THOMSON, William

THOMSON, William. American, b. 1927. Genres: Music. Career: Ford Foundation, composer in residence, 1960-61; Sul Ross State College, Alpine, TX, 1951-60; Indiana University at Bloomington, professor of music, 1961- 69; Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, Kulas Professor of Music, 1969-73; State University of New York at Buffalo, Ziegle Professor of Music, 1973-80; University of Southern California, Los Angeles, dean of School of Music, 1980-92. Publications: Introduction to Music Reading, 1967; The Materials and Structure of Music, 1965; Introduction to Ear Training, 1968; Advanced Music Reading, 1969; Introduction to Music as Structure, 1973; Music for Listeners, 1979; Schoenberg's Error, 1991; (trans.) T. Lipps, Psychologische Studien (Consonance and Dissonance) 1995; Tonality in Music, 1999. Contributor of articles and reviews to music and psychology journals. Address: 3333 E California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91107, U.S.A. Online address: sansPtom@aol.com

Thomson, William ( Lord Kelvin) (1824–1907) A mathematician and physicist at Glasgow University, Kelvin is best known for his theory of thermodynamics, which he applied to his work on the age of the Earth. He used studies of the internal heat of the Earth, the age of the Sun, and tidal friction, to give an estimate of the Earth's age of about 20 million years. This led to conflict with geologists and evolutionists, who saw evidence that the Earth must be much older. See KELVIN SCALE.