Molk 1 DAVID MOLK 2190 E 11th Ave, Ap 521 Denver, CO 80206 (860) 966-3802 (cell) [email protected] www.molkmusic.com

Education PRINCETON UNIVERSITY, Princeton, NJ Ph.D Music Composition, July 2016 M.A. Music Composition, May 2013 • Dissertation: • Composition Component—softer shadows (percussion quartet for two vibraphones in two movements, 35 minutes) • Research Component: Classical Form in EDM: Ambiguities in BT’s • Advisor: Dan Trueman • Composition Studies: Dan Trueman, Paul Lansky, Steven Mackey, Dmitri Tymoczko, Juri Seo, Donnacha Dennehy, Barbara White

TUFTS UNIVERSITY, Medford, MA M.A. Music Composition, May 2011 • Thesis: String Quartet No. 1 (3 movements, 30 minutes) • Advisor: John McDonald • Composition Studies: John McDonald

BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC, , MA B.M. magna cum laude, Composition, December 2008

MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE, Middlebury, VT B.A. magna cum laude, Math and Economics, May 2004 • Honors Thesis: A Mathematical Survey of Game Theory: Games of Incomplete Information

Significant Compositions loss, found—Vibraphone solo, premiere at Georgetown University with national release at PASIC 2018

Dreams—Percussion trio plus electronics, premiered at 2016 and performed at Friends University, Furman Univesity, Georgetown University, Princeton University, and venues in Quebec. murmur—Percussion quartet (two vibes), premiered at SoSI 2015 and subsequently performed by Sandbox Percussion, Sō Percussion, and students at University of Nebraska (Lincoln), Northern Illinois University, Ohio University, Salisbury, Vanderbilt, among others.

Spice—Seven solos for steel pan (double seconds), many of which are recital standards.

Olde Dirty Beathoven (https://soundcloud.com/oldedirtybeathoven)

Molk 2 Significant Commissions Mobius Percussion, percussion quartet, ongoing David Degge, percussion solo, ongoing CHannel2 Duo, percussion duo, ongoing TV Percussion, percussion duo, ongoing Excelsis Percussion, percussion quartet, ongoing Colin Malloy plus consortium, steel pan solo, finished 12/18 MUSIC822 for Sandbox Percussion, please don’t go (percussion quartet), finished 10/18 Cisum Percussion, For Those Who DREAM (percussion quartet), finished 9/17 New Works Project, hope (glockenspiel solo), finished 9/17 Joe McCarthy, breaking (percussion quartet plus drumset soloist), finished 2/17 Daniel Heagney plus consortium, loss, found (vibraphone solo), finished 12/16

Teaching Experience GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, Washington, D.C. Fall 2016—Spring 2019 Assistant Teaching Professor

• Elements of Music First course of a comprehensive two-part music theory sequence that incorporates rock/pop, , electronic, and hip-hop alongside Western art music.

• Advanced Harmony Second course of a comprehensive two-part music theory sequence that incorporates rock/pop, jazz, electronic, and hip-hop alongside Western art music.

• Composition Seminar A combination workshop/lecture course exploring how larger compositional issues manifest across genres. Culminates with a residency where students work with professional musicians and hear their pieces performed.

• The Art of DJing: Mix to Remix A combination workshop/lecture course focused on using the software Ableton Live to learn various DJing techniques, make mixtapes, and produce original tracks.

• Senior Capstone Advisor Supervised the creation of a composition portfolio, student-produced concert, and a reflective essay on the process for each student advisee.

• Independent Studies in Composition and Theory Each Independent Study is specially tailored to accommodate the needs and desires of that particular student. Some of the topics covered include orchestral writing, beat sequencing, theories of sonata form, and guitar musicianship, among others.

Molk 3 RUTGERS UNIVERSITY, Camden, NJ Fall 2015—2016 Adjunct Instructor

• Music Theory 1 Designed and taught a comprehensive approach to basic music theory and musicianship.

• Music Theory 2 Designed and taught a comprehensive approach to basic music theory and musicianship (second part of a two-class sequence).

PRINCETON UNIVERSITY, Princeton, NJ Fall 2012—2016 Teaching Assistant

• Music Theory Through Performance and Composition, Dmitri Tymoczko Fall 2015 Taught basic music theory and analysis.

