Introduction of Expanded Music

During the first class，Dr. Gilbert introduced us the history of Providencetown Playhouse where is Expanded Music classroom. Actually, it is a small theatre. Dr. Gilbert said people call it playhouse instead of theatre because it looks like a multi art thing. There are many new ideas in the arts came out of here. The most famous playwright Eugene O’Neil once premiered all of his plays in this theatre.

Expanded Music is the first course which Dr. Gilbert taught when he came in NYU. He thinks this course is not just about technology, but the way of sharing. Because we are living in a time which is more open, fluidity and things are coming to light. There are many ways to communicate and share with each other all over the world, such as Facebook, Google and YouTube. Even though these social networks are restricted in China, Chinese have our own ways to find and share information, such as Renren, Baidu and Youku. In some sense, both the function of social networks of US and China are the same. 

Dr. Gilbert said as musicians, we have a very clear experience of that. We have been trained not to experience the music, but to experience knowledge about the music. There is a difference between knowing and knowledge. I think we not only need learn to expand our expression and bring it into our music.