Adam James Wilson

Most Recent Position 

Researcher, CalIT2 Center for Research in Computing and the Arts

Lecturer, Electronic Music, UC San Diego Department of Music

Contact Information

Adam James Wilson, c/o Jonathan Vincent

201 W. 86th St., #806

New York, NY 10024

URL: http://www.adamjameswilson.info

E-mail: [ click here to send an email ]

Research Interests

Real-time computer improvisation systems, sonification, finite state machine implementations of generative musical processes, Lindenmayer systems, physical modeling, perceptually guided automatic parsing/discovery of high-level musical information, real-time control of compositional and timbral parameters.

Education

Ph.D.

2009

University of California, San Diego

Music Composition

Dissertation: Automatic Improvisation: A Study in Human/Machine Collaboration

Committee: Philippe Manoury (chair), Shlomo Dubnov, Miller Puckette, Diana Deutsch, Shahrokh Yadegari

Teaching Certificate

2005

University of the State of New York

Permanent New York State Secondary Teaching Certificate, English 9-12

M.Mus.

1998

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Music Composition

Studies in algorithmic composition and computer music with Heinrich Taube.

B.A.

1997

Oberlin College/Conservatory

English Literature, Music Composition, Classical Guitar

Studies in composition with Randolph Coleman, classical guitar with Stephen Aron.

Masterclasses

Composition with Brian Ferneyhough, Ben Johnston, and Pauline Oliveros; guitar with Meliset Abreu, Nicholas Goluses, Bruce Holzman, Ricardo Iznaola, and Benjamin Verdery; improvisation with Joe Maneri.

Publications

Wilson, Adam James. Automatic Improvisation: A Study in Human/Machine Collaboration. Diss. University of California, San Diego, 2009. Dissertations & Theses @ University of California, ProQuest. Web. 11 Mar. 2010.

Wilson, Adam James. A Symbolic Sonification of L-Systems. Proceedings of the International Computer Music Conference (Montreal), 2009.

Wilson, Adam James. Flocking in the Time-Dissonance Plane. Proceedings of the International Computer Music Conference (Montreal), 2009.

Professional Experience

Lecturer

2009

University of California, San Diego

Department of Music, Electronic Music

Lecturer

2009

University of California, San Diego

Department of Music, Music Theory and Practice V (1900 – 1940)

Lecturer

2008

University of California, San Diego

Department of Music, Introduction to Music Composition

Teaching Consultant

2008­

University of California, San Diego

Center for Teaching Development

Researcher

2005 – 2009

California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology

Center for Research in Computing and the Arts

Teaching Assistant

2008

University of California, San Diego

Department of Music, Fundamentals of Music A

Teaching Assistant

2008

University of California, San Diego

Department of Music, Contemporary Music

Teaching Assistant

2007

University of California, San Diego

Department of Music, Introduction to Western Music

Teaching Assistant

2005 – 2007

University of California, San Diego

Eleanor Roosevelt College, Making of the Modern World Program

Record Label Manager

2004 – present

Stone Quarry Records

http://www.stonequarryrecords.org

English Teacher

2003 – 2005

Harry S. Truman High School, John F. Kennedy High School, Bronx, NY

Taught English 9-12, served as a College Now Program committee member (JFK)

Software Engineer

2002 – 2006

Freelance

Worked a variety of contract programming jobs including development of web-based applications using php/mySQL and standalone applications in Java

Software Test Engineer

1999 – 2002

Curl Corporation

Developed test suites for the Curl language graphics libraries, authored a GUI-based environment for Curl code assembly

Teaching Assistant

1998

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Department of Music, Music Theory and Practice I

Teaching Assistant

1997

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Department of Music, Music Theory and Practice III

Grants, Fellowships and Awards

2009

California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology

“Music Under the Influence of Computers” concert project co-grantee ($3400.00)

2009

University of California, San Diego

Department of Music research project co-grantee; funding provided for materials to build computer-controlled percussion robots and mounting systems ($2000.00)

2009

University of California, San Diego

Department of Music recording grant (~$1000.00)

2008

California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology

Concert project co-grantee; funding provided for personnel, space, and equipment to perform original music for guitar-controlled percussion robots and demonstrate novel incorporated technologies ($3250.00)

2008

University of California, San Diego

Department of Music recording grant (~$1000.00)

2007

University of California, San Diego

Department of Music recording grant (~$1000.00)

