Sarah Belle Reid is a musician, composer and educator based in Los Angeles. In this interview held in December 2023 she talks about her approach to electronic music education, her own educational background and how teaching and her own compositional practice intersect for her.

Stromkult: You are a classically trained musician and went to graduate school for music. From the outside, this formal system of music education is often seen as being overly rigid. What was your own experience like? 

Sarah Belle Reid: I think I had a bit of a unique experience in formal education, because I did a very traditional, conservatory-style undergraduate degree and then went to a much more experimental art school to do my graduate studies in California [at CalArts]. So I was exposed to that more traditional, more rigid way of thinking and teaching that requires you to sort of “mold” yourself into it. But then I was also exposed to a more open, still academic, but much more experimental way of teaching, which was really inspiring for me.

When I was finishing my undergraduate studies, I was ready for some kind of change in the direction that I wanted to go in creatively. But I wasn’t seeing many examples of that in my school at the time. I didn’t have mentors who were telling me that that was a valid direction you could go in, which felt a bit alienating. So the reason I went to a more experimental art school for graduate studies was that I was craving a different path than the traditional music path, seeing what else could be possible — to meet strange creative people (laughs) and just be exposed to more creative directions.

What was it that initially sparked your interest in more experimental and avant-garde music?

I remember that I had one 20th century music theory class in [undergraduate] school where we got to finally learn about some of the composers who were doing really interesting work in the 1950s and experimenting with early electronics, but also experimenting with alternate forms of notation like graphic notation and things like chance-based music. And even though it was just a couple of days in one class that we touched on those topics, that was  like a floodgate moment for me, where I was just like “Woah”! I realized in that moment that there was a whole world that I had never been introduced to, that I hadn’t discovered yet. It felt very exciting to me. 

So that led me to start to seek out collaborative projects with friends who were doing more experimental work. I definitely wasn’t yet thinking of myself as a composer at the time, but I went out and met a really amazing student composer at another school. We decided to work on a piece together, which led to the first piece I ever performed that was very outside of the traditional classical musical world. It had elements of performance art, it was a trumpet piece that also involved my voice, it was very theatrical, and it really pushed me into a new area. And I realized I loved it, I was like “this is incredible!” It was so fun to play with so many interesting sounds. I think those two events were what initially sparked my interest [in more experimental music]. And then it was just many years of gradually finding my way.

Being in music grad school, was it a mix of being like “hell yeah, let’s do this!”, but also ”I really don’t know what I’ll do with this later”? (laughs)

It was both, I definitely didn’t know how a career would come out of this stuff that I was doing. But it was also really exciting to be surrounded by people who were doing just as weird, if not weirder, things than I was. It was why we were all there. That was really validating. So when I arrived in grad school I was like, I am going to jump in and learn as much as I can and never sleep again (laughs), and collaborate as much as possible. There was a bit of a safety net, insofar as I had a couple of years where I didn’t have to have it all figured out, but I definitely didn’t know exactly what I was going to do — I had some questions that I had to figure out at some point (laughs).

How has your own experience of being a student affected your teaching?

A big part of it has been recognizing that different people have different interests. Even if they’re learning the same instruments or topic, they might have completely different interests in the music they want to make. So I’m very conscious of not trying to push my musical values or ideals onto anyone else. I just want to equip them with tools, techniques and ideas that they can use in whatever way feels best for them. That’s really important to me. I want to support people to make the music they want to make and be the kind of artists that they want to be, wherever that might lead them.

Given that it is still relatively young, there doesn't seem to be a fixed canon of techniques and repertoires for electronic music in the way there is for classical music. How do you feel about that?

I think it is exciting that electronic music resists the more traditional structure we find in classical music because it presents us with a lot of new questions, both as educators and as musicians. Like “what kind of sound do I like”? or “what do I love about this sound, how does it make me feel?” Those are questions that a lot of young music students are never asked to consider! I think the fact that it is more open-ended leads to more interesting conversations, and hopefully a lot of interesting music as well.

So for you, learning how to listen is also an important part of learning how to make electronic music?

