Presentations at the Australian Computer Music Conference 2010 June 24-26, Australian National University, Canberra comprise: an artist paper A Cancelled Glow: An Interpretive Guide; composition from the ledge (I can see all) for quadraphonic surround sound; composition Critial Mass: Cityscape as part of the iPerformance Project - a live performance project based on presenting computer music works diffused through multiple iPhone or related touch control systems.
Composition Snapshot selected for inclusion in th 2010 Vox Novus 60x60 Project. This version of 60x60, called '360 degrees of 60x60', is sponsored in part by the International Computer Music Association (ICMA). Six 60x60 mixes featuring 360 pieces from different composers throughout the world will be presented during the conference and at remote concerts around the globe. The 6 different mixes (each one hour long, containing sixty 60 second works) are all named a different shade of red to honor the RED edition of ICMC: 60x60 Burgundy mix, Crimson mix, Magenta mix, Sanguine mix, Scarlet mix, and Vermilion mix.
July 20, 2010. '360 degrees of 60x60 (Sanguine Mix)' presented by THE AMBiENT PiNG at the Supermarket, Toronto, Canada
June 29, 2010. '360 degrees of 60x60 (Sanguine Mix)' presented by Lyn Job in conjunction with Vox Novus and ICMC at New Life Church Denton, Texas
June 3 - 5, 2010. 6 mix installation (Burgundy, Crimson, Magenta, Sanguine, Scarlet, and Vermilion)
ICMC (International Computer Music Conference)
Stony Brook University, New York
June 1 - 2, 2010. 6 mix installation (Burgundy, Crimson, Magenta, Sanguine, Scarlet, and Vermilion)
ICMC (International Computer Music Conference) Electronic Music Foundation, New York City
May 22, 2010. '60x60 Dance' as part of Dance Parade New York will feature the 60x60 Sanguine mix, Tompkins Square Park, New York City, Stage
Presenting workshops on Digital Music Making at the QAGTC Conference 2010 on June 29 and 30, 2010.
Continuing to work on my QCGU Doctor of Musical Arts composition folio...
Composition Circles and Lines in ther Path I Walk - scene 2 for quadraphonic surround sound presented at the Australian Computer Music Conference 09 on Saturday 4 July, 2009 Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane.
Presented a workshop on Digital Music Making at the QAGTC Conference 2009 on July 1, 2009.
Author's Notes #1 - Southern Cross Soloists commissioned work based on a poem by Samuel Wagan Watson premiered on November 30, 2008 as part of the ensemble's Music and Words series.
Paper presentation Gesture and Space in Music Composition: A Creative Practice at the Musicological Society of Australia, Queensland Student Symposium 'Music and Me' on Sunday 7 September 2008, included a presentation of quadraphonic surround sound composition Circles and Lines in the Path I Walk - scene 1.
Paper presentation Gesture and Space in Music Composition: A Creative Practice at the Queensland Conservatorium Reserach Centre Music and Autoethnography Workshop on 17 August, 2008 included presentation of quadraphonic surround sound composition Circles and Lines in the Path I Walk - scene 1.
Composition Pulse for quadraphonic surround sound and video projection (by Brisbane artist Matthew Stafford) presented at the Australian Computer Music Conference 08 Sound:Space on Friday 11 July, 2008 Sydney Conservatorium.
Artist paper Lost in Space: A Composer's Journey presented at the Australian Computer Music Conference 08 'Sound:Space' on Thursday 10 July, 2008 Sydney Conservatorium.
Two workshop presentations on composing and music technology at the QAGTC Conference 2008 on July 8 & 9.
I am a Brisbane based composer and music educator with a broad interest in art and popular music. After having gone through a fairly typical Australian Conservatorium undergraduate education of European and American 1970's and 80's composers and composition styles I have found myself working (almost) exclusively in the electroacoustic medium presented in surround sound performance and listening environments. I'm currently undertaking Doctoral studies in Composition at Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University in this area.
I've been composer, convenor and music director for community and personal projects included in the 2003 and 2001 Queensland Biennial Festival of Music (St Mary’s Mass We Choose, Critical Mass), the 2000 Brisbane Festival (Symbitronic Ensemble), the 1999 Queensland Biennial Festival of Music (Concert-on-Bicycles by Greg Scheimer, First Light Breakfasts), the 1997 Mackay Festival of Arts (Festival Reflection) and co-ordinated the 1996 Queensland Composers' Conference and the 1997 Pan-Pacific Composers' Conference in Mackay. In 2005 I was the assistant music director for the Queensland Music Festival’s Australian premiere of Credo: Innocence of God composed and conducted by Andrea Molino.
