2012
In her review of "This Life of Sounds: Evenings for New Music in Buffalo" (by Renee Levine Packer), published in American Music (Spring 2012), Sarah Haefeli (formerly Heimbecker) provides a critical assessment of the history of the Buffalo Center for the Creative and Performing Arts.
The review highlights Max Neuhaus's role as a pivotal figure in this experimental community, specifically addressing the following:
The Virtuoso Performer: Haefeli notes the book's documentation of Neuhaus as a brilliant percussionist during his tenure as a Creative Associate in Buffalo. He was a primary interpreter of the demanding works by the 1960s avant-garde, such as those by Stockhausen and Brown.
The Breaking of Boundaries: She underscores how the Buffalo environment allowed Neuhaus to transition from a "performer of others' scores" to a conceptual artist. The review reflects on the institutional freedom that fostered his move toward site-specific sound installations.
Historical Documentation: Haefeli praises the book for providing primary source accounts of Neuhaus's radical activities in Buffalo, including the realization of early "listening walks" and experiments that eventually became his permanent installations.
Legacy of the Buffalo Center: The review positions Neuhaus alongside other giants like Morton Feldman and Lukas Foss, illustrating how the Buffalo scene was a crucial incubator for the "post-musical" practices that Neuhaus would eventually champion internationally.