“Elliott Sharp’s writing, like his music, recombines the scrupulously discursive with the deeply humane and reflective. What a joy it is to be informed by this remarkable account of the coming-of-age of his psyche, his curiosity, and his methodology. . . .The reader joins Sharp in the step-by-step reinvigoration of intentional sound itself—sound as culture, as science, as art—a process that can never be finished.”

—Jonathan Lethem

As a musician, composer, and thinker, trailblazing artist Elliott Sharp began exploring the concept of IrRational music in the late 1960s while still a teenager. Rooted in genres ranging from blues and jazz to the avant-garde, Sharp developed a wide-ranging body of work spanning guitar, saxophone, clarinet, synthesizer, and more—often incorporating ideas from fractal geometry, algorithms, and graphic notation. Found Sound Nation co-published and helped fundraise for the release of IrRational Music, a collection that offers deep insights into Sharp’s evolving musical philosophy and revealing stories of his collaborations with luminaries such as Morton Feldman and John Cage.

For more information and to order, visit MIT Press.