The War Whoop (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 54, No. 10, Ed. 1, Thursday, November 11, 1976 Page: 4 of 4
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Vagc -l
WAU WHOOP
November II 107(1
Dr. Macon Summerlin Not Mad
By Pnt Gulnn
Visitors to the McMurry
Music Dopnrtmcnt some-
times seem surprised when
they walk down the north
corridor of the Fine Arts
Building and hear a very dif-
ferent kind of sound coming
from the room marked "Elec-
tronic Music Lab." These
people have been known to
look around with curiosity
even apprehension as
though they were expecting
to be greeted by a bleary-
eyed mad scientist.
The mon most likely to
emerge from thot officer can
hardly be classified as a
"mad scientist." Dr. Macon
Sumrlin is as personable and
down to earth a person as one
could hope to find anywhere.
A first glance of the soft-
spoken pipe-smoking gent-
lemen gives little indication
of the depth of talent and
knowledge iHis students un-
reservedly call it genius)
that lies below the surface.
Dr Summerlin has been
interested in both music and
electronics all of his life. He
taught radio in the Air Force
in World War II; he is still a
practu- ng Ham Radio
Operator. "So' he said
"when music and electronics
came together I decided
that's for me "
Electronic Music has only
come into the public eye in
the last fifteen years partly
due to the invention of the
synthesizer. However one
electronic device that has
been in use since the 1920's is
the oscillator which has
been used for short-wave
broadcasts and electronic or-
gans for years.
Even though electronic
music and its uses are in-
creasing Dr. Sumerlin
doubts that it will ever be ac-
cepted as a member in the
family of instruments.
First of all people look
upon the device simply as u
novelty and rarely as music
in the accepted sense of
melody and harmony Macon
Sumerlin is in dead earnest
nbout electronic music and
his compositions as serious
music but he is aware of pub-
lic ultitude and usually car-
ries with him lights and
other visual aids when he
does a program. "People are
used to movies and TV where
music is background They
have to have something to
McMurry
Barber & Style
Shop
Long or Short
Hair Styling
For Guys
Complete Barber
and
Styling Service
For an appointment
Phone 672-6981
look at." (Incidentally the
background music for most
shows these days is produced
electronically. It's much
cheaper than hiring on or-
chestea.) The process of producing
electronic music is very com-
plex. The basic oscillator and
keyboard ore the beginning
instruments. A note played
on the keyboard goes
through the volUigc control
oscillator which then goes
through a filter. This voltage
control filter runs on the
same principle found in
stereos nnd guitarists'
"wah-wah" pedals. From the
filter the impulse goes to a
voltage control amplifier
which is similar to a valve.
But Sumerlin adds "none of
this is sound until the en-
velope generator applies the
voltage and it finnlly
reaches the amplifier."
By using one of three forms
ofmodulntion sounds con be
produced thot range from
steam to n siren to many or-
chestral instruments. Sumr-
lin has composed several
pieces of synthesizer. "Com-
posing is different in elec-
tronic music because you
con only write down ideas."
Dr. Sumerlin's first pre-
sentation of his music was at
a college scries several years
ago and was not accepted as
well as it is today. "They
nearly climbed the walls" he
laughs.
One year all of the sixth
Tribe Finale
(continued from pngc 2)
As was said earlier the In-
dians will bring down the
curtain on the 1976 season
this Saturday as they host
the Lobos at 2 p.m. on the
turf of Indian Stodium.
Thirteen Indians will be
putting on the maroon and
white for the lost time this
weekend. They ore Randy
Pool Adrian Allen Austin
Chamness Mike Ashcraft
Bill Sudbury Harvey Oax-
oca Steve Simmons Richard
King Kerry Hibbitts Steve
Lopez Ken Fowler Fred
Grindle and George Campbell.
At Last.
A Checking Account For And your own "citizens on
r i -. i . m m9 Campus" representative Kenny
College Students Thar s Wison wi help y with your
Practically FREE.
Now for only $1 a month you get all this with the Citizens
on Campus checking account at Citizens National Bank:
unljmited check writing
personalized checks with your name address phone
number student I.D. driver's license etc. . . .No Cost
no minimum balance requirement
choice of special school checks or five other designs
choice of SDecial school checkbook cover or 20 other
graders in the nreo were bus-
sed to hear o prcscntotaon by
Sumerlin and they all
promplty decided that they
wanted on electronic studio
too. One youn man even
asked how mony box tops it
would take to aquirc his own
equipment.
The answer unfortu
1 31 T?fllM"'-3&l i1 I JIMMMMMMMBMMMMMMIIJI lo UHHBj
Teenllfe Singers To
The Korean Teenlife Sin-
gers will perform here for the
second year Monday
November 29 at 8:00 p.m.
They will also be present for
the morning worship at St.
Paul United Methodist
Church Sunday November
28. The McMurry concert
will be for college series cre-
dit and the public is also in-
vited. The Teenlife Singers have
presented their SALUTE TO
AMERICA program in 24
states for over 600 assemb-
lies and over 600 churches.
The group is part of the Teen-
life International Ministry.
Dr. Ben C. Song is execu-
tive secretary for the group
and author of BORN OUT
OF CONFLICT. He was the
first Korean missionary to
America
nately would be at least
10000 worth. Most equip-
ment must be custom mode
though Dr. Sumerlin hns
built many of his own in-
struments. Besides his
McMurry Studio Sumerlin
has a more elaborate set up
at his home where he does
most of his composing.
DR. MACON SUMERLIN
. . .with electronic music maker
Perform
traveling evangelist and
coordinator for the singers is
Rev. Paul J. Pork. He has
been a Youth for Christ di-
rector for over 7 years and is
n well-known interpreter in
Kora.
Quartet members include:
Miss Kui Ran (Julia) Hahn
soloist; Miss Sue Yone Hong
soprano; Miss Suh Myung
(Melody) Yoon mezp; and
Miss Mie Ae (Anne) Noh
alto.
The fall semester has three
remaining College series.
They consist of the musical
Carnival which will be held
on November 18 19 20 and
21; the Festival of Thank-
sgiving on Tuesday
November 23 at 9:30 a.m.;
and the Korean Life Teenlife
Singers on November 29 at
8 p.m.
financial
Scientist
That youngster mny be
saving box tops for the rest of
his life. It might also help if
he hod a working knowledge
of electronics and music. One
encouraging sign however:
if Macon Sumerlin's example
is to be followed nt least the
little fellow won't hnve to be
tlie mad scientist type.
ftmm.'M'TH
questions.
Who'll help you make the most
of your college education?. . .
KTOll
choices!
Located Across
from
Martin Dorm
CITIZENS
NATIONAL BANK IN ABILENE
402 Cypres
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The War Whoop (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 54, No. 10, Ed. 1, Thursday, November 11, 1976, newspaper, November 11, 1976; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth104282/m1/4/: accessed July 11, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting McMurry University Library.