Art + Music + Technology

Have you had the feeling of meeting someone and immediately feeling like you were best friends? This was my experience with Terry Pender, Associate Director of Columbia University's Computer Music Center. He has an easy and laid back style that immediately puts you in a good mood - then he hits you with some of the things he's done. It's amazing. From mandolin gigs at Carnegie Hall (with Pradeep Ratnayake), live improv shows with PGT or film sound design, it seems like Terry has done it all. Then you find out that he did music spots for daytime TV, works with the Pulitzer committee and has put together a master work on recording technology - you've got to wonder when he sleeps! This chat with Terry was a great chance for me to get caught up with him, but to also learn a few new things about his background, and to get some hints about how he approaches the difficult-to-teach area of recording and production. He also talks a bit about collecting the stories that he'd pulled together; it's fascinating stuff. Sit

Wade Matthews is passionate about improv. He focuses on what he calls "free improvisation", which is dependent on having great listening skills as well as great playing chops. In this chat, Wade explores how he got to the point of being improv-focused, how he thinks about different types of performance (including his concept of 'sonic portraits', which I found fascinating) and even his definition of free improv. Wade is also a trained musician who is now somewhat post-instrumental, focusing as much on processes and electronics as he does on the woodwinds where he started. This has also had an impact on both the music that he makes and his view on musical work, and we are lucky to have him share his ideas and experiences here. I really enjoy talks where we can get in-depth on a subject and explore some of the edge areas, and I felt like this happened here. Wade is a deep thinker who is also an eloquent speaker, and the discussion buzzed by much faster than I realized. Nevertheless, we do learn a lot about Wade

I really appreciate the opportunity to meet new people - especially when they are introduced by friends that I respect. Coralie Diatkine comes via Julien Bayle, who mentioned her in a conversation as "someone with a unique sound" - and also mentioned her as a up-and-coming Max'er. He pointed to her website and I was blown away. The thing the was most interesting to me was that Coralie doesn't really hide anything. If she is experimenting with spacialization, you get to read about it on her site. Working on sound design using her sax? Also on the site. And even though she's left vocal work behind, she's also willing to share that as well. I love it when people share their whole story, and Coralie seemed willing to do that on her site. She was also willing to do it on the podcast! In this chat, we range from her choice of instruments (and why she dropped voice) to the use of language and metaphor for compositional concept, and even spend some time examining the French educational system. I eat this stuff up, an

One of the most interesting meetups I've ever attended was the Rocky Mountain Synth Meetup, led by Mark Mosher. Mark started this as an outgrowth of his own desire to meet people, but it has expanded into one of the most active synthesizer-based meetups in the world - and is now a must-visit for anyone that likes (as Mark states) "drinking with a synthesizer problem". From its humble beginnings in the basement of a Louisville CO restaurant to the huge launch party for the Ableton Push 2 release, the meetup has gone through a number of changes - some of which would hamstring a lesser meetup. Venue changes, personality riffs, people moving in and out of the area; the RMSM has continued to expand, and is healthier than ever. Mark has provided the following information for us to share: Meetup Summary The Rocky Mountain Synthesizer Meetup - founded in 2012 - is the home of 480+ Denver Front Range synth geeks who share their passion for synths, build their network, get inspired, get hands-on with gear, tell people

Walking the tightrope - that's what show control is all about. Whether you are creating lighting scenes, working with live projection or live video gen, this isn't something that you can practice ahead of time. As a result, I find the work that show control people do to be both fascinating and completely unnerving. Take the craziness of show control, add programming chops and the willingness to go anywhere in the world - and you have David Butler. David has been developing show control tools for himself in Max and Java; given his comfort with large-scale control systems, he's able to put together programming that is able to handle massive data streams. I was really looking forward to a chat with David because he manages the balance between technical skills and artistic vision. He does this professionally, but he does it for fun, too - and that's something I can definitely relate with. He's also into sharing both his perspectives and his work, and is working on some code that he'll be providing for other inter

Micah Frank has been doing it for more than a decade. And by "it", I mean pulling amazing sounds out of the air, formatting them to be playable, and releasing them through his company Puremagnetik. I've long been a fan, and finally was able to corner Micah for a podcast chat. In this one, we talk about everything from his background as a New York session drummer through the development of his favorite sample packs, and also talk about the tools of the trade that he finds useful. We also talk a little about the business of sample pack creation and even a little about collaboration with other artists. But mostly we talk about how one becomes a sample pack developer, and the joy that comes with embracing that gig. I really respect Micah's work; if you haven't heard it, check it out at the Puremagnetic site, try out some of the free packs, or maybe pick up a little gift for yourself (I'd recommend the "b-systems" packs made in collaboration with Richard Lainhart, or the new Cinematic stuff we talk about in the po

