James Tenney Quotes

United States, Composer
August 10, 1934 – August, 24, 2006.

James Tenney (August 10, 1934 – August 24, 2006) was an American composer and music theorist. He made significant early musical contributions to plunderphonics, sound synthesis, algorithmic composition, process music, spectral music, microtonal music, and tuning systems including extended just intonation. His theoretical writings variously concern musical form, texture, timbre, consonance and dissonance, and harmonic perception.

People would use each other in their works. The barriers were breaking down; everyone brought in special qualities.

James Tenney
- People
- Works
- Qualities
All of these people kept on being professional musicians and composers in the strictest sense.

James Tenney
- People
- Professional

None of these worlds was incompatible. All of these people were around, and if you were at all interested in painting, poetry, or dance, you met them.

James Tenney
- People
- Poetry
- Worlds
I've come up with another formulation about style: that it's essentially a manifestation of a certain habitual set of limitations. It's what a composer does NOT do that defines a style.

James Tenney
- Up
- Style
I have to keep reminding my students, asking them, "What is your experience of listening to this? Don't tell me about the notes you see on the page, tell me about what you hear.

James Tenney