Goldsmiths - University of London

Dr Michael Young

Dr Michael Young, Lecturer and composer, studied at the University of Oxford and with John Casken at the University of Durham, completing a PhD in composition in 1995. Before joining Goldsmiths he lectured at Oxford Brookes University and the University of Wales, Bangor.

His music has drawn upon a range of live and electroacoustic resources; recent work has focussed on interactive and generative computer music systems. An undercurrent in his output is collaborative and interdisciplinary practice; he has worked with jazz musicians and improvisers in the role of pianist, laptop musician and/or composer, and has been commissioned to provide electroacoustic music for performance in theatre and gallery exhibitions. He is co-founder with Tim Blackwell (Department of Computing) of the Live Algorithms for Music Network.

Further information at www.michaelyoung.info

Areas of supervision

Current PhD Students

Jeremy Keenan: 'Studio Composition'

Sebastian Lexer: Performance: 'Technical Developments of Interactive Music Systems'

Charalambos (Haris) Sophocleous: 'Studio Composition'

Rob Canning - Acoustic Composition

Thanos Chrysakis - Studio Composition

Christopher Halliwell - Acoustic Composition

Ryo Ikeshiro - Studio Composition

I-Chin Li - Studio Composition

Simon Zagorski-Thomas - Studio Composition

Selected publications

Papers
Adderley, W. P. & Young M. ‘Here is now and there is the sound of the land: scientific and sonic perceptions of the African Sahel’. MutaMorphosis: Challenging Arts and Sciences. International Conference, Prague November  2007 .

Forthcoming: Young, M. ‘NN Music: Improvising with a ‘Living’ Computer’ (extended version) in Kronland-Martinet, R. et al (eds) Computer Music Modelling and Retrieval: Sense of Sounds. Lecture Notes in Computer Science Series. Springer-Verlag. 2008.

Young, M. ‘NN Music: Improvising with a ‘Living’ Computer’ Proc. of the International Computer Music Conference 2007.  ICMA, San Francisco. pp 508-511, 2007. ISBN 0-973192-5-1

Young, M. ‘Au(or)a: Attributes of a Live Algorithm’.  Electroacoustic Music Studies Conference, Leicester 2007.

Young, M. ‘Writing Music for a Time, Place, and Idea’ in John Goto’s New World Circus Souvenir Programme, 2006.

Blackwell, T. and Young, M. ‘Live Algorithms’, Artificial Intelligence and Simulation of Behaviour Quarterly No.122, pp7-9, 2005.

Blackwell, T. & Young, M. ‘Self-Organised Music’. Organised Sound 9:2 pp 123-136, 2004. ISSN 1355-7718.

Blackwell, T. & Young, M. ‘Swarm Granulator’. In G. R. Raidl et al (eds): EvoWorkshops 2004, Lecture Notes in Computer Science 3005, pp 399-408, 2004.
Best Paper Award at the Evomusart Workshop 2004, Coimbra, Portugal.

Young, M. & Lexer, S. ‘FFT analysis as a creative tool in live performance’. In Davies, M. (Ed): Proc. of the 6th International Conference on Digital Audio Effects. pp 65-69, 2003. ISBN 0-904-18897-3. 

Compositions
Works for real-time computer interaction in performance.

Forthcoming: oboe_prosthesis for oboe and computer improviser. Chris Redgate, Live Electronics Festival, Amsterdam March 2008.

piano_prosthesis for piano and computer improviser.  Kate Ryder (piano) Center for New Music and Audio Technology, Berkeley. 2007; Young, Digital Resources for the Arts and Humanities Conference, UK 2007; Young, International Computer Music Conference, Copenhagen 2007. Live Electronics Festival, Amsterdam March 2008.

ebbs- for violin, cello and interactive electronics.
Performed by Stefani Prenn, Marlene Weston, Ors Közeghi. Bachzaal, Amsterdam  2006, Week van de Hedendaagse Kamermuziek, Nieuwe Muziekgebouw aan't IJ, Amsterdam 2006.

au(or)a for solo instrument and computer-based improvisation system.  Performed by Roger Redgate violin.  Goldsmiths 2005-6 Live Algorithms for Music Conference.

Argrophylax for amplified oboe and Max/MSP live electronics (25 min.).
Performances, Chris Redgate (oboe): 
British Music Information Centre Cutting Edge concert series, The Warehouse, London 2004.
RADAR 4, XX1 Festival de México, Mexico City, 2005. Recorded for national broadcast.
Centro Educativo Y Cultural Manuel Gómez Morían, Queretaro, México, 2005.
Royal Academy of Music; Kingston University; Live Algorithms for Music Conference 2005.
Recorded for CD Oboe+: Berio and Beyond.  Oboe Classics CC2015, 2006. Young as CD Producer.

