DEREK KWAN

computers / music / art
www.derekxkwan.com / derek.x.kwan@gmail.com

EDUCATION

• 2021 - ?: Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA)
  • Master of Science: Computer Science (specialization: Interactive Intelligence)
• 2011-2015: State University of New York, Stony Brook (Stony Brook, NY)
  • Doctor of Musical Arts: Music (Percussion)
• 2008-2010: Queens College, City University of New York (Flushing, NY)
  • Master of Arts: Music (Percussion)
• 2004-2008: University of California, Davis (Davis, CA)
  • Bachelor of Arts and Science: Music (Percussion) and General Mathematics

TECHNICAL PROFICIENCIES

• Interactive Media Programming
  • Pure Data, SuperCollider, Max/MSP, Processing, p5.js, Three.js, OpenFrameworks, TidalCycles
• Digital Audio Workstations
  • Logic, Ableton Live, Ardour
• Audio Programming in C
  • Pure Data externals
• Frontend and Backend Web Development
  • HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Node.js/Express, ClojureScript, React, PHP
• Other Programming
  • Python, Ruby, Clojure, C, (basic) Haskell
• Basic 3D Modeling
  • Blender
• Graphic Design
  • GIMP
• Basic Physical Computing
  • Arduino, Raspberry Pi
• Audio Engineering
  • Studio and Live Recording, Live Sound Engineering
• Music Engraving Software
  • LilyPond
• Other
  • Linux

PRESENTATIONS / WORKSHOPS

• June 15-16, 2021: New Interfaces for Musical Expression 2021 (NYU Shanghai)
  • question and answer session with Anne Sophie Andersen on our 3D visualization work of Grisey's Talea using web technology
• March 14, 2021: McGill Music Graduate Symposium
  • recorded virtual paper presentation of "Karaoke of Dreams: A multi-modal neural-network generated music experience" with Sofy Yuditskaya and Sophia Sun
• October 20, 2020: CSMC + MuMe - 2020 Joint Conference on AI Music Creativity
  • YouTube stream of paper presentation of "Karaoke of Dreams: A multi-modal neural-network generated music experience" with Sofy Yuditskaya and Sophia Sun
• March 2, 2020: TidalCycles Live Coding Workshop (Bombay Beach, CA)
  • Workshop at brahman.ai on the TidalCycles Live Coding Environment
• October 27, 2018: Bates Digital Music Symposium (Lewiston, ME)
  • presentation and performance of Derek Kwan - socketMusic: wireless (new 2018 revision) for improvised percussion, electronic sound, and mobile devices
• November 19, 2016: Fifth Internatitonal Pure Data Convention
  • Presentation of "Cloning Max/MSP Objects: a Proposal for the Upgrade of Cyclone" with Alexandre Torres Porres and Matt Barber

EXHIBITIONS

• 2020: Small File Media Festival (Vancouver, BC)
  • a festival dedicated to small files featuring my video bombaybeach
• 2019: Music Makers Art Exhibition at Hacker Lab (Sacramento, CA)
  • Featuring art made by musicians featuring my computer-generated visual art
• 2019: The Brickhouse Art Gallery (Sacramento, CA)
  • Month-long curation of art by Derek Kwan, Tavarus Blackmon, and Boris Allenou

FELLOWSHIPS / RESIDENCIES

• 2022: Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (Amherst, VA)
  • composer residency
• 2020: Art-a-Hack Dancedemic (New York, NY / remote)
  • remote hackathon in conjunction with Battery Dance Festival
• 2020: Bombay Radical Artificial Humanist Media Arts Nexus (Bombay Beach, CA)
• 2010: Bang on a Can Summer Music Institute (North Adams, MA)
  • Performance Fellow
• 2008: soundSCAPE Composer and Performance Exchange (Pavia, Italy)
  • Performance Fellow
• 2007: International Marimba Festival (Salzburg, Austria)
  • Performance Fellow

