John M. Chowning papers, 1974-2014

Collection context

Summary

Creators:
Chowning, John M.
Abstract:
Collection consists largely of correspondence between Chowning, the Yamaha Corporation, and the Technology Licensing Office at Stanford, 1974-97; other items include patents and related documents, 1978-87, technical writings (not all by Chowning), 1974-87, publications and leaflets on Yamaha products, and miscellaneous notes. The technical writings include "Excerpts from Computer Music Proposal Submitted to National Science Foundation," July 1974; "Sine Summation Formula Synthesis," ca. 1976; and "Progress Report on the Development of the FM-type Musical Instrument for the period of March 1979 to February 1980."
Extent:
1.5 Linear Feet (4 boxes) and 6000 Megabytes
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[identification of item] John M. Chowning Papers (SC0906). Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Background

Scope and content:

Collection consists largely of correspondence between Chowning, the Yamaha Corporation, and the Technology Licensing Office at Stanford, 1974-97; other items include patents and related documents, 1978-87, technical writings (not all by Chowning), 1974-87, publications and leaflets on Yamaha products, and miscellaneous notes. The technical writings include "Excerpts from Computer Music Proposal Submitted to National Science Foundation," July 1974; "Sine Summation Formula Synthesis," ca. 1976; and "Progress Report on the Development of the FM-type Musical Instrument for the period of March 1979 to February 1980."

Biographical / historical:

John M. Chowning, professor emeritus of music at Stanford, developed the technique for creating digital sounds in the late 1960s which was patented and then licensed to Yamaha in 1973. He earned his bachelor of music at Wittenberg University in 1959, studied composition with Nadia Boulanger in Paris, and earned his Ph.D. at Stanford in 1966. He was the founding director in 1975 of Stanford's Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics.

Physical location:
Special Collections and University Archives materials are stored offsite and must be paged 36-48 hours in advance. For more information on paging collections, see the department's website: http://library.stanford.edu/spc.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, California 94304-6064. Consent is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission from the copyright owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright owner, heir(s) or assigns. See: http://library.stanford.edu/depts/spc/pubserv/permissions.html.

Restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.

Preferred citation:

[identification of item] John M. Chowning Papers (SC0906). Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Location of this collection:
Stanford University Archives, Green Library
557 Escondido Mall
Stanford, CA 94305-6064, US
Contact:
(650) 725-1022