• 16th Century Counterpoint, Dan Trueman Fall 2014 Taught Palestrina-based countrapuntal principles to students twice a week. Gave multiple lectures.

• Computer and , Jeff Snyder Spring 2014 Assisted with course design, taught composition and programming with Max/MSP and Chuck coding languages. Gave multiple lectures.

• Beginning Workshop in Composition, Paul Lansky Fall 2013 Co-taught basic compositional strategies to student groups in a workshop environment. Gave multiple lectures.

• When Music is Made, Paul Lansky Fall 2012 Taught fundamental musical principles and ear training to students twice a week.

TUFTS UNIVERSITY, Medford, MA Fall 2009—Spring 2011 Teaching Assistant

• Introduction to Western Music, Gil Rose Fall 2009 Taught basic musicianship skills.

• Principles of Tonal Theory I, Janet Schmalfeldt Fall 2010 Taught basic harmonic principles, formal function, and analysis.

• Principles of Tonal Theory II, Janet Schmalfeldt Spring 2011 Taught basic harmonic principles, formal function, and analysis.

Molk 4 CAMBRIDGE CENTER FOR ADULT EDUCATION, Cambridge, MA Fall 2009—Spring 2011 Teacher

• The Beethoven Symphonies Overview of Beethoven’s symphonies, with a focus on form and motivic development.

• Beyond Tonality: An Exploration of the Music of the First Half of the Twentieth Century Survey of major and their significant works in various post-tonal genres.

• String Quartets Introduction to the quartet repertoire, focusing primarily on the Classical Style.

• The Romantic Period and Nationalism Survey of representative composers and their significant works.

• Song Cycles Exploration of some of the major song cycles of the Romantic Period.

Fellowships and Awards Faculty Fellowship for the Doyle Engaging Difference Program 2017-2018 Student Nominee for 12th Annual College Honors Ceremony 2018 CNDLS Curricular Enrichment Grant recipient 2017-2018 CNDLS Curricular Enrichment Grant recipient 2016-2017

Conferences New Music DC September 2018 • Co-Organizer, Co-Producer

CCON Summit: Building Brave Spaces for Undocumented Students April 2018 • Co-Organizer, Co-Producer • Presenter, “UndocuAllies in Higher Ed”

PASIC November, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 • Member of Living Room Music (formally Percussion at Princeton) • My composition, buzzed, was featured on a 2017 Showcase Concert

Pink Floyd: Sounds, Sights, and Structure April 2014

• Interdisciplinary conference featuring panel discussions, lectures, screenings, concerts, jam sessions, 5.1 Surround playback, with keynote speaker James Guthrie, Grammy winner and longtime Pink Floyd producer/engineer. • Co-Organizer, Co-Producer, and Co-Moderator • Presenter, “Space and Repetition in David Gilmour’s Guitar Solos”

Molk 5 • , A Medley Full of Hits, premiered by Gilad Cohen and PUBLIQuartet • https://pinkfloydconference.princeton.edu/

Publications Articles • “Beethoven’s Tempest Sonata: Ambiguity and Largo-Allegro Hybrid Passages” (forthcoming in Indiana Theory Review, volume 36) • “Questioning the Curriculum: Structural Inequalities as White Supremacy in Basic Music Theory Pedagogy” (under consideration for Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy)

Essays • Ghosts in the Machine: Sampling Dr. King (Sounding Out!) • Programming for Justice (New Music Box) • Speak Now: Music of the Travel Ban (New Music Box)

Guest Lectures, Talks, and Panels Faculty participant in POD 2018: HALC, May 2018 Faculty Panel for Teach the Speech Initiative, 1/9/2018 Georgetown USAT Faculty Representative, Clean Dream Act Hill Campaign, 12/4/2017 Moderator, UndocuHoya AAPI panel, 11/16/2017 Masterclass, ensemble coaching, Cisum Percussion’s “Composing for Percussion” Workshop, 2017 Masterclass and ensemble coaching, Sandbox Percussion Seminar at NYU Steinhardt, 2017 Masterclass and lessons, So Percussion Summer Institute (SoSI) at Princeton University, 2017 UMD Composition Talk 4/7/2016 Salisbury Percussion Festival featured composer, Salisbury University 4/9/2016