WRITING

• 2021: "Grisey’s 'Talea': Musical Representation As An Interactive 3D Map" - with Anne Sophie Andersen
• 2020: "Karaoke of Dreams: A multi-modal neural-network generated music experience" - with Sofy Yuditskaya and Sophia Sun
• 2016: "Cloning Max/MSP Objects: a Proposal for the Upgrade of Cyclone" - with Alexandre Torres Porres and Matt Barber

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

• September 2017- December 2017: University of California, Davis Department of Music (Davis, CA)
  • Temporary Lecturer
  • Teaching the undergraduate course Music 107A: "Introduction to Electronic Music I" featuring a general overview of electronic music history (musique conrcète, elektronische musik, soundscape composition, etc.) and studio basics (sound editors, DAWs, microphones, mixers, speakers, etc.) with a focus on fixed-media composition

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• April 2020 - current: Art Music Lit Space ( https://art-music-lit.space )
  • music/digital art curator for the virtual exhibition space
  • write content (statements on curated art, exhibition statements, etc.) for the exhibition website
  • help organize the virtual receptions and other events
  • manage the Twitter account
• September 2013 - August 2015: Stony Brook University Teaching Learning Lab (Stony Brook NY)
  • Lab Assistant/Programmer
  • Worked with faculty on interactive digital media projects (Max/MSP/Jitter, Pure Data/GEM, Processing, SuperCollider, etc.) investigating novel methods of human-computer interaction (webcam, Kinect, NeuroSky MindWave, etc.) Full-stack web application development (PHP, AngularJS, jQuery, etc.) for class-oriented learning tools and data visualization
• July 2013 - December 2013: Stony Brook University Music Library (Stony Brook, NY)
  • Audio/Video Collections Manager
  • Archival and reproduction of the music library’s analog and digital media
  • Oversaw music library technology (computer carrels, smart-board-equipped conference room, etc.)
• August 2012 - August 2013: Stony Brook University Computer Music Studio (Stony Brook, NY)
  • Graduate Assistant
  • Live sound reinforcement and technology management for music department concerts
  • Setup and run a new campus recording studio
• August 2011 - June 2012: Stony Brook University Contemporary Chamber Players (Stony Brook, NY)
  • Graduate Assistant (Stony Brook, NY)
  • Assist with the organization and planning of concerts and rehearsals
• September 2010 - July 2011: Private Instructor in Percussion (Flushing, NY)
  • Freelance
  • Taught private lessons in percussion to students ranging from high school students to adults

SELECTED PERFORMANCES

• October 7, 2020: NODE20 Second Nature
  • Caider livestream
• July 18, 2020: Network Music Festival
  • Caider (music livecoding with visualist Cai Rhuturaje) livestreaming at Toplap Berlin VR Algorave Mozilla Hubs venue
• May 16-20 2016: Fifth International Pure Data Convention (PdCon16) (New York, NY)
  • Derek Kwan - shoebox memories (Pd version), Hans Tammen - Dark Circuits Pd Orchestra
• June 13, 2016: New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival (New York, NY)
  • Derek Kwan - airportmusic
• February 25, 2016: UC Davis Shinkoskey Noon Concert (Davis, CA)
  • Solo percussion/electronics recital featuring works by Derek Kwan, Jason Eckardt, Martin Matalon, and Karlheinz Stockhausen
• June 26, 2015: New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival (New York, NY)
  • Derek Kwan - shoebox memories (2014/revised 2015) for kalimba and SuperCollider
  • Nat Grant - With the Inside Where the Outside Should Be for vibraphone with digital integration
• June 5, 2014: New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival (New York, NY)
  • Ethan Greene - Lissajous for vibraphone and Max/MSP
• April 5, 2013: New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival (New York, NY)
  • Mei Fang Lin - Flux for marimba and electronic sound
• June 19, 2011: Bang on a Can Marathon (New York, NY)
  • Anthony Gatto - Portrait of Eva Hesse for percussion ensemble
• October 31, 2010: Tibetan Singing Bowl Ensemble, Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, NY)
  • Raphael Mostel - Music for the October Moon
• April 2, 2009: New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival (New York, NY)
  • Courtney Brown - losing love in magnetic time for marimba and vibraphone (with Adam Forman, vibraphone)