Howdy! I’d like to invite you, students, and all music and music technology enthusiasts to two free events this weekend I’m producing in conjunction with two Colorado colleges I’m associated with, CU Denver and Pikes Peak State College. Both universities have graciously agreed to open the events to the larger community and students at nearby colleges for the chance to meet a legendary innovator in our field:
“Voices — An Afternoon/Evening With John Chowning”
John Chowning is a revered composer, the creator of FM synthesis (the sounds that powered many of the greatest hits of the 80s, 90s and beyond) and the founder of Stanford’s electronic music department, where I run the Recording Arts program and course every summer. Chowning and Stanford licensed the technology he created to Yamaha for the most successful keyboard in music industry history, the Yamaha DX7. He was also my Professor and Advisor as a Stanford undergrad approximately 357 years ago.
John and I reconnected as I became a teacher at Stanford, and in more depth when I heard he was coming to my concert in San Jose, CA last summer. I decided to complete a piece called Footprint I started (but never finished) in his class as an undergrad, and surprised him with it at the show. The piece has since had a ridiculous number of views and reviews for a totally uncommercial 10+ minute experimental multimedia project.
From there we hatched a plan for him to come give CO musicians a unique opportunity to meet and learn from a legendary fine art composer and mainstream music industry icon (a rare combo). The Chownings will stay with us for the weekend events, and I’ll produce a recording of his latest piece for soprano and interactive synthesis at my Reach Studios on Sunday. It’s an amazing opportunity for me, and I hope for you and your students as well! This will almost certainly be the only time he’ll ever come to Colorado, so please pass this on to your students and fellow music and music history enthusiasts.
There’s a radio interview Professor Shazia Ali and I did that’s running all week on classical radio station KCME about John Chowning, the upcoming events, and the Recording Arts program I run in the department Chowning built at Stanford:
Details at these links — I hope to see you there!
CU Denver Event: https://www.instagram.com/cudenvermeis/p/DFn62_jxPv5/
Pikes Peak Event: https://drnoize.com/an-evening-with-john-chowning
PS It’ll be an inspirational week for me, as the day after I get to hang with the man who had the first huge hit song featuring Chowning’s eventually ubiquitous DX7 bass sound, one of my pop idols Howard Jones.
Cory Cullinan / Doctor Noize
Recording & Performing Artist, Composer, Writer, Producer &Teacher
https://drnoize.com
Photo: FM Synthesizer | https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=fm%20synthesis