Queer Theory and Third-Wave Feminism in Pauline Oliveros's Meditative Works

Abstract

Pauline Oliveros’s (1932–2016) work is characterized by its activist influences. With compositions such as Sonic Meditations, Deep Listening, and Crow’s Nest, it seems clear that her experiences as a queer and feminist woman were integral influences in her work. Oliveros flourished in the 1980s and witnessed major changes in the feminist and LGBT movements. Her output reveals an early transition from a second- to third-wave feminist mentality. Through archival research and in-depth analysis of pieces such as MMM, a Lullaby for Daisy Pauline, this thesis will demonstrate how Oliveros’s relationship with third-wave feminism and queer theory shaped her musical aesthetic. Oliveros’s oeuvre reveals parallels to third-wave feminism before its formal conception. I will demonstrate the significance of her collaborations with political activists, her intentions behind select compositions, and how her compositional trends mirror third-wave and queer ideas not yet widely adopted by advocacy groups of the era.