As composer and surround sound designer I have been engaged in interdisciplinary site-specific collaborations with Queensland visual artists Jonde Keane and Ian Hutson, choreographers Vanessa Mafe and Cheryl Stock, and Singaporean choreographer Jeffrey Tan. I've spent some time as guest lecturer and workshop deliverer in composition and music technology at secondary schools in Brisbane and Mackay, and have been employed as a lecturer in composition, contextual music studies, and music technology at Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Griffith University, and Queensland University of Technology.
My full Curriculum Vitae can been downloaded here.
Here is a selection of my works. Please feel free to have a listen and make comment via email.
Some scores are available for download and perusal. If you wish to perform anything contact myself or the Australian Music Centre to obtain a set of performance parts.
Savage Bliss (1997)
2,2,2,2 4,2,1,0 harp, perc, timp, 8,6,5,5,3 9'10"
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, David Porcelijn, NOCS-1999
into the black (1994)
2,2,2,2 4,2,1,0 harp, perc, timp, 8,6,5,5,3 14'40"
Tasmainian Symphony Orchestra, Richard Mills, NOCS 1994
Compositional Process
My personal compositional process, be it for acoustic or electroacoustic media, can be categorised onto two components or periods of creative time.
The gestation period is a significant process in the early stages of composition where the experimentation and exploration of compositional materials occurs. It is here that decisions are made concerning what type of material will constitute the piece (pitch, duration, dynamic, timbre and texture), what techniques will be employed to manipulate the chosen material, what material will be retained and discarded after the manipulation processes, and how will the remaining material be organised in time. During the early stages of this process the compositional intention and overall concept of the work emerges, and in most cases this will be reflected in the title of the work.
These processes might be as follows:
concept development --> title of the work
the development of a musical gesture through improvisation
analysis of the gesture in terms of pitch, rhythm, expression, timbre, texture, and shape
exploration of gestural characteristics at micro and macro levels
development of additional material through transformational processes
selection and de-selection of material transformation outcomes
the organisation of the musical structure and material transformations
The application period is the construction of the composition through the organisation and implementation of the materials and concepts developed during the gestation period. During this period the material will be further refined and decisions made regarding the use and development of the chosen material, the structure and timing of musical events, and the solving of notation and/or production challenges related to the musical elements and their application within the composition.
These processes might be as follows:
the realisation of the concept and musical materials --> writing/producing the music
solving issues that arise concerning the notation and/or production of the musical ideas
maintaining a balance between processed (pre-composed) and intuitive composition techniques
maintaining a sense of development , timing, and dramatic tension through reflection and adjustment of composed material
reviewing of recorded repertoire appropriate to the concept of the work in progress
Identification of Composition Techniques
What are the compositional elements that identify the musical language my own music? A number of compositional elements and techniques have emerged that are identifiable as my own compositional language. I will describe these elements under the banner of the following conventional musical terms
Rhythm and Time
The semiquaver - this is the primary unit of time, or pulse, in my music
Cellular rhythms – short rhythmic fragments composed of semiquaver groupings of 2, 3 or 5 amounts
Cyclic/Isorhythm – repetition of rhythmic phrases at the cellular level and on a larger scale
Mechanical and fluid – juxtaposition of pulse driven repetitive rhythms and irregular, non-repetitive rhythms
Pitch – Linear
Cellular/pitch-set – small amounts of pitch, normally 5 to 12, that are permutated through predetermined processes
Cyclic/isomelos – repetitive groups of pitch, often linked to an isorhythm
Vertical derivative –the linear cells are derived from the vertical structures, and vice-versa
Pitch – Vertical
Compound structures – chords constructed of superimposed miscellaneous intervals, often containing 4 to 7 notes
Cyclic/hierarchical - regular repetition of a chord progression, the fundamentals of each chord are often derived from the first chord structure in the music
Timbre
Colour effects – extended instrumental techniques and effects
Characterisation – instruments are assigned specific roles in the music
Texture
Structural demarcation – using changes of texture to signify new sections in the music
Dramatic tension – using textural changes to control tension and release in the music
These elements can be categorised into the two aspects pertaining to my creative practice and research:
Gesture – embodying the elements of rhythm and time, pitch, timbre and texture.
Space – temporal, being the organisation of the musical materials in time and the larger structural organisation, and registral/vertical, being the organisation and control of spectral elements and the density or texture.
Gesture and Space in Music Composition
As a component of my Doctor of Musical Arts I have devised an analytical framework for my compositional work based on the spatial concepts I am exploring.
These spatial concepts are classified as follows:
Temporal Space: the structural design, linear organisation, and motion of musical events (gestures) through time
Registral Space: the registral placement of sonic material, the intervallic distance between pitched material (harmonic structures), and the textural arrangement (density) of timbres and musical gestures
Locational Space: the placement and movement (including distance and perspective) of musical events within the stereo or surround sound performance/listening environment