Mara Margaret Helmuth facts for kids
Margaret Mara Helmuth, born in 1957, is an American composer. A composer is someone who writes music. She studied music at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign. Later, she earned a special degree called a doctorate from Columbia University.
Her Career in Music
After finishing her studies, Margaret Helmuth started teaching at the University of Cincinnati. She also became the director of their Center for Computer Music. This center focuses on creating music using computers.
She has written many articles for music magazines. These articles appeared in places like the Journal of New Music Research. From 1995 to 1996, she helped edit a newsletter. This newsletter was for the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States.
What Kind of Music Does She Make?
Margaret Helmuth is well-known for her electronic music. This is music made using electronic tools and computers. She creates music that is "fixed format." This means the music is recorded and played back the same way every time.
She also makes "interactive installations." These are art pieces where people can interact with the music or sounds. It's like the audience becomes part of the artwork.
Her Musical Works
Here are some of her important musical pieces:
- Mellipse (1989, 1995)
- Abandoned Lake in Maine (1997)
- Bugs and Ice: A Question of Focus (2002)
- Where Is My Voice, a piece for recorded audio
- Hidden Mountain (2007)
- Staircase of Light (2003)
- Hidden Mountain 2, an interactive art piece using multimedia and wireless sensors
Her Recorded Music
Her music has been released on CDs. Some of these include:
- Sound Collaborations, v. 36 from the Consortium to Distribute Computer Music Series
- Implements of Actuation, which she made with percussionist Allen Otte
- Open Space CD 16, featuring music for tape