Media Appearances http://www.thehoya.com/musicians-take-stand-2017/ http://www.usatoday.com/videos/life/music/2016/12/30/deconstructing-chainsmokers'-song- 'closer'/96011488/

Service Denver Antiracist Book Club Founder 2019-present Casa de Paz volunteer 2019-present Friday Music Series Co-Director 2017-2019 FTNTL Faculty Merit Review Committee 2017 New Works Project Board Member 2018-present District New Music Coalition Co-Founder, Leadership Committee 2017-2019 Georgetown Undocumented Student Advisory Team Member 2017-2019 Cross Campus Organizing Network Steering Committee 2017-2019

Molk 6 Discography Living Room Music, OMR 002, featuring After One More Revolution gathering blue released by Righteous Girls, featuring Edge New Focus Records

Technological Proficiency Ableton Live, Sibelius, Max/MSP, Chuck.

MOLK

Selected Worklist 2019 commission for CHannel2 Duo, ongoing commission for David Degge, ongoing commission for Mobius Percussion, ongoing commission for Excelsis Percussion, ongoing I also have 3 EPs coming out over the next 6 months, including an ambient , an electro-acoustic album featuring my concert works, and a progressive house album.

2018 cycles Commissioned by a consortium led by Colin Malloy, cycles is a collection of four solos for lead steel pan. Lasting approximately 20 minutes, cycles continues to explore the softer, more lyrical side of the instrument, as I did in Spice. please don’t go Commissioned by Justin Sergi for Sandbox Percussion, please don’t go builds slowly and finishes in a dramatic, powerful climax.

2017 Breaking Commissioned by Joe McCarthy, Breaking is a 5-minute adrenaline-fest for drum kit plus four percussionists on multi-setups. The piece culminates in a fiery open improvisation section for kit to foreground the drummer. hope hope was commissioned by New Works Project (formally New Works for Percussion Project. I chose the title to reflect specifically the feelings of a soon-to-be parent for the continued health and well-being of the baby and more generally that we as a society can overcome the shit show of our current administration and get to a better place where all of us can thrive. 5 minutes in duration. to those who DREAM Commissioned by Cisum Percussion for their inaugural “Composing for Percussion” workshop, to those who DREAM was written as a statement of solidarity during the late 2017 push for a DREAM Act to support qualified undocumented populations. Score proceeds go directly to United We Dream. For percussion quartet with SATB parts for the performers.

2016 Another Night For percussion quartet, another night is pure in an entirely MOLK acoustic realm. For two vibraphones, 5-octave marimba, glockenspiel, and drum set, another night opens in an ambient world that soon gives way to a head-nodding, toe-tapping groove. Whether united in syncopation or rocking hard in the pocket, another night is joyful both to listen to and to play. Approximately 11 minutes in duration. atoms Commissioned by Justin Greene, atoms is for solo glockenspiel. The exclusive use of ping pong balls as mallets/sound generators explores a decidedly different side of the instrument. atoms culminates in some particularly gnarly two-in-one-hand ping pong ball action. Approximately 7.5 minutes in duration. chugging, churning Commissioned by Evan Miller, chugging, churning is a solo for multi-percussion setup. This piece is ferocious! A sea of polyrhythms, build-ups, and drops make chugging, churning a continuous adrenaline-filled ride. Approximately 7.5 minutes in duration. dreams Written for SoSI 2016, dreams premiered as a trio plus electronics. Two non-pitched multi-setups anchor dreams, their complicated rhythms alternating dialogue and unison yet always supporting and propelling the piece forward to ever-greater highs. A virtuosic vibraphone is placed front and center, weaving in and out of the electronics (live mixed or pre-recorded), creating pulsating melodies that flicker with colorful licks. Approximately 10 minutes in duration. loss, found loss, found was commissioned by a consortium led by Daniel Heagney. Its technical challenges (especially in terms of rhythmic independence in the hands) never gets in the way of its lyricism. The quotation in the score refers to the 2016 election, which inspired the middle section of the piece. loss, found is about 13 minutes long. Unsteady Unsteady is a two-movement commission by Steady State for two percussionists. dirt, for woodblocks and snare drums, explores the friction that results from different degrees of time slippage, from a slight friction to a major rupture. The second movement, glimpse, uses prepared vibraphone to create an ambient world full of unexplored colors. Unsteady is approximately 30 minutes.

