The Squid's Ear Magazine

Rusling, Terry

The Machine Is Broken

Rusling, Terry : The Machine Is Broken (Spool)

Retrospective of Terry Rusling, a Canadian composer of electronic music working for the CBC in the 60's, who was introduced to the Electronic Music Studio at the University of Toronto, where he was awarded the title of Research Associate, receiving a Canada Council Grant to travel and work in Belgium, Utrecht, Paris, &c.; 2 of his graphic scores are part of John Cage's "Notations" project.
 

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product information:

Personnel:



Terry Rusling-composer, performer


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UPC: 829982200891

Label: Spool
Catalog ID: Spurn 3
Squidco Product Code: 27174

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2018
Country: Canada
Packaging: Cardboard sleeve
Recorded at the Electronic Music Studio at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Music (UTEMS), in Toronto, Canada.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Terry Rusling was a Canadian composer of electronic music. He also worked as an engineer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). In the case of Gilmour's Albums, hosted by CBC broadcaster Clyde Gilmour, Rusling was occasionally on air, especially when the music selected was experimental. In the early 1960s, Morris Surdin, a composer working at the CBC, suggested to Rusling that he try out the renowned Electronic Music Studio at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Music (UTEMS), which included instruments designed by Hugh LeCaine, such as the Special Purpose Tape Recorder.

Through Surdin, Rusling was introduced to Dr. Myron Schaeffer, to whom he submitted his first electronic compositions. Schaeffer invited Rusling to attend a graduate seminar of his at UTEMS. Among the other notable composers who studied at UTEMS were John Mills-Cockell, Pauline Oliveros, Ann Southam, Gustav Ciamaga, and John Beckwith. Rusling was awarded the title of Research Associate at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Music.

During this period Rusling was the recipient of a Canada Council Grant in support of his travel, education and production of electronic music. He continued his studies and composed music in studios at the Psycho Acoustic Institute at Ghent University, Belgium; the University of Utrecht; and the University of Illinois. He also did work at the University of Rochester with Wayne B. Barlow as well as in Paris where he met Pierre Schaeffer.

Many of Rusling's public performances of tape music were at the famous Bohemian Embassy in Yorkville, Toronto. He collaborated with visual artist Zbigniew Blazeje in a large multimedia exhibition in 1966-7, called Audio Kinetic Environment. Rusling provided electronic music. It began at the Art Gallery of Ontario, then toured to 10 showings in 9 cities 1966-7. Several of his works, including "The Trains" (1966), a piece of musique concrete, were broadcast on the CBC. Other projects included a CBC Radio program combining Rusling's music with Earle Birney's sound poetry. After the piece was performed they discussed their personal approaches to their art forms. A related collaboration with poet Gwendolyn MacEwen, combining poetry with electronic music, was also broadcast on CBC Radio. In another project, Rusling worked with English performance artist and sound poet Bob Cobbing. He composed incidental music for CBC Radio shows. He also composed an electronic theme for the CBC nightly television news and incidental music for TV shows, including the series Telescope; in particular, an episode on Marshall McLuhan (1967).

His scores were submitted to John Cage's Notations project and two items are included in Cage's book. They demonstrate Rusling's use of graphic notation."-Spool



This album has been reviewed on our magazine:

The Squid
The Squid's Ear!

Artist Biographies

"Terry Rusling (April 2, 1931 - November 27, 1974) was a Canadian electronic music composer, who used graphic notation. Some of his works were used to accompany radio and television broadcasts.

Terry Rusling worked as an engineer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). He was on-air engineer for the Gilmour's Albums hosted by CBC broadcaster Clyde Gilmour. In the early 1960s, Morris Surdin, a composer working at the CBC, suggested to Rusling that he try out the electronic studio at University of Toronto, Faculty of Music (UTEMS). Through Surdin, Rusling was introduced to Dr. Myron Schaeffer, to whom he submitted his first electronic compositions. Schaeffer invited Rusling to attend the graduate seminar with Dr. Schaeffer at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Music, using the renowned electronic music studio (UTEMS) which included instruments designed by Hugh LeCaine such as the Special Purpose Tape Recorder. Rusling was awarded the title of Research Associate at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music. Among the notable composers who studied at University of Toronto's Electronic Music Studio (UTEMS) University of Toronto, Faculty of Music were John Mills-Cockell, Pauline Oliveros, Ann Southam, Gustav Ciamaga, John Beckwith, among others. After receiving a Canada Council he travelled to studios in the USA and Europe. He continued his studies and composed music in studios at the Psycho Acoustic Institute at Ghent University, Belgium; the University of Utrecht; and the University of Illinois. During this period he was also known to be the recipient of a Canada Council Grant in support of his travel, education and production of electronic music. He also did work at the University of Rochester with Wayne B. Barlow as well as in Paris where he studied with Pierre Schaeffer. He spent two months at the Phillips lab in Holland learning about their new electronic equipment. All of Terry's music was precisely notated using mathematics and other symbols. His music was often inspired by his interest in visual art. During this period Terry also reported on an interview on CBC Radio that he worked at the BBC Radiophonic. He specifically mentions Barry Burmage.

Several of his works, including The Trains, a piece of musique concrète, were broadcast on the CBC and he composed an electronic theme for the nightly news. One of his public performances at computer tape music was at the Bohemian Embassy in Yorkville, Toronto. October 1964. He also collaborated with visual artist Zbigniew Blazeje in a large multimedia exhibition in 1967 called Audio Kinetic Environment which began at the Art Gallery of Ontario and travelled to other galleries in Canada. The exhibit initially opened with music prepared by Blazeje. In an interview with Terry Rusling on CBC Radio, Rusling said that Blazeje approached him as he found the music he made was not good enough. Rusling stated he spent some time watching the kinetic installation and then proceeded to create a new score for the exhibition in Toronto and this music was used throughout the exhibits tour of Canada. The installation toured to other galleries including the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. The music was set to trigger lights in the installation. There was also a radio program combining Rusling's music with Earle Birney's sound poetry on CBC Radio. After the piece was performed they discussed their personal approaches to their art forms. Birney discussed various approaches he took including sound poetry and using chance techniques, such as cutting phrases from newspapers including comics into bits of paper and finding combinations by chance. A related collaboration with poet Gwendolyn MacEwen, combining poetry with electronic music was also broadcast on CBC Radio. Rusling also worked with performance artist and sound poet Bob Cobbing and dancer Rima Brodie."

-Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Rusling)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. Reel 1H 1:59

2. Reel 2A 4:23

3. Reel 1G 0:47

4. Radio England 2:24

5. They Marry, They Meet 5:34

6. Three Blind, Etc 4:21

7. Title 3:31

8. In Which Non-Being Is Absolution 4:44

9. If I Could Find A Thing To Hate 4:12

10. Reel 2B 6:02

11. Reel 1F 1:00

12. Reel 1C 1:24

13. Collection Of Short Pieces 15:40

14. Reel 1B 0:48

15. Audio 15 3:04

16. Audio 16 1:16

17. Reel 1A 1:18

Related Categories of Interest:


Electro-Acoustic
Compositional Forms
Electroacoustic Composition
Electronic Forms
Solo Artist Recordings
Canadian Composition & Improvisation
New in Experimental & Electronic Music
Graphic Scores

Search for other titles on the label:
Spool.


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