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Nature 456, 576 (4 December 2008) | doi:10.1038/456576a; Published online 3 December 2008

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Q&A: Electronic music comes of age

Daniel Cressey1

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The Columbia–Princeton Electronic Music Center in New York was the first institution of its kind in the United States for experimenters seeking new technology-based sounds. Fifty years after its founding, director of research Doug Repetto explains how electronic music has evolved and how the role of academic music centres is changing.

Why was such a centre needed?One of the primary reasons was equipment: when the centre was established in 1958, we had a room-sized synthesizer and giant tape decks — things that individuals couldn't have.