2015 buzzed For prepared vibraphone (with snare and pedal kick) and melodic instrument, buzzed embraces the multiple meanings of its title. The relentlessly collapsing rhythmic groupings ticked off by the snare keep both audience and performers on the knife’s edge, the melodic cell just glitchy enough to prevent our gaining solid gound while we race towards the finish. buzzed is approximately 7 minutes in duration. fade to light fade to light is an extended exploration of the softer sound world I’ve recently been MOLK tilling. Like murmur, fade to light is written for two vibraphones and features an assortment of new techniques and sonic territories. Approximately 12 minutes in duration. murmur Written for SoSI 2015, murmur is published by Long Echo Music. For four players and two vibraphones, murmur explores new sounds and techniques to create an incredibly intimate performing and listening experience. Approximately 14 minutes in duration. rush Written for So Percussion and premiered May 2015, rush explores the manipulation of the flow of time in creating dramatic builds. Using both continuous and discrete tempi shifts performed by the quartet simultaneously, rush never quite loses the feeling of the groove, the performers locked in with the four-on-the-floor as the pulse itself accelerates and decelerates. Approximately 10 minutes in duration. Spice A collection of seven solos for steel pan (double seconds) that explore the softer, more lyrical side of the instrument. Pieces include: Clavo, Comino, Anís, Cacao, Sal, Azúcar, and Canela, and the collection lasts approximately 30 minutes.

2014 A Medley Full of Hits A Medley Full of Hits was premiered by Gilad Cohen and PUBLIQuartet at the Pink Floyd Conference, 4/13/14. This string quartet plus weaves together Pink Floyd hits that span their extensive discography, including at least one 'theme' from each studio album. Part rock, part psychedelic, all Floyd, A Medley Full of Hits harnesses the band's power and unleashes it in the acoustic realm. Approximately 7:45 in duration. After Written as part of More Time For Coffee, After is pure EDM bliss, except that it lives solely in the acoustic world. For 2 vibraphones, glockenspiel, kick drum, and snare. Approximately 4 minutes in duration. Breath(e) Breath(e) is a piece for two alto saxophones that starts relentlessly and only builds from there. Its initial, angular rhythms eventually become long, curving lines, in each case exploring the inherent necessity of breath, space, and lack thereof in saxophone playing. Approximately 9 minutes in duration. Breath(e) was premiered by Epoch Duo at the 2016 Navy Band Saxophone Symposium. Ether An ethereal shimmer of sound, Ether blends texture and line, stasis and flow, a bass clarinet melding with a string quartet. Delicate beds of harmonics float by, permitting us to waft along too. Approximately 10 minutes in duration. Written for Jon Russell and JACK Quartet. MOLK

Glow For 2 vibraphones and glockenspiel, Glow explores the similarities and dissimilarities between these instruments. It moves slowly, allowing resonance to fill the air, shimmering softly, eventually switching to hands for the soft, gossamer landing. Approximately 3:45 in duration. Written for Duomo. headbang Written for Decoda Ensemble, headbang unleashes huge, grinding synchronized chords, cello and viola funk duets, gradual disintegration of expansive harmonies into flickering pulses, and a four-on-the-floor EDM kick drum finale. Tap your toes and bang your head! Approximately 12 minutes in duration. More Time For Coffee Coffee makes music sound sweeter, food taste better—hell, it just makes life good. More Time For Coffee explores a distopian future where coffee can be obtained only at registered dispensaries (requiring state-given prescriptions). An addict struggles through his withdrawal, accompanied by a recurring electronic song, After, that each time starts 'pure' but quickly becomes distorted, nightmarish, untenable. Only after obtaining his coffee can the addict hear music unblemished, After now performed acoustically as the More Time For Coffee comes to a close. Premiered September 2014 at Princeton University. Phosphorous Phosphorous was written for SoSI 2014. Fusing melody, an expansive sound palette achieved through extended techniques, and an irresistible four-on-the-dancefloor kick to propel the groove, Phosphorous brings a wide range of influences into the acoustic new music scene. Approximately 10 minutes in duration. Solidarity Solidarity is a two-movement work for that includes an orchestration of Canela and the newly composed Ground. Canela, beautiful and still, relishes the seemingly innumerable shades of orchestral color, while Ground builds relentlessly from the bottom up, starting with a continuously climbing figure in the low strings and ending with a ferocious tutti. Canela is approximately 3 minutes, and Growth is around 9 minutes in duration.

