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Tara Rodgers

Education

PhD, McGill University, Communication Studies
MFA, Mills College, Electronic Music & Recording Media
BA with Honors, Brown University, American Studies

Selected Publications

2018  “Approaching Sound,” ch. in The Routledge Companion to Media Studies & Digital Humanities
2016  “Toward a Feminist Epistemology of Sound: Refiguring Waves in Audio-Technical Discourse,” ch. in Engaging the World: Thinking After Irigaray, SUNY Press
2015  “Synthesis,” ch. in Keywords in Sound, Duke University Press
2015  “Tinkering with Cultural Memory: Gender and the Politics of Synthesizer Historiography,” Feminist Media Histories 1:4
2015  “Cultivating Activist Lives in Sound,” Leonardo Music Journal
2012  “How Art and Research Inform One Another; or, Choose Your Own Adventure,” Canadian Journal of Communication 37:1
2011  “‘What, for me, constitutes life in a sound?’: Electronic Sounds as Lively and Differentiated Individuals.” American Quarterly 63:3
2011  “The Poetics of Signal Processing” (co-authored with Jonathan Sterne), differences: A Journal of Feminist Cultural Studies 22:3
2010  Pink Noises: Women on Electronic Music and Sound, Duke University Press. (Reviewed in 8 refereed journals and approx. 20 magazines, websites, and blogs.)
2006  “Butterfly Effects: Synthesis, Emergence & Transduction.” Leonardo Electronic Almanac 14
2003  “On the Process and Aesthetics of Sampling in Electronic Music Production.” Organised Sound 8:3

Reprints & Translations

2019  “Cultivating Activist Lives in Sound,” in Ljudkonst anthology on sound art, ed. Andreas Engström and Åsa Helena Stjerna (Stockholm: OEI). (Swedish translation)
2017  “Cultivating Activist Lives in Sound,” in Audio Culture: Readings in Modern Music, revised ed., ed. Christoph Cox and Daniel Warner (London: Bloomsbury)
2013  “Om samplingens process och estetik i elektronisk musikproduktion [On the Process and Aesthetics of Sampling in Electronic Music Production, 2003]”, in Mer än Ljud/More Than Sound, ed. Sara Arrhenius and Magnus Bergh (Stockholm: Albert Bonniers Förlag). (Swedish translation)
2012  “Toward a Feminist Historiography of Electronic Music” (reprint from Pink Noises), in The Sound Studies Reader, ed. Jonathan Sterne (New York: Routledge)
2012  “On the Process and Aesthetics of Sampling in Electronic Music Production,” in Electronica, Dance and Club Music, ed. Mark J. Butler, The Library of Essays on Popular Music series (London: Ashgate)
2012  “‘What, for me, constitutes life in a sound?’: Electronic Sounds as Lively and Differentiated Individuals,” in Sound Clash: Listening to American Studies, ed. Kara Keeling and Josh Kun (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press)
2011  “Poetik der Signalverarbeitung [The Poetics of Signal Processing]” (co-authored with Jonathan Sterne), Zeitschrift für Medienwissenschaft 5, no. 2. (German translation)

Edited & Curated Projects

2010  “Sounds Like Now!: Improvisation + Technology,” curated CD with introductory essay, Leonardo Music Journal 20, “Improvisation” issue. With invited music from Nancy Tobin, Val Jeanty, William Fowler Collins, Christina Wheeler, Doug Van Nort, Anna Friz, and more
2006  “Sound and the Social Organization of Space,” special section with introductory essay. Leonardo Music Journal 16. With invited statements by Carrie Bodle, Beth Coleman and Howard Goldkrand, Chris Kubick and Anne Walsh, Trevor Paglen, and Matt Volla

Collections

Tara Rodgers/Pink Noises Archive, The Riot Grrrl Collection, NYU Fales Library and Special Collections (donated June 2016)

Discography

Solo Releases

(self-released unless otherwise noted)

