Allen Strange (June 26, 1943 – February 20, 2008[1][2]) was an Americancomposer. He authored two books,Electronic Music: Systems, Techniques, and Controls (first published in the 1970s)[3] andProgramming and Meta-Programming the Electro-Organism. He co-wroteThe Contemporary Violin: Extended Performance Techniques with his wife, Patricia.[4]
Strange was born inCalexico, California.[2] He studied composition with Donal Michalsky at theCalifornia State University, Fullerton. He received hisMA in 1967. He later studied composition withRobert Erickson,Harry Partch, andKen Gaburo, andelectronic media withPauline Oliveros at theUniversity of California, San Diego during 1967–68 and 1970–71.
In 1970, Strange became a professor of music and the director of theelectronic music studios at San Jose State University.
He received grants from theSan Jose State University Foundation for research into electronic music. Other grant support came from the American Music Center, Yamaha Corporation and the BIAHC Foundation. He attendedJohn Chowning's music seminar at the Stanford University Artificial Intelligence Center. Strange was one of the leading authorities on analogue electronic music; his bookElectronic Music: Systems, Techniques, and Controls is now a classic text. He also wroteProgramming and Meta-Programming the Electro-Organism, the operations manual for theBuchla Music Easel and documented the 200 Series synthesizers made by Buchla. He co-founded two performance groups: Biome (1967–1972), in order to make use of the EMS Synthi; and, withDon Buchla in 1974, the Electric Weasel Ensemble. He was president of theInternational Computer Music Association from 1993 to 1998, and appeared as a guest artist-lecturer throughout the world. With his wife, Patricia, they publishedThe Contemporary Violin: Extended Performance Techniques (Scarecrow Press).
Strange composed for live electronic instrumental ensembles, for live and taped electronics with voices and acoustic instruments, and for the theater; most of his works for acoustic instruments require extended performance techniques. He was particularly interested in linear tuning systems (as inThe Hairbreadth Ring Screamers, 1969, andSecond Book of Angels, 1979), spatial distribution of sound (Heart of Gold, 1982, andVelocity Studies, 1983), the isolation of timbre as a musical parameter, and composing for groups of like instruments or voices. Elements of vaudeville, rock-and-roll, country-and-western music, and the guitar techniques of Les Paul are found in his works. His theater pieces employ various media including film, video, and lighting effects; he produced a series of such works in collaboration with the playwright and director Robert Jenkins, of which the most important areJack and the Beanstalk (1979) andThe Ghost Hour (1981), an audio drama. His later projects include works for solo and small ensembles (Three Short Stories, 2005), continuation of theGoddess Trilogy for solo violin (Goddess, 2003), works for electronic media with and without acoustic instruments (Quinault Cathedral, 2004 andVelocity Studies V: NGate, 2007), compositions for various chamber ensembles (Songs in Black, 2005,Another Fine Mess, 2006), works for orchestra (Bainbridge Sketches, 2006 andBrief Visits to Imaginary Places, 2007) and a complete evening of settings of poems byEugene Field,The Cautionary Tales of Eugene Field, 2006–07).
Strange retired from academia in 2002 and moved toBainbridge Island, Washington to pursue a full-time career composing, concertizing with his wife,[5] and working with his jazz trio, Cuvée.[6][7] He died on February 20, 2008, inSeattle,Washington.[2]
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