There are a few people that I've known forever - even if we don't talk often. Paul Vnuk is one of those people - we were Milwaukee folk at the same period in the late 90's, have interacted with Mike Metlay over the years, and still cross paths during NAMM shows. But we seldom seem to talk; we are often busy (especially, as you'll hear, when Paul is multi-tasking at full throttle), so it seems difficult to get the time. So, we needed to make time. I had a problem with this week's interviews, and Paul was willing to jump into the podcast for a nice chat. And the hour went by in an eyeblink; Paul has worked on so many interesting projects that I was left with a book-load of questions for the next interview (or three...) that we'll do. Nevertheless, Paul was happy to talk about whatever I'd bring up, and I wanted to talk about everything! So we talked about recording tech, Paul's background, working on Ma Ja Le, doing loop libraries for Sonic Foundry/Sony, learning new instruments and working on remote collaborat

Dino J. A. Deane is a bit of a force of nature. He's been a session horn player and touring musician, he was one of the earliest proponents of live/real-time sampling, a sound designer before that was a widely-known 'thing', and a practitioner of Conduction, a method of real-time composition developed by Butch Morris. And he's still rocking it out there, working with a group in Denver called FluxCrew, continuing to record, and pushing the envelope with the methodology behind Conduction. I've been getting pushed by several friends to talk to Dino, and it finally happened. And boy, am I glad I did. Dino is a deep well, and I was blown away by the people he's worked with and the experience he's had - whether working the punk/jazz scene during New York's loft heyday, tripping over Arp 2600's in L.A. during the first golden age of home studios, or exploring the brittle edges of sampling with early Akai and Ensoniq systems. I hope you get into this conversation. If you want to know more, you need to check out his w

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to visit David Beaudry at his design studio in LA. It was pretty interesting; behind a laid-back facade was a passionate and excited designer/developer that clearly was "into" his work - and the practice of interaction design in general. On that day, we talked details about fluid dynamics, the generalities of getting gigs and and joys and pains of working with Max over the years. I was really pleased to get a chance to interview David for the podcast, and his over-the-phone delivery - and insights - is just as amazing as his in-person. This is one of those interviews that seemed to go by in an eye-blink, because each question led to many potential next questions, and once we got rolling there was much stopping us. It was also cool that David doesn't try to shield anyone from the tough questions: What is the "hard thing" in the implementation of his designs? How often do you have to deal with difficult customers? When do you end up in no-win situations? David was into ta

Sometimes you run across 'old souls' - people whose depth belies their physical age. Cory Metcalf is one of those people; he seems to have been born to both art and philosophy, and the depth of his expression is remarkable. Cory is one half of the group Noisefold (David Stout, from podcast #10 is the other half), but is also an active teacher and solo artist as well. He's about to launch into a new journey even as some of his existing work is getting attention, and he (like me) is in the middle of a physical move to a new location. Since we were diverging in location, I decided to take the opportunity to touch base with him for the podcast - and to document his story. And an amazing story it is. Cicadas, films school, monkey gods and meditation all make appearances, but not it a typical "I'm dropping my groove onto your lap" kind of way. Cory is incredibly introspective about influences (both internal and external), and is able to embrace and integrate influences in a way that doesn't subsume his own voice. H

My first encounter with Carla Scaletti was at an AES show, where she was doing personal demos of the Kyma system in a little square in the middle of the show floor. In among mic preamps and tape decks was a bunch of computer monitors and a demo station with a mic. I was blown away when Carla proceeded to use the microphone to record her voice, then use it (her voice) to do score following - it was magic to me. Since then, I've always been fascinated to see where the Kyma system appears. Often tied to serious sound designers, I saw it in studios, in background pictures of Hollywood sound-heads and in the workplaces of my friends in the game industry. I also started seeing it in academic institutions, where it was being used for both teaching/recording and research. I was so pleased when Carla said she was willing to be interviewed for the podcast. I'd recently noticed that she was pretty active in the community, having given the keynote speech at the 2015 ICMC (which was also published in the Computer Music Jo

Absynth is one of my favorite software synthesizers. It is everything you'd want in a modular system, but is packages like a standard instrument - helping smooth the way for quick-and-efficient patch development. But the level of modulation and pure sound design goodness is unparalleled - and this thing is 15 years old! It's a sign of great work when something lasts, and 15 years is forever in software terms. What makes Absynth so great? A combination of excellent design, fantastic sound and the fortitude to keep improving it the whole time. Several people have pointed to Brian as a potential interview; I finally reached out to him and found him more than willing. Then we started talking, and it turned out to be one of the great chats that I've had. Brian is a cool guy, and was willing to be introspective about his work and perspectives. I felt like I made a new friend during our discussion - and you get to hear it happen. Check out Brian's sound work at his Soundcloud page. And if you aren't using Absynth, y

I really love people that follow their passions - wherever it takes them. Logan Erickson is one of those people; his company (Low-Gain Electronics) features Eurorack modules, MU-format conversions, format jumblers, power components and other goodies. You also get a little insight into Logan's mind - he loves a lot of different things, and puts his efforts where his heart is. In our chat, we discuss the different formats, talk about the different threads of module developments, and explore some of the ideas about the comfort of different cable and mode sizes. We also talk about the nature of custom builds; how it comes about, and how it works for a professional builder. Logan combines building and playing, passion and business - and has the experience to make interesting and informed decisions. This was a fun interview with a fascinating guy - enjoy!

