Letter: The End of Experimental Musical Instruments Magazine

by Bart Hopkin

Originally published in American Lutherie #53, 1998



Dear Friend,

Experimental Musical Instruments will publish its last issue in the summer of 1999. By that time, the magazine will have been in existence for fourteen years. I’ve made this decision now, in the hope that with advance planning I’ll be able to handle the shut-down smoothly, without leaving promised articles unpublished, subscription terms half-filled, and similar loose ends. After the magazine stops, EMI as an organization will continue to exist on a smaller scale, taking orders for the back issues, tapes, books, and other items that we will continue to make available.

Several factors led to this decision. There are the inevitable financial considerations, and also the personal stuff — like maybe it’s time for the editor to open more space for other things in his life. Arching over all that is a sense that the time is right. I feel that the best EMI will have had to offer under my editorship has been realized over the last few years. I used to have a long list of article topics that EMI must cover someday, from pyrophones and aeolian harps to the work of people like Bill Colvig or Harry Bertoia. Now EMI has at least made a bow to most of the topics on the list. On a broader level, EMI has attempted to document the creative work in a particular field of endeavor over an extended period of time. In doing so it has helped to create and define and support the field. So I’m happy!