NewMusicBox: A Decade in Sound (Bites)

NewMusicBox: A Decade in Sound (Bites)

NewMusicBox has been on the scene for a decade. We’re using this anniversary both to ponder what might be ahead and to celebrate some video highlights from our archive.

Written By

NewMusicBox Staff

In ten years of NewMusicBox, we have found an incredible amount of common ground in the world of new American music despite its astounding diversity. While most of the people creating this music are still not household names, as Philip Glass (who is a household name) has said: “The main thing is to love the work that you do, because you may get no other reward.” And in the final analysis, that reward has been constantly refreshing and invigorating for all of us.

It continues to be our hope that as you explore these pages (which are now thousands deep) that you will find an endless array of musical possibilities that will continue to excite and enrich you. In the course of 121 conversations we’ve had with people making new music across a wide spectrum, we’ve discovered a seemingly infinite number of pathways. Maryanne Amacher claims that she’s involved with music because she’s trying to understand the world around her and Mario Davidovsky believes that the ultimate reward of music is the knowledge it can convey. As Sxip Shirey points out, ultimately the world this music opens up is so exciting and huge that you’ll want to get closer to it.

The journey from May 1, 1999 to May 1, 2009 has been an exciting ride and there is a lot to reflect on. We’ve put together a video of some of our favorite highlights and asked a wide variety of people from all parts of the music-making and disseminating communities to share their thoughts on the future of music. There’s lots more to come.

—FJO

Inside Pages: