Adam C. Murphy COMPOSER, CLARINETIST, EDUCATOR Adam Murphy is a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee where he is pursuing a Masters in Music Composition and Technology. He holds Bachelor degrees in Music Composition and Music Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where he was also the recipient of an Undergraduate Student Excellence Award and an Undergraduate Research Assistantship. His compositions have been recognized by the South Eastern Composers' League twice, as well as by the UC Davis Summer Arts Program and the New York Art Ensemble. Mr. Murphy has been commissioned by both UNCG’s Faculty Reed Trio, EastWind Trio d’Anches, and the NC Works for Bass Trombone Project. Notably his work has been performed by Eighth Blackbird in the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts in Davis, California. Mr. Murphy is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honors Society, and Society of Composers Inc. acmurphy(at)uwm.edu

"A Sonic Evolution of Life on Earth" ***LIVE STREAM***   UWM Graduate Thesis Composition   Imagine compressing the 4 billion year history of life on earth into a single week. Now imagine that during this week you could “hear” the evolution of life on earth as represented in sound. How would these sounds develop, interact, and compete with in this sound world? What would speciation, adaptation, and extinction sound like? How would the rise of mankind, which occurs in the last seconds of the week, inform our perspective and understanding of our role in the elaborate process that is life on earth?   To answers these questions I have programmed a software environment that chronicles the history of life on earth as a week long, surround sound experience. Every sound you hear is manufactured in real time by algorithmic systems that emulate evolutionary processes. As a result, simple blips and clicks evolve over time into more complex sounds and textures. These resulting lineages of sound are in constant competition for available resources, which determines the chances of a sound’s survival. Furthermore, sounds that deplete their available resources too quickly face extinction.   The overall form of the piece reflects changing conditions on earth. During the week, one can hear the following trends:   Origin of Life on Earth - Thursday at 6PM Appearance of Oxygen Producing Bacteria - Friday Late Morning Increased Oxygen production - Sunday Morning Oxygen Rich Atmosphere - Monday Morning First Complex Single Celled Life - Monday Afternoon Simple Multicellular Life - Tuesday Evening Complex Multi-cellular Life (Cambrian Explosion) - Wednesday Evening The “Big 5” Extinctions - Throughout Thursday The Dawn of Mankind - Thursday at 5:59:40PM Your Lifetime - Thursday 10 Milliseconds before 6PM     SCROLL DOWN TO LISTEN TO MORE OF MY COMPOSITIONS OR VISIT ME AT:   YouTube for my latest electronic music improvisation performances   RESUMÉ   EDUCATION The University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee; Fall 2006 - Present Master of Music in Composition and Technology; In Progress Overall GPA: 4.0   The University of North Carolina at Greensboro; Fall 2001 - Fall 2005 Bachelor of Music in Composition; Spring 2005 Bachelor of Music in Education; Fall 2005 Overall GPA: 3.8   HONORS UWM Music Theory Graduate Teaching Assistantship. (2006) UWM Chancellor’s Graduate Student Award. (2006) UNCG Student Excellence Award, UNCG’s Highest Honor for an Undergraduate. (2005) Thomas J. Stone Award, most outstanding performer in music education (2005) UNCG James and Frances C. Ferguson Merit Scholarship. (2001-2005) UNCG Elizabeth Fulton Van Noppen Music Scholarship. (2001-2005) UC Davis Summer Arts Scholarship. (2003) Agilent Technologies College Scholarship. (2001)   ACHIEVEMENTS UNCG Undergraduate Research Assistant, Creatively arranged and notated Dr. Mark Engebretson’s orchestral work, “Duo Concertante,” for piano. The resulting score was published by Effiny Music and presented at UNCG Student Excellence Day. (2004)   Music Copyist, Created computer generated music scores for composer Russell Peck. Responsibilities required the use of professional music notation software and effective long distance internet communication. (2003-present)   Published by Gold Branch Music for “Viscous Trombone Experience.” (2004)   Substitute Professor and Guest Lecturer, Guilford College, Greensboro, NC. (2004) Presented a lecture about the history of the clarinet to an undergraduate music appreciation class using live demonstrations and recordings. Engaged students in discussion, critical listening exercises, and reflective writing assignments.   New York Art Ensemble Young Composers Competition, Awarded honorable mention for “A One Act in Two Parts for Flute, Clarinet, Viola, and Cello.” (2004)   Eighth Blackbird Premiere Performance of “A One Act in Two Parts for Flute, Clarinet, Viola, and Cello” at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts; Davis, California. (2003)   UC Davis Summer Arts Young Composers Competition, Awarded first place for “A One Act in Two Parts for Flute, Clarinet, Viola, and Cello.” (2003)   South Eastern Composer’s League Young Composers Competition, Awarded second place for “Visual Dyes: Five Mallet Percussion Duets.” (2003)   South Eastern Composer’s League Young Composers Competition, Awarded honorable mention for “Four Movements for Unaccompanied Clarinet.” (2002)   ORGANIZATIONS Society of Composers Inc., Collegiate Music Educators National Conference, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Music Fraternity, UNCG School of Music Curriculum Committee, UNCG School of Music Student Advisory Committee     COMPOSITIONS TO DATE ·        VERGE for Flute, Guitar, Piano, and Percussion (2006) Premiered by Noise contemporary music ensemble ·        A Digital Imprisonment of the Star Spangled Banner in quad surround sound (2006) ·        Drummers Get All the Chicks for Malletkat and Pure Data Software (2006) ·        Cameoflage for Alto Saxophone and String Quartet (2005) ·        Shift for Solo Piano (2005) ·        Synthetic Read for Eb Contra Alto Clarinet and Digital Media (2005) ·        Viscous Trombone Experience (2004) Commissioned by the NC Works for Bass Trombone Project Published by Gold Branch Music, Inc. ·        3000 Joules in the Chest for Reed Trio (2004) Commissioned and premiered by the UNCG faculty reed trio, EastWind Trio d’Anches ·        Intuitions for Cello and Piano (2004) ·        Surroundings (2004) 5.1 Surround Sound Concept Recording ·        Enraging Patch Adams (2004) Analog Synthesis Study ·        Water Music Vol. 1 (2004) Musique Concrete Study ·        A One Act in Two Parts for Flute, Clarinet, Viola, and Cello (2003) First Place - UC Davis Summer Arts Young Composers Competition Honorable Mention - New York Art Ensemble Young Composers Competition Performed by Eighth Blackbird in the Mondavi Center in Davis California ·        Visual Dyes – 5 Mallet Percussion Duets (2002) Second Place – South Eastern Composers League Young Composers Competition ·        Centrifusion – A Mallet Percussion Trio (2002) ·        A Fantasy for Piano (2002) ·        Four Movements for Unaccompanied Clarinet (2001) Honorable Mention – South Eastern Composers League Young Composers Competition

Compositions

A One Act in Two Parts for flute, clarinet, viola, and cello

A One Act in Two Parts for flute, clarinet, viola, and cello.mp3 - complete

(As performed by members of Eighth Blackbird in the Mondavi Center for Performing Arts, Davis, CA.) One Act in Two Parts was awarded First Prize in the UC Davis Summer Art's Young Composers Competition and received honorable mention from the New York Art Ensemble. A One Act in Two Parts explores dramatic relationships among four instrumentalists. The players convey strong emotions in several abstract scenarios. However, the players do not narrate a definite program. Rather, they are encouraged to dramatize all dynamic and rhythmic contrasts so that the listener can experience a musical continuum of personal emotions and reactions. A listener can choose to either listen leisurely allowing the music to unconsciously play with their emotions or to hang on tightly as the motives of this quick paced piece of about five minutes fly by!

3000 Joules in the Chest for oboe, clarinet, and bassoon

3000 Joules in the Chest for oboe, clarinet, and bassoon.mp3 - complete

(As performed by the UNCG faculty reed trio Eastwind Trio d'Anches.) 3000 Joules in the Chest was written very quickly during one of the hardest weeks in my life and then revised multiple times during the next few months with the guidance of Dr. Mark Engebretson and Dr. David Maslanka. My purpose for composing the piece was to distract myself from painful and depressing thoughts. As a result the music sometimes displays the conscious and unconscious emotions that arouse when composing, while at other times the overriding pain and anger that I was attempting to suppress rears its ugly head

Viscous Trombone Experience for bass trombone and optional drum set

Viscous Trombone Experience for bass trombone and optional drum set.mp3 - complete

(As performed by Aaron Misenheimer on the NC Works for Bass Trombone Tour.) Viscous Trombone Experience is a feel good work of rock, rhythm, and energy. Following a calm introduction of a free expressive theme the piece jumps into a hammering mood inspired by contemporary progressive rock music. As the piece progresses, the motives are fractured and rearranged to form new unexpected phrases and relationships. The calm expressive theme that begins the piece finally returns with tremendous energy, though it is now entirely transformed by the piece’s energy and rhythmic drive. The work was commissioned by Aaron Misenheimer for the NC Works for Bass Trombone project and is published by Gold Branch Music.

Cameoflage for alto saxophone and string quartet

Cameoflage for alto saxophone and string quartet.mp3 - complete

(As performed by Brent Davis on my Senior Composition Recital at UNCG.) Cameoflage was written at the request of saxophonist Brent Davis for performance on his last graduate recital. As a result, the piece reflects Brent’s preference for jazz saxophone and new music and my preference for rhythmic complexity and an intuitive chromatic language. The result is a piece that is an amalgamation of both of our personalities. It is in a two part form, the first of which is slow and lyrical and the second of which is fast and jagged.

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Adam Murphy is a member of Society of Composers, Inc. SCI is dedicated to the promotion of composition, performance, understanding and dissemination of new and contemporary music.