After enrolling in art school, he partnered with friend Mark Kehoe to perform publicly for the first time. Being afflicted with a mild case of Asperger’s caused him to perform - but then to retreat back into privacy afterward. He leads the reader through the 18 th and 19 th centuries and into the late 20 th century to describe how venues changed along with the style of music.īyrne pauses to reminisce about his attraction to music in his younger years. Byrne then switches to African music, the role of repetitive percussiveness and the need to keep songs simple so that they could be passed down. He compares these dynamics to some of his early performances in small places like CBGB’s or Tootsies. With no amplification, percussive instruments were pushed toward the back of the room while strings were pulled forward. Byrne then describes how early 16 th and 17th-century orchestral performances relied on the dynamics of the room and placement of the instruments. Specifically, he uses early opera performances as an example: the audience rarely sat quietly and were often eating, speaking, and paying only partial attention. In How Music Works, Byrne begins by taking us through a short history of live music. In that latter category, Byrne’s How Music Works is mighty interesting. Subjects include topics for children ( Stay Up Late), works of fiction ( True Stories), and - as expected - works about the music industry ( What Songs Look Like). Along with his music, he’s penned or contributed to no less than 70 books. You would be right to label David Byrne a “renaissance man.” Beyond his storied career, his collaborations and efforts in the music industry have made him integral in delivering interesting projects.
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