SJSU teacher and sonic outlaw Allen Strange was a master of electronic music and cooking
THROUGHOUT the nine years I spent at San Jose State University, nobody taught me how to control my voltage more than did Allen Strange, who passed away last week at the age of 64. He was a true sonic outlaw, which is precisely why we got along so well. One of the original pioneers of analog electronic music, Allen wrote the first textbook on that subject way back in the early ‘70s, long before synthesizers were ubiquitous. Even today, that book is a hoot to look through.
Allen always taught us that composing a piece of music and cooking were exactly the same the process. He was probably the best composer of Mexican food that I ever knew. During all the years I invaded and occupied his office, there was never a shortage of Mexican food banter, fart jokes included.
That was Allen: he could sit there over a double scotch and a Heineken and wax poetic about tortillas, briskets, chili peppers, lard and then, in the same breath, whether anybody should care about perfect authentic cadences.
And when it came to food, Allen was a conductor. Whenever you were at the table with him—either at his house in Los Gatos or at a restaurant—he would always give his seal of approval by conducting if he thought the food was good. He would wave his arms in the air like he was right there at the podium leading the orchestra. That’s how you knew that Allen enjoyed the grub. I still to this day find myself occasionally doing that and Allen Strange is where I got it from.
In fact, before I even made it to the accredited university of SJSU, I was a teenager taking piano lessons with Brad Maiani in Allen’s studio, circa 1988, which in those days was the back room of his house on Euclid Avenue in “Gatos,” as we used to call it.
The room sort of overlooked the creek in the back, and little did I know that years later we’d be sharing beers together and waiting for the peacock who occasionally showed up outside. Allen was the only person I’d ever met who would even consider philosophically analyzing the timbres and harmonics of peacock noises.
I will always have a surreal lifeline-like connection to that house, not just for those piano lessons, but because I still have the Farfisa Compact Combo organ that Allen gave me years later. He was emptying out another room in the house—I don’t even remember which one—and he gave me that machine.
Quickly: a Farfisa was one of those immortal ‘60s, cheese-jangle-surf rock keyboards that have now deservedly achieved classic status. Allen’s was originally one of the red models, except that someone somewhere—perhaps Allen, I don’t know—had spray-painted it black and tried to hot-rod the electronics, and now it doesn’t work at all.
But I still own the thing and it still sits there in the room on the other side of the wall from where I grew up in my mom’s house. I briefly got the thing to work a few times, but it’s been broken ever since. And it weighs a ton.
So I guess that’s my umbilical cord to Allen Strange—that Farfisa keyboard—and for all the times I’ve stubbed my toe kicking the thing because it won’t work, I guess I have Allen to thank for it. And he probably would have been proud to hear me say that. I will never get rid of that keyboard.
First and foremost, Allen was a teacher and a friend. When my old group played a gig at the SJSU Student Union Holiday Faire in 1993 and emptied the whole building, resulting in the gig getting shut down, I’ll always remember Allen flipping the bird at the Spartan Bookstore employee who had complained about the racket. At that time, I knew I had found my mentor.
Long live Allen Strange.
Dear Readers
I know it is unusual for us to go in for obituaries, but long-time local resident and SJSU music professor Allen Strange was known and loved by many of us here and was widely known throughout the greater music world. I wanted to provide a place to remember him publicly. Anyone is welcome to use this space to discuss matters in relation to this great musician or write something in memory of a departed friend or relative.
Gary Singh’s portrait of Allen in the Metro is spot on and I appreciate the opportunity to reprint it here, thanks to our new content cooperative.
I knew Allen for thirty years before I ever got to meet him in person. His groundbreaking textbook on electronic music was very important to me as a young music composition student at UC Santa Barbara and Cambridge University. At the time (early 70s) the premier electronic instrument was the very expensive and huge modular Moog synthesizer with its tangled mangrove forest of “patchcords” that could take hours to set up (you can now get a software version of this old monster for peanuts). Allen’s book was the first in-depth instructional guidance to this new world.
I was lucky to get to meet Allen and spend some time with him since coming to San Jose in 1999. Gary is so right in pointing out that he was an expert on Mexican cuisine and by all accounts he invented recipes as handily as music. His knowledge and take on music of all kinds was second to none. I found it easy to talk to him about everyone from Bach to Zappa. His eclectic technique as a composer showed a multitude of influences from all genres of music, and I mean ALL genres, reminding me of Samuel Beckett’s approach to literature as the glorious “wallowing” in the mess of human existence. Allen wallowed in the whole history of human musical accomplishment and put his own stamp on it.
Allen died way too soon. I will always wonder what noises he would have invented if he had lived on. Fortunately, we have his many accomplishments, compositions and books to remind us of his importance to the music lovers and musicians of the world and to our community he called his home for so long.
He leaves behind many grateful students, and I include myself in that group thanks to the shining light of his book. His work and influence will live on through us and those that come after us. The world is a better place because Allen lived in it. What epitaph could be better than that?
Anyone interested in hearing a Farfisa organ, I believe Elton John played one on the recording “Crocodile Rock”, which reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972.
Isn’t it interesting that Irving Berlin was not a very good pianist, he only played the black keys. George Gershwin was an excellent pianist. See a short clip of him on YouTube playing “I Got Rhythm”. Yet both men have been remembered as great contributors to the American Songbook.
#3 Richard, Elton John will not be performing in the Bay Area for the rest of 2008. He will be performing at The Colosseum, Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, March 19 through April 6. He also will be performing at the Honda Center in Anaheim, April 19.
Allen belongs to the small handful (including Dwight Cannon who is also gone now) of people who I consider to be profound influences on my life. I studied composition with him for several years. He taught me to constantly question myself, not just others. For me this was the best composition teacher I could have had. He had a great ability to know what each student needed. The last I saw him we were both playing in Olympia, WA at the Festival Of Experimental Musics. I’m certain I wouldn’t have been there had it not been for him, my life would be very different I’m sure…
Long live Allen!
I missed Elton John at the H.P. Pavilion. Is he comming back ? Anyone know ?
Sitting on the SJSU Department of Music Recruitment committee many years ago, I watched Allen squirm a bit, not because of the questions being asked, but rather (I think) because of the suit and tie he was wearing! After he was hired, I’m not sure if I ever spotted him with that same outfit. For me, he was a breath of fresh air; someone who could nudge the intransigent Department into the 20th century. I enthusiastically endorsed his candidacy and admired his work enough to nominate him for the SJSU President’s Scholar Award which he received. We team-taught for many years and saw to it that the required theory-musicianship course of two years in fact introduced new music and processes. He alone launched the electronic music program, which was no small task. Little money was available so he sought gifts from local businesses to equip his electronic studio. During that time he led the charge in keeping the music curriculum and colleagues current. I vividly remember the day he told me excitedly that this new thing “email” is really great; he always kept me abreast of the latest music hardware/software and would tutor me whenever there was a need. SJSU was fortunate indeed to have him as an active composer/teacher/performer/scholar. He has left a wonderful legacy of practicing composers and artists—that is well documented—and a curriculum that continues to explore fresh ideas.
Allen and I had a wonderful working relationship. However, he could not get me to stop telling one story. During one test he brought to our combined classes the one page that he was responsible for preparing. Only one problem, the first blank dictation staff had six lines! (Of course, during that time, Allen rarely used 5 lines.) OK, Allen that’s the last time.
I’ve never known anyone with the creative drive of Allen Strange. He was engaged with every cell, every moment. To this day, I will never forget his words that fit him so well, “I’m here to break things!”
Brent Heisinger
Emeritus Professor of Music
SJSU President’s Scholar 1989