David Byrne (1952–) is a Scottish-born American musician, writer, and visual artist. In 1975, he co-founded Talking Heads, serving as the band’s lead vocalist, guitarist, and principal songwriter. By combining new wave and art rock with elements of funk, African music, and other international influences, the group exerted a lasting influence on contemporary popular music. Since the band’s dissolution, Byrne has pursued a wide-ranging solo career encompassing music, theater, film, photography, installation art, and publishing. In How Music Works, he draws on his own experience to examine how music is shaped by performance spaces, technology, commerce, and society.