A hundred percent. In the world of electronic music, we have sounds that might emulate more traditional [acoustic] sounds and then we have … anything you could possibly imagine! From buzzy electronic, static-y sounds to squishy sounds, to gurgles and everything in between. I think for a lot of people, part of the practice [of learning electronic music] is not just learning how to design sounds, but also how to listen and hear the detail inside of a sound, being able to imagine new ways in which those sounds may come together to form a musical sentence. Rhythm or melody might not be the main ingredient in your music anymore, it might be more about texture or timbre changing over time. 

And there are plenty of people who have never heard that kind of thing before — “is this not just noise? What is this?” (laughs). So I think that it’s important to introduce these things in a way where we can learn how to talk about it and how to listen to it. And that it’s safe to not understand it initially, that it’s okay to ask questions. That’s really important as well, because that’s how we develop our own opinions on what we like and what we want to make.

What do you think about being self-taught versus a more guided approach when it comes to learning electronic music?

I think there’s a lot of different ways of learning that work for different people. And certainly, there are a lot of people who thrive in a self-taught environment and they’re really comfortable just turning knobs and figuring things out. But there are also a lot of people where a little bit of structure and guidance is exactly what they need. I’m that kind of person personally. I remember when I first sat down on a modular synthesizer, the idea of a blank slate with no understanding of what was what, to just plug things in and turn knobs, that was terrifying to me! It was too much of an open environment. 

I remember when I first sat down on a modular synthesizer [...] that was terrifying to me!

But as soon as I had someone come in and help me understand the basics of signal flow and where to start and what things to focus on first, that was enough for me to feel free to experiment. Some people really benefit from just a little bit of structure so that they can then be intuitive and play. It’s not that I think that we shouldn’t have that open-ended exploration in the learning process — it’s really vital! — but from my experience, a balance of both a guided approach and open play is a really good recipe for getting a solid foundation both technically and creatively.

What kind of different backgrounds and motivations for studying with you do your students typically approach you with?

There’s a huge range of backgrounds and motivations and levels of experience! But one common example are people who are very curious about modular synthesis and electronic music, but don’t exactly know how to get started. Maybe they’ve already Googled and watched a bunch of videos, and that might make it even more overwhelming because they’re like “wow, there’s literally a hundred tools I could be using! Where do I start?!” (laughs). So there’s that kind of person, which I can completely relate to.

But then there are also a lot of people who are self-taught and who maybe have been making electronic music for five, ten or even fifteen years and they’re at a point where they realize they have some little gaps they didn’t get to the first time around. And they just want to have a very complete technical foundation and fill in those little blanks. So they want to enroll in a class just to go through everything from the beginning again, with a beginner’s mindset.

There are also people who are at a point where their technical skill is really great, and they want help with the compositional side of things. They want to be able to take their sound design and make music that feels like a creative expression of themselves. 

So what you do isn’t just teaching the technical side, but also a kind of creative coaching?

It’s a huge part for me. All of my classes are a mix between technical and creative aspects. I think that makes it more enjoyable for people because there’s that application. You’re not just learning how a filter works, you’re learning how it works and then you’re making crazy sounds with it and using it in your music. So it’s always equal parts making music and being creative, but also learning the technical skills and theory behind it.

You’ve taught both in a university context and independently. Are there any differences when it comes to teaching in an institutional setting versus teaching independently?

I’ve always brought the same core values to my teaching, regardless of whether it’s in an institution or independent. I think that everyone has their own creative interests and learns differently, and I want to create a space for people to learn their own musical voices. That’s always been really important to me.

But one big benefit of teaching independently is that there’s a lot more flexibility with the timeline that things can run on. And not only is that logistically nice, it’s also a huge advantage for students because everyone learns at different speeds. It can help to relieve some of the pressure of having to understand a topic by a certain date. Being like “you have fourteen days to understand modulation” — that is a lot of pressure for some people! For some, it will click quickly, but for others it just takes longer because they’re coming at it from a different level of experience.

So I have students in my class who go through the whole thing in three months, and I have other students who do it in two years. It’s designed to let people start and stop and take their time. I’ve seen that it has a really positive impact on people if they feel like they have the permission to watch something five times if they need to. Or to just take a two week break to make some crazy music and forget about the class for a second. And I love that, because it puts the music onto the forefront.

