My Life on Earth and Elsewhere First edition by Schafer, R. Murray (2012) Paperback

by R. Murray Schafer

Music is central to many of R Murray Schafer's memories. Schafer recounts childhood summers spent in Manitoba lassoing gophers (and being paid two cents a head for them) and a music education marked by his cheerful but total resistance to the conventional instruction that was available. This title presents his story.

Genres: Music

Paperback

First published May 1, 2012

About the author

Raymond Murray Schafer (1933-2021) was a Canadian composer, writer, music educator, and environmentalist perhaps best known for his World Soundscape Project, concern for acoustic ecology, and his book The Tuning of the World (1977). He was the first recipient of the Jules Léger Prize in 1978.

Reviews

[Oliver Titan Roy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Schafer certainly had an interesting life. His writing is only mediocre, and the book is full of casual misogyny, which was annoying. But I enjoyed a lot of the stories he told and it was interesting to see the development of the contemporary Canadian music scene through one person's life and career.