New Books in Music

By: Marshall Poe
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  • Summary

  • Interviews with Scholars of Music about their New Books Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/music
    New Books Network
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Music
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Episodes
  • Lauren E. Osborne, "Hearing Islam: The Sounds of a Global Religious Tradition" (Routledge, 2024)

    Lauren E. Osborne, "Hearing Islam: The Sounds of a Global Religious Tradition" (Routledge, 2024)
    Mar 15 2025
    In Hearing Islam: The Sounds of a Global Religious Tradition, Lauren Osborne delves into the sonic dimensions of Islam, exploring how the tradition’s rich soundscape offers deep insights into culture, identity, and spirituality. In this innovative work, Osborne shifts the focus from the written word to the auditory, asking, "What can we learn about Islam when we enter through its sounds, instead of books?" This approach provides a unique lens through which to study the intersections of modernity, belonging, and pluralism in Muslim-majority cultures. The book explores the centrality of sound within Islam, from the recitation of the Qur’an to the daily practices of prayer, the call to prayer (adhaan), and the sonic expressions found in Islamic chantings, nasheeds, qawwalis, and even contemporary genres like hip-hop. Osborne also tackles the underexplored intersection of deafness and Islam, shedding light on how the experience of deafness intersects with a traditionally "hearing" religion. In today’s interview, Osborne discusses the core themes of the book, including the debates around music’s role in Islam, the relationship between Sufism and music, and the significant cultural conversations surrounding hip-hop’s place within the Islamic world. This book is an essential resource for students of Islam, religious studies, world music, and anyone interested in the profound role of sound in shaping human experiences across diverse cultures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/music
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    1 hr and 41 mins
  • John Cage: Echoes of the Anechoic

    John Cage: Echoes of the Anechoic
    Mar 10 2025
    Today we explore the mythology around John Cage’s visit to the anechoic chamber. The chamber was designed to completely eliminate echoes. Ironically, the tale of Cage’s experience in that space has echoed through history, affecting our understanding of silence, sound, and the self. But what do we really know about what happened there? And what could we ever know about such an event? In this audio essay, based on a piece that first appeared in the Australian Humanities Review, Mack Hagood explores the relationship between sound, self, and meaning-making. To use a term Cage loved, the truth is indeterminate. For our Patreon members we have bonus content: Mack’s “What’s Good” segment. Join at patreon.com/phantompower. Writing and media content featured in this episode: Mack’s essay “Cage’s Echoes of the Anechoic,” in AHR Issue 70 (2022). Nam June Paik’s 1973 video Global Groove John Cage’s 1959 album with David Tudor, Indeterminacy John Cage’s book Silence (Wesleyan, 1961). The video Can Silence Actually Drive you Crazy by Veritasium Terry Gross’s 2014 Fresh Air interview with Trevor Cox The album Naxi Live by Jang San and the Dayan Naxi orchestra Shani Diluka’s performance of “Glassworks: Opening” by Philip Glass Amit Pinchevsky’s book Echo (MIT, 2022) Helen Rees’ book Echoes of History: Naxi Music in Modern China (Oxford, 2011) Today’s show was written and edited by Mack Hagood. Original music and sound design by Mack Hagood. Special thanks to Monique Rooney and Australian Humanities Review Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/music
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    29 mins
  • Ariane Sherine, "The Real Sinéad O'Connor" (White Owl, 2024)

    Ariane Sherine, "The Real Sinéad O'Connor" (White Owl, 2024)
    Mar 8 2025
    Sinéad O'Connor, renowned for her angelic voice and activism, overcame a tumultuous upbringing to become a global protest singer and advocate for social justice. O'Connor achieved worldwide success as an angel-voiced, shaven-headed Irish singer of heartfelt songs, but she was far more than just a pop star - she was also an activist and a survivor. Reeling from a troubled childhood at the hands of her violent mother, she spent 18 months living in a former Magdalene Laundry due to her truancy and shoplifting, and suffered her mother's death in a car crash - all by the age of 18. Her pain, anger and compassion would turn her into one of the world's greatest protest singers and activists. She would release ten studio albums during her 36-year music career - the second of which (I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got) would reach number 1 across the world and earn her ten million pounds, half of which she gave to charity. During this time, she would also advocate for survivors of child abuse and racism, and stand up for the LGBT community and women's reproductive rights. Most notably, she would tear up a picture of Pope John Paul II during an episode of Saturday Night Live in order to protest at child sex abuse within the Catholic church, creating headlines around the world and derailing her career. The Real Sinéad O'Connor (White Owl, 2024) features six exclusive interviews with friends and peers who knew her, this is the true story of her extraordinary and courageous journey. Ariane Sherine’s website. Bradley Morgan is a media arts professional in Chicago and author of U2's The Joshua Tree: Planting Roots in Mythic America. He manages partnerships on behalf of CHIRP Radio 107.1 FM and is the director of its music film festival. His forthcoming books are Frank Zappa's America (Louisiana State University Press, June 2025) and U2: Until the End of the World (Gemini Books, Fall 2025). Bradley on Bluesky. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/music
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    51 mins

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