Someone wrote me privately about a buzz saw in music [a remark I made]
so I thought I would explain what I meant.  All musical instruments
are based on technology.  For each one you can look back and find the
technology break-through that made it possible.  Today we can record any
sound, digitize it and render the sound into the 88 pitches on the piano
keyboard (even more pitches).  So a buzz saw, though not part of the
General Midi standard sound set, could be made into a sound for use in
composing.  It would probably sound somewhat like a distorted guitar sound.

Now, the mental process involved is to first sense a sound, then perceive
it (recognize it or not) then an emotion is automatically called up by the
mind.  Thus a buzz saw would cause a certain emotion to be evoked based on
its attack/decay characteristics and its timbre.  This might be useful to
assign to a part that represents evil, or power, etc.  the powerful theme
in Beethoven's PC #4, 2nd movement, for example.

There is a great non-CM example of this in the Beatle's "Let it Be"
(actually Paul).  This is a very classical-ish song and religious in
nature.  There are two versions who differ only by their instrumental
break.  The one I prefer is Harrison on distorted guitar (the orher is Paul
on organ).  When the distorted guitar solo crashes into the atmosphere of
this religious song, its like the entrance of the devil himself, repenting
and asking for forgiveness; and, is made more effective by the "edge" on
the sound.  A buzz saw would work here.  The other buzz saw-ish sound (they
experimented with different sounds a lot) is at the beginning of "I Feel
Fine" when Paul turns his bass to the amp and allows feedback to occur.
That does in fact sound just like a buzz saw.

If you like to experiment with emotions and sound (effects) go to
www.pgmusic.com and follow the products link to PowerTracks Pro Audio 6.
This product is only $29 and lets you revoice tracks among many other
things - its a great buy.  You can find much of the music of Bach,
Beethoven, Chopin and others as midi files on the net.  So you can
download, say, Chopin's raindrop prelude and revoice if for vibraphone and
feel the difference in the emotion felt.  You can revoice it for one of the
midi distortion sounds and get some idea what it would sound like voiced
for buzz saw.  Try Bach on a distorted guitar.  I think if the great
masters had midii keyboards they would have used these sounds because of
the effects they produce.  Certainly future CM composers will.  The CM
listeners in 2100 will look back on the traditional CM sounds the way we
look back on harpsichords, and lutes.  Their music will be rich with sound.

Bill Pirkle