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Mary McCarty Snow facts for kids

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Mary Helen Snow McCarty (born August 26, 1928, died October 14, 2012) was an American musician. She was a composer, played the organ and piano, and also published books. She is well known for her book, The Waveform Music Book, which taught people how to make electronic music using a special instrument called the ARP 2600 Synthesizer. She often used the names Mary Snow or Mary McCarty Snow for her published works.

Early Life and Education

Mary Snow was born in Brownsville, Texas in 1928. Her parents were Carrie Beth Sewell and Harry Evans Snow. In 1951, she married Darrell Keith McCarty. They had four children together. Mary and Darrell also started a publishing company called Lariken Press. This company later published her famous Waveform Music Book.

Mary studied music at college. She earned a bachelor's degree from Indiana University. Then, she earned a master's degree from the University of Illinois. Some of her important music teachers were Anis Fuleihan and Burrill Phillips.

Career and Community Work

Mary Snow taught piano lessons to many students. She also taught at Texas Tech University. For many years, she was an organist at several churches in Lubbock, Texas. These included the First Christian Church, First Covenant Presbyterian Church, Forrest Heights Methodist Church, and St. Christopher's Episcopal Church.

Beyond music, Mary was also active in her community. She started the Lubbock chapter of an organization called People Against Violent Crimes. To raise money for this group, she created a special fundraising event called the “Bach-a-Thon.”

Musical Achievements

Mary McCarty Snow received important grants for her music. She got grants from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1977 and 1980. She also received a grant from Texas Technological University. With this grant, she composed music inspired by the cultures of desert lands.

She created electronic music for university theater shows. Her music was published by different companies, including the American Music Center and Lariken Press.

Notable Works

Mary Snow's most famous book is:

  • The Waveform Music Book: Composing, Teaching, Performing Electronic Music with the Arp 2600 Synthesizer

She also composed several electronic music pieces, including:

  • Bacchae (based on a play by Euripides)
  • Hieroglyphs (for instruments and tape recordings)
  • Mandora (for violin and tape recordings)
  • Obsidion II
  • Voyages: Columbus/Apollo II

Her electronic music was used in university theater productions like:

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