2021 Intents + Purposes (20th Anniversary Reissue)
2021 Slow Time
2021 Dimensions — 1432 R
2020  Spacetime Frequency Departure Portal
2020  At the Switch Hotel (2020 Remaster)
2020  Synthetic Fields — Zeromoon
2020  Upper Limits of Normal (20th Anniversary Reissue)
2018  Sketches with Piano + Analog Noise — VF Industrial
2018  Fundamentals — 1432 R
2017  Analog Tara Mixtape
2017  Sand, Snow, Breeze
2012  Resolutions
2007-09 Sonic Panoramas
2007  Butterfly Effects
2007  Ocean State
2006  Flows
2006  Magnus Harmonica
2002  Upper Limits of Normal
2001  Mothering Sunday
2001  Intents + Purposes
2001  Epiphany
2000  Analog Tara

Remixes

2020  Beauty Pill, Analog Tara remix for vinyl edition of Please Advise EP, Northern Spy
2002  Le Tigre, Analog Tara remix for Le Tigre 12”, vinyl and CD, Mr. Lady/Chicks on Speed

Compilations

2006  Women Take Back the Noise, Ubuibi (US)
2003  Girls In Space, Higher Octave (US)
2002  Le Tigre Remix, Mr Lady Records (US)/Chicks On Speed (EU)
2001  Difficult Music for Difficult People, Raw Research Recordings (Belgium)
2001  File Sound Art Series (UK)
2001  opensource:players, Source Records (Germany)

Recent Performances

2021  Bilgi 12th Annual Electroacoustic Music Fesival, Instanbul (online)
2021  MICA Sound Art Vigil Festival, Baltimore, MD (online)
2016-20  Rhizome, Washington, DC
2018  MUTEK festival, Montréal
2018  Tritriangle, Chicago, IL
2018  Crosstown Arts, Memphis, TN
2017  The Bridge, Charlottesville, VA
2016  Sonic Circuits Festival, Washington, DC
2015  Windup Space, Baltimore, MD

Collaborations & Commissions

2022 Music for Periodically Queer: a podcast on print media and LGBTQ+ community building, One Archives Foundation, LA
2009-18  CANE: a responsive environment dancework by Thomas F. DeFrantz, presented by SLIPPAGE. Music for performances at M.I.T. Department of Music and Theater Arts (2009) and Duke University (2013, 2018)
2015  Insert [coda] Here: Dance/music/video collaboration with Sharon Mansur and Brian Harris. Screenings at Citizen Jane, Tiny Dance, and several other film festivals
2013-14  Insert [     ] Here, a collaborative performance project co-directed by Sharon Mansur and Nick Bryson. Music and sound for events at Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, UMD, and Dance Place, DC
2013  Music for Church of Nano Bio Info Cogno, a performance by Praba Pilar, Atomic Centre, Winnipeg, MB

Solo Exhibition

2012  Stamp Gallery, University of Maryland: Patterns of Movement: Data and Sound Works, 2005-12

Selected Group Exhibitions

2015  Sound Acts Festival, Athens, Greece: Gear Demos video installation
2011  SlowFloat/Ear to the Earth, Delaware River: “Wavecycles” sound installation
2009  MAERZ, Linz, Austria, Centrifuge Exhibition: “Places I’ve Lived & Traveled To,” and selections from “20 Largest State-to-State Migration Flows”
2008  Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, Toronto, Damn Your Eyes: The Infinite Dimension of Sound Exhibition: “Sonic Panorama, Montréal”
2008  Galerie B312, Montréal: “Butterfly Effects”
2007  The Western Front, Vancouver: “Three Sonic Panoramas, Vancouver”
2007  SOIL Gallery, Seattle, Groundtruthing Exhibition: “Places I’ve Lived…”
2007  Radio Papesse, Bologna, Italy, Gender Bender Festival: “Unspeakable Items”
2007  Santa Fe International Festival of Electroacoustic Music: “Butterfly Effects”
2006  Eyebeam Museum, New York, Circuit #2 Exhibition: “Places I’ve Lived…”
2006  Fresno Metropolitan Museum: “Ground Creeper Variations” (Remix for Ed Osborn)