You teach and educate through a lot of different channels. There’s your classes, but then also things like your YouTube, your Patreon, your Discord and your Instagram. Did all that evolve over time?

It evolved gradually over time for sure. Learning Sound & Synthesis is my main course that I run, which is focused on learning sound design and synthesis with modular synthesizers. But I also recognize that not everyone can necessarily afford to take a class. So I do try to make things available that can reach people in other ways and are free! So I do a lot of tutorials on YouTube, and I have a free class on modular synthesis. And then there’s things like the Patreon, which also have a lower barrier of entry. So I try to make the information as accessible as possible to people.

Your own music is situated in a more avant-garde tradition. But I imagine many of your students are more interested in popular music. How do you balance the academic and the popular side when it comes to teaching, do the same concepts apply?

I really think the concepts do apply to both. The students I work with have a huge range of musical interests and backgrounds. There’s popular music, experimental music, film scoring, video game music, rock, electronic music, techno and so on. That makes the course community, and also my teaching experience, much more interesting because you get this huge mix of perspectives. But underneath it all, that skillset of synthesis fundamentals is very transferable to any genre. 

So the way I tend to approach things is to teach what I refer to as universal foundations, things that aren’t genre or instrument specific. It’s about unpacking the building blocks of sound design and synthesis on the lowest level: different waveforms, different types of filters, different colors of noise and so on. Things you’ll find in a lot of different plugins and instruments. And then we can look at different examples of how to use those tools in different styles of music in order to make different sounds. I can show you how a sine wave can be turned into a kick drum, but I can also show you it can be turned into sci-fi laser sounds or a beautiful ambient melody! 

So I think when people see the versatility of the tools, they get really excited. Because folks who want to make techno realize they can make techno and make it sound more unique, because all those tools can also morph into other cool sounds — and vice versa! People who are more into making experimental or ambient music might realize that it’s not difficult to make a really cool sounding drum, so they can start to play with those ideas as well.

So your students are very open minded when it comes to these things? They’re not just like “show me how to make the biggest kickdrum, I don’t care about anything else”? (laughs)

No! (laughs) They’re super open minded. I think it’s also because this kind of experimentation is what I talk about often on social media and in my tutorials, so people who are similarly curious feel connected to that. But yeah, the people in the course community are all amazing and creative and very curious to learn about different sounds and different music, and that makes it a lot of fun.

How has your teaching affected your own practice as a musician and composer? 

That’s a good question! I have so many answers to this, but the first thing that comes to my mind is just the power of simplicity. Whenever I go back and teach some basic tools and fundamentals, I’m always reminded of how much there is in the simple tools, especially in the world of synthesis. Like, something you might think is just a boring sine wave oscillator or filter — if you combine them in a clever and thoughtful way, there can be a whole world of sound within them. So every time I go back over the basics with my students, I tend to have a really good creative session where I’m revisiting some simple, but powerful patches.

Another aspect that’s less technical is that I’m very conscious of taking my own advice when it comes to following one’s own creative path. I’ll tell my students how important it is for them to follow the kind of music they want to make, that it’s okay if no one else is doing it, and that the more of yourself you bring into it, the better your music will be. 

These are things I really believe in and that I tell my students. But of course there are moments in my own creative work where I’ll start to doubt myself and be like “I don’t know, maybe it’s too weird, maybe I should tone it down” and in those moments — both for myself, and for my integrity as an educator (laughs) — I always come back and say to myself okay, look, it is important for me to act in the way I teach other people. So that can be a nice boost of confidence for myself, to have the insecurity, to be vulnerable, and to then do it anyways! That’s kind of my motto.

So that can be a nice boost of confidence for myself, to have the insecurity, to be vulnerable, and to then do it anyways! That’s kind of my motto.

You’ve said elsewhere that encountering electronic music and modular synthesis was a very intimidating experience for you at first. What kind of steps do you take in your own teaching so that it can be less intimidating for other people who are new to this?

