In his memoir, "Straight Up, Without Wings," Joe McPhee shares his lifelong fascination with noise as a fundamental aspect of music, beginning from childhood inspirations to contemporary explorations. Through an oral history format, he reflects on various experiences that shaped his artistic journey, including a pivotal Moog synthesizer demonstration and playful creative ventures during the COVID-19 pandemic. McPhee illustrates how he utilizes everyday sounds, such as a dripping tap or even mundane moments, to craft compelling musical pieces, highlighting his belief that everyone can shape noise into art.
"I love noise. Noise interests me because it's everywhere, and it can be organised to make what we think of as music. Everybody has access to it, and everybody can fashion it anyway they want to."
"He could make any kind of sound - airplanes, cars, trains, anything. I don't know if I was thinking of noise in those terms yet but I connected with him."
"I thought, that's an interesting rhythm. I recorded that and it's called 'A Piss Before Flying'. I'm nuts, so why not?"
McPhee's interest in noise becomes a leitmotif throughout the book. His childhood superhero was the cartoon character Gerald McBoing-Boing, a boy who speaks through sound effects rather than words.
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