2005 – 2009

University of California, San Diego

Teaching fellowship

2003

NYU/Vilar Global Fellowship in the Performing Arts

Fellowship competition finalist

2001

Curl Corporation

Engineering award for development of the Curl GUI Learning Tool

1997 – 1998

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Teaching fellowship

1993

Oneida Jazz Festival

First prize, jazz guitar, Class C schools competition

Invited Lectures and Presentations

Spring 2009

“Factor Oracle Construction,” University of California, San Diego, Compositional Algorithms

Nov. 14, 2008

“Experimentation and Sonification,” organized by Discos Invisibles for the Universidad Autonoma de Baja California School of Arts, Taller de Microsonido

Oct. 28, 2008

“Experimentation and Sonification,” Stanford University

Oct. 27, 2008

“Experimentation and Sonification,” University of California, San Diego

Oct. 26, 2008

“Guitar-Controlled Robots,” N Art Magazine television broadcast (part of a feature on researchers at the Center for Research in Computing and the Arts), aired on ABC at 4:00 PM PST

Winter 2008

“Flocks and L-Systems,” University of California, San Diego, Seminar in Advanced Music Technology

Winter 2008

“Introduction to Algorithmic Composition,” University of California, San Diego, Contemporary Music

Winter 2007

“Industrialization and the 2nd Viennese School,” University of California, San Diego, Making of the Modern World VI

Professional Society Memberships

American Composers Forum

International Computer Music Association

Research Projects, Software and Hardware Development

2009

factorOracle, an open-source Max external for real-time factor oracle analysis and recombination of musical materials

2009

phraseDetect, an open-source Max external for real-time detection of musical phrases

2008

Laser performance tracking hardware for use with Max/MSP

2007

Common Lisp libraries for sonification of flocking behavior in the time-dissonance plane

2007

Common Lisp libraries for transformation of idealized L-systems into symbolic music notation

2006

Common Lisp libraries for rationalizing arbitrary logarithmic rhythm changes within common-period nested tempi

2006

Pulse perception tests of long-period (> 20 seconds) asynchronous polyrhythms

1998

Reconstruction of Harry Partch’s 88-string Harmonic Canon I

Compositions

2008 – 2009

Scaipthe IV: The Duoquadragintapus, for fretless electric guitar, networked computers, 32 percussion-playing robots, and 5.1-channel real-time electronics, 15'00''

2008

Scaipthe III: Osmosis, for solo percussion and laser-controlled real-time electronics, 6'00''

2007 – 2008

Scaipthe II: The Quadropus, for soprano, 4 percussionists, and 8.1-channel electronics, 12'00''

2005 – 2006

Scaipthe, for 3 marimbas and 3.1-channel electronics, 11'04''

2003

7535115, for gamelan, 2 harmonic canon, and 3 guitars, 5'40''

2001 – 2002

The Backbone Flute, for tape, flute, electric violin, and 19 prepared guitars, 11'15''

2000

Bleed the Stone, for 4 harmonic canon and 10 guitars, 10'30''

1998

Man/Superman, for computer-controlled disklavier, 8'00''

1998

Snake IX, for saxophone quartet, 10'00''

1997

Renga, for guitar trio, 10'00''

1996

Sunrise on Bank Street, for large orchestra, 13'00''

1994

Sextet, for flute, clarinet, F horn, piano, violin, viola, and cello, 7'00''

Discography

2005

16 Powers and Union (group improvisation), Stone Quarry Records; Arto Artinian - flute, Brad Kemp - bass, Randy Peterson - drums, Jonathan Vincent - Hammond C3 and Mellotron,  Adam Wilson - fretless guitar); credits: producer, bandleader, performer, engineer

2003

Zond (compositions by Arto Artinian and Adam James Wilson), Stone Quarry Records; Arto Artinian - flute, piano, electronics; Adam James Wilson - fretless guitar, prepared guitars, guitarimba, 7-string violin, harmonic canon, piano, electronics; credits: producer, composer, performer, engineer

2003

6000° Kelvin (group improvisation), Stone Quarry Records; Arto Artinian – flute, Tatsuya Nakatani - percussion, Antoine Roney - tenor saxophone, Jonathan Vincent - piano, Adam James Wilson - fretless guitar, 7-string violin; credits: producer, bandleader, performer, engineer

2001

Darker, (group improvisation), Stone Quarry Records; Arto Artinian - flute, Katt Hernandez - violin, Adam James Wilson - harmonic canon; credits: producer, performer, engineer