2013 Edge Edge was composed for the Righteous Girls and is featured on their CD gathering blue on New Focus Records. A knife-edged glitchy rhythmic unison between piano and flute opens the piece, staccato stabs blurred by brief legato bursts. Delicate moments of stasis barely stave off the alternating eruptions from flute and piano. The calm oases eventually emerge triumphant as Edge ends with soft piano harmonics and whistle tones. Approximately 7 minutes in duration. Gripped Written for SoSI 2013, Gripped starts with a primal pounding, breaks down, and reinvents itself as an infectious groove. Using only non-pitched percussion, Gripped explores MOLK the collaboration between timbre and rhythm to as a way to create melody. Approximately 10 minutes in duration. Time Present and Time Past Time Present and Time Past nods to Messiaen's Quatuor pour la Fin du Temps in both instrumentation and spirit, topping things off with a fiery dose of Turangalila Symphony. Approximately 10:30 in duration. To One Composed for Riley Lee and Barbara White, To One explores the grey area along the pitch-time continuum where you don't know if you're coming or going, but you're certainly listening! The emphasis here is on sound and its evolution over time. For shakuhachi and clarinet. Approximately 7 minutes in duration. White Knuckled White Knuckled was written for the York Percussion Ensemble, led by Mika Godbole. This percussion quartet picks up where Rotation left off, featuring aggressive builds, hockets, and an exploration of timbre. Players choose their own instruments from the following categories: wood, glass bottles, metal, or drums. Approximately 8:20 in duration.

2012 Braced Written for Jon Russell, Braced is a glitchy, technically demanding bass clarinet solo that explores and then explodes the full range of the instrument. Approximately 6:30 in duration. Growth A gnarly, roaring piano solo, Growth emerges from an ever-expanding interval set to race up and down the keyboard. Galloping through the gamut of emotions, Gromwth runs approximately 15 minutes in duration. Rotation A ferocious ride of adrenaline, Rotation uses metal, wood, glass, and drums to create a continuously churning texture of excitement. Hockets, rhythmic canons, and crescendos abound. Approximately 7 minutes in duration. So, Percussion? Written for So Percussion, So, Percussion? takes full advantage of the 'percussive' nature of pitched percussion. The piece uses 2 vibraphones, glockenspiel, and marimba. So, Percussion? lasts approximately 11 minutes in duration.

2011 a peck of pint-sized pieces, or piccolo your poison Highlighting the versatile nature of this often overlooked instrument, a peck of pint- sized pieces for piccolo creates a series of worlds where piccolos may be observed in their natural MOLK habitats, whether murmuring in ghostly low, pale tones, cavorting joyously, or tearing through angular chromaticism with ferocious facility. This collection of sixteen solos (the number of pints in a peck, of course!) culminates in a nearly eight-minute solo aptly named Showpiece. Piano Album 2011 A series of miniatures, mysteries, and melodies, Piano Album 2011 is another collection of pieces inspired by friends, dreams, fragments of conversations (both musical and otherwise).

2010 Piano Album 2010 Piano Album 2010 contains twenty-one miniatures for solo piano. From whimsical and plaintive to sardonic, these works appeal to a range of technical abilities while remaining highly musical. Piece for Solo Flute Composed for Joshua Hahn, Piece for Solo Flute begins at the bottom of the register and slowly works its way up, sometimes subdued, sometimes soaring. Approximately 4:15 in duration. String Quartet No.1 String Quartet No.1 explores the motivic development of its initial theme throughout the entirety of its three movements, lasting nearly 30 minutes. Highly contrapuntal, yet rhythmically driving and dramatic, the quartet focuses as much on individual detail as it does on sweeping gestures and large-scale movement.