Joanna Brouk
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Joanna Brouk (February 20, 1949 – April 28, 2017) was an American composer, author, and playwright who was active in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Early life
Brouk grew up in St. Louis, Missouri.
She received a B.A. in Creative Writing and Electronic Music from the University of California, Berkeley. She went on to receive an M.A. in Electronic Music from Mills College. While at Mills, Brouk studied under Robert Ashley and Terry Riley.
Career
Brouk self-released a number of recordings on cassette via her own label, Hummingbird Productions.
Brouk's first release, Healing Music, featured the flute of American composer Maggi Payne. Her 1981 recording, Sounds of the Sea, included field recordings of nature sounds, vocals, and manipulated electronic and acoustic instruments. Brouk's music was known in New Age Music circles but did not receive a great deal of mainstream recognition.
In 2016, a collection of archival recordings and selections from cassette releases, Hearing Music, was released by The Numero Group.
Personal life
In 1985, Brouk stopped composing and recording music after moving to San Diego, California, where she married and gave birth to a son, and took up the practice of transcendental meditation.
Brouk died on April 28, 2017, at the age of 68.
The name "Brouk" is an alternative spelling of the Dutch name "Broek", a cognate with the English word "brook".