The first thing is just that by being open about the fact that I was intimidated myself, I think that creates an environment where those kinds of feelings are welcomed and accepted, that it’s okay to be confused or to be overwhelmed. I think that’s valuable for people who are feeling intimidated, because they realize “I’m not the only one”! And, in a classroom environment, that’s also helpful for people who are picking up on things quickly, because it reminds them that some of their fellow peers might be feeling intimidated and need more time.

I think that can create a sense of community, where people recognize that we all move at different speeds, and we all learn in different ways. The more that we can be patient and supportive of each other, the more we will all get to grow together, as a community. So I put a very big emphasis on going at your own pace. That helps people feel that there isn’t this ticking time pressure, like “if you haven’t figured it out by now your chance is over!” (laughs). I want to relieve that pressure and create an environment that feels spacious and easy to be in.

Another thing that comes to mind is just the ability to exchange creatively with your peers.  In addition to the main instructional part of the class, there is a community area where people can just casually share their music and open up a dialogue, without the pressure of explicitly sharing music for critique. I think that really helps to create a space where people feel safe, like they’re among friends. And that is also very conducive to learning, because they’re all sharing things they are working on, inspired by, and collaborating together.

You’ve mentioned it before, but what exactly is the Learning Sound & Synthesis class you are running all about?

Learning Sound & Synthesis is my online modular synthesis and sound design class. I run it twice a year, typically in early Spring and late Summer. There’s a waitlist you can sign up to that will notify you the next time enrollment opens. 

The class teaches you how to make music with synthesizers and design your own custom sounds from scratch. That’s the short answer (laughs). It’s structured in a way where there is a very substantial video-based curriculum that people can go through at their own pace. It walks you through all the foundations of synthesis and what you need to understand pretty much any synthesizer you might work with in the future.

I teach everything using the open-source software VCV Rack. So you don’t need any special gear, which is great. In addition to all the technical foundations, the class also goes deep into the history of modular synthesis, as well as many different listening and compositional strategies. We also touch upon more experimental approaches, things like working with chaos and cybernetics and feedback. So it’s a very comprehensive program that walks you through it step by step, all the way from “what is this thing and how does it work?” to making your own music in whatever way feels best to you.

In addition to the pre-recorded material, there are also live coaching calls on Zoom. They’re a huge part of the program, because it’s an opportunity for everyone to come together and ask questions. We get to talk about topics that maybe aren’t covered in the videos and people can share their music and get creative feedback to take their music further. We also have a community area where all students, both past and present, are welcome to come in and ask questions and share their patches. It’s a very supportive place and I love that.

Could you say something about your Postcard Project?

The Postcard Project was inspired by a series of compositions that James Tenney did where he made simple little pieces written on postcards that he would give to his friends. I thought that was really charming and wonderful. And I’ve always loved traditional snail mail — sending and receiving it is exciting! I was also at a point in my life where I was experimenting a lot with different forms of graphic notation in order to go beyond traditional Western notation. I thought that putting those two ideas together could be really inspiring. 

So the way it works is that I create a graphically notated score on the back of a postcard, with no rules in terms of how to interpret it. I mail it to someone, and they get to live with it for a while and see how they might interpret it. And they then send me a score back, so we have this long-term creative dialogue that happens through these snail mail postcard scores.

You have a new 2024 release called MASS (Extended + Remastered), is there anything you would like to say about that project?

The project initially began as a digital-only EP back in 2021. MASS is a collection of electroacoustic music created using a quarter tone flugelhorn, my voice, a Make Noise Strega semi-modular synth, and a whole bunch of bizarre amplified objects like cookie trays, cacti, small wind-up toys, plastic combs, typewriters, and more. The new version is expanded with two extra tracks in order to make it a full-length album. One of those tracks was composed in a fifth-order ambisonic dome at Arizona state university - that was an incredible experience, I’ve never gotten to hear sound move around me in that way before and it was very exciting and “ear-opening”! The whole project has also been remastered and will be released physically for the first time, on vinyl and cassette. The release date is March 1st, 2024, which coincidentally is the third-year anniversary of the original project — a nice little milestone!

You can find out more about Sarah Belle Reid and sign up for one of Sarah's courses over at her website www.sarahbellereid.com