Who am I?
I am an American composer living and working in France. I came to France to study at the CCMIX (formerly les Ateliers UPIC), a small school for experimental electronic music founded by the composer Iannis Xenakis. I began playing for contemporary dance classes at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP) in 2002. Soon after, I met my wife and decided to settle in France.
What kind of music do I compose?
Much of the music that you find on this site was originally composed in collaboration with contemporary dance creations.
It is mostly experimental in nature. I tend to compose directly with the material of sound rather than with the organization of notes. But, since the piano is my first instrument, melody and harmony play an important role in my musical creations although their presence is not always apparent.
What inspires me to create?
The music that I create is often inspired by movement.
This may be in relation to a specific choreography that I am contributing music to, or to the natural gestures and flow that one experiences in nature, or in man-made things, or to the rhythms of daily life in contemporary society.
How should one approach my music?
I like to think of my musical compositions as sonic sculptures.
To better understand and appreciate my music, I suggest approaching it from various perspectives, as one does in viewing creations in the plastic arts. While in the presence of an intriguing or unusual physical object, a person usually makes an initial overall assessment, then maybe approaches for a closer look. They may then decide to step back in order to concentrate on the overall shape or to see the object in the context of the space in which it co-exists.
A person can appreciate my music in a similar way. At first, we can listen casually at a comfortable medium volume level. This allows the listener to acquire a rough first impression of the work. At this point, we may decide to attempt a closer examination. For this, we may choose to listen at a louder volume, in a state of more careful concentration, attempting to perceive or take in the smaller details of the musical fabric. In my opinion, it is also important to listen to this music at a very low volume level while simply focusing on the most general, obvious aspects of the music. This is the best way that I know of to capture the global shape of the sonic events. This, to continue the metaphor of observing sculptures, or objects, is to experience the work from a great distance. I also suggest listening to my music without making a conscious effort at all to listen. I am not at all opposed to the idea of background music. I believe that more often than not we may be listening in some important way even though we may not be aware of it.
