Gresham-Lancaster, Scot2018-10-222018-10-222017-12-012018-10-220961-1215http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/LMJ_a_01022http://hdl.handle.net/10735.1/6228This historical reminiscence details the evolution of a type of electronic music called computer network music. Early computer network music had a heterogeneous quality, with independent composers forming a collective; over time, it has transitioned into the more autonomous form of university-centered laptop orchestra. This transition points to a fundamental shift in the cultural contexts in which this artistic practice was and is embedded: The early work derived from the post-hippie, neo-punk anarchism of cooperatives whose members dreamed that machines would enable a kind of utopia. The latter is a direct outgrowth of the potential inherent in what networks actually are and of a sense of social cohesion based on uniformity and standardization. The discovery that this style of computer music-making can be effectively used as a curricular tool has also deeply affected the evolution and approaches of many in the field.en©2017 ISASTMusicComputer composition (Music)articleGresham-Lancaster, Scot. 2017. "A personal reminiscence on the roots of computer network music." Leonardo Music Journal 27, 71-77. doi:10.1162/LMJ_a_0102227