Chatterbox (15 min.) Amplified flute and Max/MSP live electronics. Jos Zwaanenburg, flute. Performances 1999-2003: SEA 03 Scarborough Electroaoustics; Rotterdam Music Biennial; Stedelijk Museum  Amsterdam (Gaudeamus event); Oxford Contemporary Music Festival; Internationale Studienwoche für zeitgenössisch Musik, Lüneburg, Germany.

Collaborative, cross- and interdisciplinary works. 

Exposure: Living in Extreme Environments, Installation. Tolbooth Gallery, Stirling,Scotland. National Science and Engineering Week, March 2008. With support from the Research Councils UK.

Groundbreaking: Past Landscapes in Grains and Pulses.  Generative real-time audiovisual installation, created as composer-in-residence, University of Stirling School of Biological Sciences. National Science and Engineering Week, National Museum of Scotland. March 2007.  Event 3 Festival Prague, Nov. 2007. Interviews for Czech TV, New Scientist.

Soundscape for John Goto’s New World Circus.  Surround sound DVD 5.1 audio, 30 minutes. Seven installations throughout 2006-7; Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate; Focal Point Gallery, Southend on Sea; Stephen Lawrence Gallery, London; U of Brighton Gallery; Ovada Gallery, Oxford; Rugby Art Gallery and Museum; Stephen Lawrence Gallery, Greenwich.

Loss of Face. Electroacoustic series of works for a collaborative exhibition with photographic artist John Goto.  Selected music presented at the EuCuE  Series XXII (Électroacoustiques université Concordia university Electroacoustics), Montreal, 2004. Exhibition shown at the Norwich Gallery; Wolsey Art Gallery, Ipswich; Hartlepool Art Gallery. 2002. ‘The Guardian’ review, February 2002. CD and catalogue (ISBN 1 872482597/Cat.No. NZKH104).

Capital Arcade . Computer generated soundscape for an exhibition by John Goto.
Exhibitions 1999-2001:  Aspex Gallery, Portsmouth; Andrew Mummery Gallery, London; Howard Gardens, Cardiff; Herbert Art Gallery, Coventry; the Hasselblad Centre, Stockholm.

Electroacoustic music for theatre productions. Community-based project with ODT Productions, Oxford.  Old Fire Station Theatre, 2000-2.

Selected Other works.

tournent dans l’air du soir... Violin duo
Performed by Clio Gould and Joan Atherton. SPNM/London Sinfonietta ‘State of the Nation’ concert QEH, 1998.

Oread   SATB, string orchestra, harp & percussion
National Federation of Music Societies commission. Lloyd’s Choir & Isis Ensemble, London, 1996.

Train of Thought . Large mixed ensemble
Performed by BBC Symphony Orchestra players. BBC Young Composers’ Forum concert, RCM, 1995. : Selected by SPNM.

She tells her love while half asleep . Soprano, alto flute, viola, cello & harp
Performed by Ensemble Alternance and Sharon Cooper. Huddersfield International Contemporary Music Festival, 1992. Music in Our Time broadcast, BBC Radio 3. Selected by SPNM.

The Red Shoes - an imaginary ballet. Large mixed ensemble
Performed by Music Projects UK.  Musica Nova International Festival, Glasgow, 1990.  Selected by Society for the Promotion of New Music (SPNM).

String Quartet
Performed by Kreutzer Quartet. Lüdwig Maximilians Universität, Munich; Bergano, Italy, 1994. Selected by SPNM.

Performances

with jazz quartet JH4  CD Less is More, Flat Five Records. GBH CD06. Commissioned/funded by Direction des Affaires Culturelles, Antibes, for exhibition by Richard Long. Performances 1999- (with Young as pianist) include Chantier Naval Opéra, Antibes; Jazz à Vienne Festival; Soho Jazz Festival.

with Swarm Granulator/Music system: e.g. BLIP International Festival, Brighton 2004, Sonic Arts Network EXPO 2005. For CD accompanying Miranda E. and Biles A. (Eds.) Evolutionary Computer Music. Springer-Verlag. London 2007.

with NN Music System: Digital Resources for the Humanities and Arts Conference 2007, International Computer Music Conference 2007, Amsterdam Conservatoire Live Electronics Festival 2008.