This course will examine the peculiar literary and musical interactions that happen when sound artists trumpet their innovations in short prose form. Starting with Russolo’s Futurist Manifesto, we will listen to the manifestos of sound-related movements, from Dada to Fluxus to minimalism, using a broad, multidisciplinary approach. Readings will include Marinetti, Cage, Satie, Maciunas, Débord, Eco, Stein, Cardew, and Reich. We will consider the difficulties of redefining a discipline within the particular social, cultural, and currents of each era, as well as respect to innovations in the visual and performing arts. Students will eventually write their own sound manifestos, and the class will perform and discuss as a collective in the spirit of Cardew’s Scratch Orchestra.