Jane Rigler opens a lot of doors for me. She's always been generous with her teaching opportunities, her performances and her contact; the last time I spent time with her, she told me about an upcoming performance with her friend and colleague Elizabeth Hoffman - and that Elizabeth would be a great podcast subject. When Jane speaks, I listen! This podcast is the result of that contact, and it's a great one. I really enjoy interviews where we start diving into people's motivation and concept development, and Elizabeth was more than willing to dive into that stuff. Additionally, we get a glimpse into the actual workings of a composer's career - it is never a straight line, and it is always packed full with self-education and exploration. This is an interesting chat in many ways, but it was also fun because I feel like I got to know Elizabeth a lot over the course of the 45 minutes. I hope you do as well! You can find out more at her personal NYU website, and check out her CD (which I will continue to rave about

My friend Gregory Taylor made an interesting connection for me: Ben Houge, an instructor at Berklee, also had an interesting sideline, and Gregory thought I'd be interested. And boy, was he right: Ben composes music to go along with top chef's meal presentations, creating a performance that I'm dying to check out! In our chat, I get to find out what this means, how you get the gig in the first place, and the kind of background that it takes to compose at this level. Combine this interest with Ben's background as a game composer and you clearly have an incredible chat-in-the-making. But Ben also seems to have a knack for talking to people (and getting them to talk back...), and we explore that a bit as well. You can find out more about Ben at http://benhouge.com/, his Berklee page, or hear his work on Soundcloud. But dive in deep, and you'll find an individual with an incredible and fascinating body of work. Enjoy!

When I interviewed Andrew Benson a few weeks ago, we talked about the video label that he worked with, and the fabulous people he knew from that experience. One of them, Johnny Woods, was willing to be interviewed for the podcast - and I jumped at the opportunity. A crazy-fabulous animator, modular synth nut and label/economics guru, Johnny has a great vision - and interesting opinions - on a lot of subjects. And I felt like we covered a lot of them; our discussion starts with animation and end with us taking over Silicon Valley. As a result, I'm going to have to go to LA to get the cabal rolling, but in the meantime you get to hear our chat. Enjoy listening, and make sure you check out Johnny's work at johnnywoods.com as well as the Undervolt & Co site. At the very least, take a little time out of your schedule to find some work by an artist, share it where you can, and help spread the word about the amazing art that's being made!

One of the most interesting and personable people I've met in my journey has be Stephen James Taylor. An accomplished composer and film scorer, he is also on a path that includes research into tuning systems combined with an interest in building unique instruments. The work he does ranges from Disney animation scoring to bluesy solo pieces, and he is able to weave all of his interests into an amazing sonic tapestry. In this chat, Stephen and I dive into his microtonal interests (including his work with and on Erv Wilson's tuning mapping), his background coming up in the film scoring world, and how he dealt with the various existential crises throughout his life. We also talk a lot about the conundrum of new tunings, the required new instruments, and how a body of work gets created to support them. We also talk more about instrument design, for while Stephen is a wealth of knowledge. Enjoy, and check out his work at http://www.stephenjamestaylor.com.

One of my early podcasts was with Matthew Davidson (also often known as stretta). At the time, Matthew was working with me at Cycling '74, and was also doing some teaching at Berklee School of Music and working on some monome/modular stuff. Since then, Matthew has left Cycling and has moved into a fulltime position at Berklee, so I decided to revisit our discussion, talk a little more about what things are like teaching at the school, and what it is like for students that are first attempting to take on something as heady as that program. We also get some insights into Matthew's ideas about ensemble work (with modulars!), personal practice and the excitement of teaching as a full-time gig. Enjoy!

OK, I'll admit it. Every time I've tried using a Theremin, the result have been a musical car wreck. It seems like I have no ability to control my limbs in a way that provides the instrument with what it needs, so it sounds horrible. So therefore, it is really interesting to me to talk to talented Theremin players - and this week, I talk to the best that I know: Victoria Lundy. Victoria is a solo performer and recording artist as well as a member of The Inactivists, and is active in our local Synth Meetup. I've seen her perform in a number of different gigs, and she is alway able to hold people's attention with her personal and voice-like sound. In this chat, we talk about becoming a Thereminist, choosing an instrument, and figuring out how to play before you get disillusioned and sell the instrument on eBay. We also talk about some of the idiosyncrasies when playing in a group, and even how you prepare for working in a Conduction ensemble. Fascinating details, and a great interview. You can hear Victoria's w

I really enjoy Andrew Benson's work, even if it is completely unlike anything that I would ever do myself. Maybe that's why I like it, right? Andrew embraces extremes in color, shape and glitchiness, and the result is immediately identifiable as his own. Having this unique voice has put him in the position of doing some impressive and interesting professional work, and I wanted to talk to him about the process - and the difficulties - in making these things happen. In podcast #19, Andrew talked about his background and influences, This time, he was kind enough to talk about some of his recent work, how he got the gigs, how he kept them, and how he made the decisions necessary to get the job done. He also talks about the process of moving when one has been part of a local art community (a thing close to my heart at the moment...) and how the tech is selected for a given piece or project. If you do art work of any sort, this podcast is going to be filled with information that will be important to you. So have a