Selected Bibliography

2021 “The Best Dance 12″ Singles on Bandcamp: June/July 2021.” Bandcamp
2021 “Analog Tara – Dimensions Review” and “July’s Best Music.” Resident Advisor
2021  “Amplifying the Women Who Pushed Synthesizers Into the Future.” New York Times
2020  “Conheça as pioneiras da música eletrônica.” ELLE Brasil
2020  “Book Review: Pink Noises – Women On Electronic Music and Sound.” Cycling ’74
2019  “Eight Artists Defining Washington D.C.’s Experimental Scene.” Bandcamp Daily
2018  “Analog Tara Puts Techno-Feminist Theory Into Practice.” NPR Music
2018  “Analog Tara is bringing her ‘homemade techno’ back to the outside world.” Washington Post
2018  “Top Ten by Lyra Pramuk.” Artforum
2016  “How Ableton Pushes Women Forward in Music Tech.” Electronic Beats
2016  “5 Ableton Loop Events You Can’t Miss.” Landr blog
2016  “How do Cubans Make Electronic Music Without Reliable Internet?” Thump/Vice
2015  “On Site: Sound::Gender::Feminism::Activism,” The Wire 371
2004  Analog Tara feature, Sounds of Style issue. Women’s Wear Daily
2003  “Pinknoisemaking: Internet Trailblazer and Radical Musician Analog Tara Offers Some Thoughts on Feminism and Electronic Music Culture.” XLR8R 68

Recent Interviews

2019  Interview by Ted Coffey. Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States (SEAMUS) newsletter
2018  Artist Case Study: Tara Rodgers. In The Digital Musician, 3rd ed., ed. Andrew Hugill (Routledge)
2018  Interview: Analog Tara. Truants blog
2017  “Building Curriculum Diversity: Pink Noises.” New Music Box
2017  “Media Crafting: Tara Rodgers’ Collection of Mini Fibre Arts Audio Gear.” Museum of Portable Sound

Recent Visiting Artist/Guest Lectures

2021  Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), Sound Art
2020  Stevens Institute of Technology, Music and Technology
2020  ISSUE Project Room, Brooklyn (Conversation with Laurie Spiegel and Seth Cluett)
2020  Brooklyn College, Sonic Arts
2019  Brown University, Music Now Colloquium
2018  School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Sound
2017  Northeastern University, Music
2017  University of Virginia, Music

Recent Public Lectures

2021 SEAMUS Conference, Interview with Annea Lockwood (Keynote)
2018  MUTEK Festival, Keychange/Amplify, Montréal (Keynote)
2018  Crosstown Arts, Memphis
2016  Ableton Loop Summit, Berlin
2014  London College of Communication, Univ. of the Arts: Sound::Gender::Feminism::Activism Conference (Keynote)
2014  opensignal Festival, Brown University, Providence (Keynote)
2014  CTM Festival, Berlin (Keynote)
2012  Her Noise: Feminisms and the Sonic Symposium, Tate Modern, London

Teaching Positions

2013  Dartmouth College, Visiting Assistant Professor, Digital Musics
2010-13  University of Maryland, Assistant Professor, Women’s Studies; Distinguished Faculty Fellow, Digital Cultures & Creativity; Affiliate Faculty, American Studies, Musicology & Ethnomusicology
2004-05  School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Visiting Faculty, Sound

Professional Service

2012-  Advisory Board, Sounding Out!: The Sound Studies Blog
2012-20  Editorial Board, Leonardo Music Journal (MIT Press)
2014-15  Editorial Board, Women & Music (University of Nebraska Press)
2011-14  Manuscript Reviewer, Duke University Press, Univ. of California Press, Univ. of Chicago Press

Selected Honors & Awards

2019  Washington Area Music Awards (Wammies) Nominee, Best Electronic/Techno Artist
2011  International Alliance for Women in Music: Pauline Alderman Book Award, Pink Noises
2007  International Alliance for Women in Music: New Genre Composition Prize, Butterfly Effects
2006-09  Richard H. Tomlinson Doctoral Fellowship, McGill University
2006  Canada-U.S. Fulbright Scholar
2006  Frog Peak Experimental Music Prize
2003  International Songwriting Competition: Semi-finalist, Dance/Electronica
2003  Webby Awards, Best Music Website Nominee, pinknoises.com