Technologies of Hypnagogia: Altered Perceptions and Religion in Avant-Garde Electronic Music

This talk is part of the Duke Department of Music Musicology Lecture Series.

One of the most compelling threads in twentieth-century avant-garde composition is the intersection of emerging technologies with changing forms of religious consciousness and experience. This talk traces a lineage from John Cage through Pierre Schaeffer, Pauline Oliveros, Alvin Lucier, Éliane Radigue, and William Basinski, arguing that their work offers a powerful lens for understanding the relationship between religion and sound.

About the Speaker:
Jason Bivins is a professor of religious studies in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at North Carolina State University. His work explores the intersections of religion, politics, and American culture. A widely published scholar and award-winning teacher, he is the author of several books-including Spirits Rejoice!: Jazz and American Religion and Religion of Fear-and is frequently featured in public media for his insights on religion in contemporary society.