about me upcoming events current projects compositions performance code classes contact
CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION: NEW SITE COMING SOON!
About me

My name's Drew. I'm simutaneoulsy active as a composer, performer, conductor, programmer, researcher and craftsman. I've been recently interested in composing staged theatrical works for musicians, which usually involves building instruments, writing software, and exploring the limits of the absurd. I draw ideas from video games, dada, and the South.

I have worked with various performers and collaborators from time to time. I was recently commissioned by Dustin Donahue to compose a collection of fifty 5-second pieces, titled "Microworks" as well as Steve Solook for a piece for percussionist and sentient electronics. I have also recently accepted a commission for a new work for Kobayashi Trio and a new work for pierrot ensemble.

As a performer, I regular perform new and used-to-be-new works that involve tuba, voice, laptop, and/or involvement in performance art. I play with the free improvisation group Smooth Badger and occaissionally with the new music ensemble Palimpsest. As a software developer, I have engineered algorithms for tracking rhythm in variable tempo performance. I'm also working on pedagogical software with Ed Harkins to teach advanced rhythm concepts. As a researcher, I have looked at the works of Takemitsu, Partch and Varese, tuning theory, traditional Japanese music, rhythm theory and improvisation. As an instrument builder, I have designed and built a 6-stone set of bianquing (large hanging stone chimes), a 45-string microtonal harp and several ad-hock instruments used in my staged works.

My music has recieved occaissional recognition from various institutions, but I've recently declined to submit works to most competitions on grounds of artistic integrity. I have also recieved many grants and scholarships to provide me with the financial support to complete my various academic and professional projects. I am currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Music from the University of California: San Diego (UCSD) and received my MA in Composition from the Eastman School of Music and my BM in Composition from the University of South Carolina (USC). More detailed information can be found on my C.V.

Upcoming Events
Recent Past Events

Computer Music Concert

8pm

12/1/2011

The Computer Music grad students put on a show of noise, glitch, and general computational amazingness. I'll have a 10-minute set based on a single line of code.

CPMC Experimental Theatre

IN CONCERT: Dustin Donahue, percussionist

8pm

10/25/2011

Percussionist premieres new solo works by Andrew Allen, Carolyn Chen, and Paul Hembree alongside compositions by Peter Ablinger and Thomas Meadowcroft.

CPMC Experimental Theatre

Current Projects

JPOPERA, a theater work for soprano and chamber ensemble

*JPOPERA* (A Very Stupidly-Named Working Title) is piece I've working on that explores regret, loss, beauty, anger and love. It involves theatrics, various degrees of dance/acting from all musicians, mechanical contraptions, noise improvisation and japanese pop music-flavors. It is written as a companion work to accompany Pierrot Lunaire with 3 other composers during an April concert @ UCSD (produced by Susan Narucki & Philippe Manoury). It is made in collaboration with performers Bonnie Lander, soprano; Sam Dunscombe, clarinet; Rachel Beetz, flute; Jennifer Bewerse, cello; and Steve Lewis, piano.

GRE: Graduate Rhythmic Examination, for percussion and sentient electronics
commissioned by Steve Solook

GRE is a work in progress that is taking some time to mature. It is a piece that involves a computer-administered "test" in the form of a series of short rhythmic exercises that the percussionist plays. After playing each exercise, the computer "grades" the performer on her ability to play the example correctly and then creates a new piece of music for her to play. The project involves many aspects of complex creative and technical aspects, including the development of many compositional and analysis algorithms, including one that can track rhythm in variable tempo as well as much custom software development that integrates (and sometimes involves the writing of custom APIs) of lilypond, portaudio, poppler, cairo and gtk in a single cross-platform application. The idea behind this is that I can give a performer a single file and she can perform it from her laptop, easily and without issue. The piece is steadily developing and I will post screenshots of the work as it comes around.

Compositions

2011 2010 2009 2008 (selections)

  • Microworks, for solo percussion
    PDF
  • 9 Idiotic Plays on Plantation Idioms, for percussion trio
  • 72 degrees Farenheit, perfect for Sunday Sun-dried Sundries like these..., for electronics
  • free_and_easy_wandering, for narrator and stenographer
    PDF
  • Lapis Lazuli, for solo percussion
  • Ibis Pond, for piano and electronics
  • Leaflet, for flute and piano
    PDF
  • Angel Oak, for string orchestra
  • Taint Sysia, for female voice and stone chimes
    PDF
  • Railroad Song, for piano
    PDF
  • Kraken Engorges, for chamber orchestra
    PDF
  • Alcestis' departure from Lemon Island, for viola and harp
    PDF
  • Keichu's Wheel, for flute, two harps and two percusionists
    PDF
  • just studies..., for electronics
  • The Dream, for two pianos
    PDF
  • Reflections of Lowcountry Marshland, for carillon
    PDF
  • solo from "Ruins of an Athenian Factory", for bass

Performance

tuba improvisation performance art

I play a 5-value 5/4 CC Musica Tuba and a 3-value Ebb Conn "Naked Lady" Sousaphone. I've been playing tubas for over a decade, and I received a Tuba performance certificate during my Bachelor's studies at USC, where I worked with Ronald Davis. I've learned a lot on how to extend my chops by performing, improvising, and collaborating with various fantastic musicians from all over the world, playing old and new music. Last year I improvised with George Lewis and performed Varese under the baton of Steve Schick.

Code

I've been programming for almost two decades; I started by learning BASIC when I would go with my mother to her college classes. My first "program" in QBASIC was a drawing of 4 birds on 4 telephone lines that would chirp and flap their wings, all in DOS' 160x120x16 glory. (That's 16 colors, not 16-bit). Since then, I've slowly assessed more and more ambitious projects, usually without much if any instruction or guidance. I occaissionally write software that I think other people would really like, and for those cases, I will share source code and compiled binaries (when available) on this site.

CAGE IN THE FOREST WITH MUSHROMS

A Contemporary-Classical-Nerd's game for OSX/Linux (guide John with the arrow keys to collect mushrooms while avoiding Wagner(s)). Should work for 10.6... not tested on anything else, so no guarantees. Written as a belated birthday present.


Controls:

  • ENTER - Start / Restart Game

  • Up/Down/Left/Right Arrow Keys - Move John Cage


Download links: OS X Linux

Classes

MUS13AS: Music of Asia and Oceania