologies for not knowing the name of the interviewer.

This is Part 1 of 2.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• computer
• music
• arts
• Bell
• Labs
• history
• technology
• algorithmic
• interactive
• automation

[goatgodagain]

Laurie was also involved in the PBS production of "The Lathe of Heaven" at the same time that she was frequenting Murray Hill. It's hard to find but well worth it.

[MusicMouse]

Not that hard to find. There are copies on amazon and an IMDB entry at imdb.com/title/tt0081036 It's a real science fiction, not just a monster flick pretending to be one. Audio special effects by Laurie Spiegel. Thanks for mentioning it.

[iamnaughty123]

Response to personNumber0123, I think Laurie was trying to say that human ability to create music was running out of ideas and that computers could replace the human. And maybe so, as we are into 2011. How many lawsuits are around of artists suing each other for copying a certain sound or theme in a song? Alan Parson Project "Eye in The Sky" and Lady Antebellum "Need You Now?"

[MusicMouse]

@iamnaughty123 Not at all. Computers can't replace humans and we are far from running out of ideas. Instead, computers allow us to go further, to discover ideas that could never have been thoughts of, sounds that could only be imagined before. They increase our power as individuals, so that we can explore and create beyond what we couldn't even imagine before them. They do this partly by taking care of a lot of the simpler more mechinical stuff for us, such as playing notes accurately on time.

[MusicMouse]

I didn't record anywhere near a cd's worth on the Alles prototype. Most of my time with it was spent coding software, not on music. It went from BTL to Oberlin c/o Gary Nelson, so maybe a cd's worth of music was made there. The software by me and others at Bell Labs was not sent to Oberlin with it, and I don't know what they did code-wise or music-wise. It's fortunate that even this 1 recording survived.

Much thanks to all who have posted the various votes of confidence. Appreciated.

- Laurie

[nexusdawn]

Any chicks out there who are total synthesis geeks? I think its soo sexy, and want to marry you. Im tired of only talking to guys when it comes to music, especially electronic music production.

[SPFXsynthesisers]

Synth babe.

[DoctorRazzArea4]

she is so pretty

[yvamarquer]

The computer is an amplifier

of what I can put out

as a human being

in sound

- L. Spiegel

[SallyHewson]

There are a few of us. I've been married for 20 years to a man with an excellent vintage synth collection which he actually plays.

[SallyHewson]

There are a few of us. I've been married for 29 years to a man with an excellent vintage synth collection which he actually plays.

[paulj0557]

Mr. Mathews looks exactly like my dad! My dad passed away in 1988 and looking at this video is cool for me in two ways because of this. My dad was an electronics engineer and he taught me electronics in 8th grade, beginning the day I was cut from the baseball team. He saw me laying down looking sad and told me to come along- ' We;re going to Radio Shak'. Now of course this was when the store had more parts and materials for the electronics hobbiest. Built 1st syth with old parts & rotary sw.'s.

[hewstigator]

truly an inspiration...makes me wish i still had my amiga (re: music mouse software)! george mattson turned me onto laurie spiegel recently and aside from loving the music, it is refreshing to see someone so brilliant but also so "friendly and non egotistical"...