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Electronic music pioneer Suzanne Ciani reflects on the waves of her career

She says she faced opposition not only because of the genre but also because she was a woman making it.
CBC Radio ·
Suzanne Ciani is an electronic music pioneer and the first woman to score a major Hollywood movie (Courtesy of the artist)

Suzanne Ciani is a pioneer of electronic music. You might not know her name, but you'll know her work. 

Ciani created instantly recognizable, futuristic sounds for a slew of ads in the 1980s for companies like AT&T, GE and Atari. Additionally, she was the first woman to score a major Hollywood film and has released 15 albums. And she even helped turn Star Wars disco.  

Now a new iTunes documentary A Life in Waves is giving Suzanne her due and telling her story because the music industry has not always been that accepting of electronic music or the women making it. 

Suzanne Ciani speaks to q about the ups and downs of being an electronic music pioneer, facing opposition not only because of the genre but also because she was a woman making it.

— Produced by Ben Edwards

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