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Jazzing through the luminiferous ether: How international radio broadcasts affected the experience of jazz in 1920s–1930s New Zealand

Issue: Vol 13 No. 1-2 (2019) Special Issue: Jazz and Everyday Aesthetics

Abstract:

In the 1920s radio broadcasting was a new and exciting medium. It contained a multitudeof possibilities in entertainment and education, and the wonder of new technologythat connected people around the world. This article investigates the experiencesof New Zealand jazz fans and musicians 'listening in' to overseas broadcasts in the1920s and 1930s. I consider situations of the jazz listening-in experience, which couldbe isolated or social depending on whether the fan had a headset or amplifier andspeakers setup. Listening-in could also be a pure listening experience or include dancingand socializing. Finally I will examine how this activity affected fans and musicians'experience and perception of jazz, and how that impacted jazz as it was produced inNew Zealand.

Author: Aleisha Ward

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