Brian wrote two books in the 1970s: Experimental Music in Schools (
ISBN978-0193231955)[5] and Projects in Sound (
ISBN978-0900938450),[6][7] which propose a new graphical form of
Musical notation, showing instruments as images representing their sound, rather than traditional notation on a stave. For example, the notation of a scraping wood
Güiro would be shown as zig-zag lines. Both books have been used extensively in classrooms[8][9] and became part of the
National Curriculum of England, Wales and Northern Ireland
He also featured in BBC documentary Music in Schools and has inspired Dan Mayfield's School of Noise.
His compositions include approximately 150 songs many of which are settings of Chinese poems[10] with lyrics in English prepared by the composer, as well as a number of piano pieces. He completed a trilogy of one-act operas based on Japanese Noh plays as well as an unfinished three-act opera based on
The Snow Queen by
Hans Christian Andersen.
^Reed Business Information (19 April 1973).
"New Scientist". New Scientist Careers Guide: The Employer Contacts Book for Scientists. Reed Business Information: 178–.
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