The eighth cranial nerve is the acoustic nerve; it connects the ear to
the central nervous system. Processing and interpretation take place along
the entire auditory pathway, making it difficult to say where the ear ends
and the brain begins.
Eighth Nerve, the newsletter, is intended to provide information,
advice, and news relating to sound computation in Kyma: a visual language
for sound design, music, psychoacoustics, sonification, and other applications
of sound on computers.
In the early days of electroacoustic and computer music, the large studios
and institutes served not only as centers for research and creative resources
but as central locations where musicians, scientists, and engineers could
work side-by-side, participate in lively discussions, influence each other,
challenge each other, and inspire each other.
Now, the technology of electroacoustic sound production and computer music
is much more widely available, and, as a result, many more musicians and
researchers can participate in its evolution without having to be affiliated
with one of the large institutes or studios. But what about the non-material
benefits provided by the old centers for music creation and research? What
about the intellectual and creative stimulation that could be found in the
hot house atmosphere created by bringing together just the right combinations
of active, creative, curious people?
Kyma users comprise a diverse, geographically dispersed group of talented
individuals in the fields of music, science and engineering. Through the
Internet, we also form a creative/research community, like the physical
communities that grew up around the older centers for music and acoustic
research. Although we do not run into each other in physical hallways or
meet for late night discussions at actual coffee houses, we do share ideas/sounds/information
(and, just as importantly, engage in friendly competition as well as mutual
promotion) via email, an Internet mail list, and this WWW newsletter.