2001

Unify (group improvisation), Stone Quarry Records; Arto Artinian - flute, Katt Hernandez - violin, Aaron Trant - drums,  Adam James Wilson - fretless guitar; credits: producer, bandleader, performer, engineer

2001

Talking Drum (compositions by Chris Brown), Sonore; Arto Artinian - laptop, Michael Klingbeil - laptop, Tim Madden - trombone, Peter Roubal - alto saxophone, Adam Wilson - laptop); credits: performer

Press

Spring 2006

Signal to Noise Magazine, Issue 41, CD review (16 Powers and Union)

Fall 2005

Jazz Improvisation Magazine, Volume 6, No. 1, CD review (6000° Kelvin)

Summer 2005

Signal to Noise Magazine, Issue 38, CD reviews (6000° Kelvin, Darker, and Zond)

2002

Cadence Magazine, CD review (Unify)

Mar. 23, 2002

Baltimore Sun,“Critic’s Choice” for Red Room performance with Arto Artinian and Katt Hernandez

Mar. 16, 2002

Improper Bostonian, featured performance: Adam James Wilson Quintet, Zeitgeist Gallery, Cambridge, MA

2002

FM 90.3 WHCR, Harlem Community Radio, on-air interview and performance (music from Darker), 2002

2002

FM 90.3 WHCR, Harlem Community Radio, on-air interview and music broadcast (Unify), 2002

Selected Performances

2009

Scaipthe IV: the Duoquadragintapus, collaborative performance/installation by William Brent and Adam James Wilson, part of “Music Under the Influence of Computers,” CalIT2 Black Box Theater, La Jolla, CA (composer, guitarist)

2009

Scaipthe IV: the Duoquadragintapus, collaborative performance/installation by William Brent and Adam James Wilson, CalIT2 Atkinson Hall, La Jolla, CA (composer, guitarist)

2008

Scaipthe III: Osmosis, performed by Ross Karre, CalIT2 Atkinson Hall, La Jolla, CA, 2008 (composer, sound engineer)

2008

Message from Saturn, performed by Arto Artinian and Adam James Wilson, UC San Diego Spring Festival, Warren Hall Studio A, La Jolla, CA, 2008 (composer, guitarist)

2007

Scaipthe II: The Quadropus, performed by Anne-Marie Dicce and members of Steve Schick’s Red Fish Blue Fish percussion ensemble, Mandeville Auditorium, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 2007 (composer)

2006

Scaipthe, performed by members of Red Fish Blue Fish, Warren Hall Studio A, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 2006 (composer)

2006

Music for Solo Performer by Alvin Lucier, directed by Charles Curtis, UC San Diego Spring Festival, Warren Hall Studio A, La Jolla, CA 2006 (live mixing)

2006

Large ensemble improvisation, directed by Mark Dresser, Museum of Making Music, Carlsbad, CA (guitarist)

2005

Music for Andrea Haenggi’s Blast Wall Art, Commodore Barry Hand Ball Courts, Brooklyn, NY (percussionist)

2004

Trio improvisation with Arto Artinian (flute) and Jonathan Vincent (piano), Juilliard School Theater Department, New York, NY (guitarist)

2004

Trio improvisation with Arto Artinian (flute) and Brad Kemp (bass), 5C Cultural Center, New York, NY (guitarist)

2003

Canvas by Arto Artinian, Forest Hills Educational Trust Concert Series, Forsyth Chapel, Jamaica Plain, MA (violinist)

2003

Adam James Wilson Quintet, Improvised and Otherwise Festival, Williamsburg Art Nexus, Brooklyn, NY (guitarist, violinist)

2002

The Backbone Flute, Community Music Center of Boston New Gallery Concert Series, Boston Center for the Arts, Boston, MA (composer, violinist)

2002

Improvisation with various chamber ensembles at the following venues:

Triad Theatre, New York, NY (guitarist)

Knitting Factory, New York, NY (guitarist, violinist)

Tremont Theater, Boston, MA (guitarist, violinist)

Red Room, Baltimore, MD (harmonic canon player, percussionist)

Boston Dance Company, Cambridge, MA (guitarist)

Zeitgeist Gallery, Cambridge, MA (guitarist, harmonic canon player)

FM 90.3 WHCR, Harlem Community Radio, New York, NY (harmonic canon player)

2001

Large ensemble improvisation, directed by Joe Maneri, Zeitgeist Gallery, Cambridge, MA (guitarist)

1998

Man/Superman, Smith Memorial Hall, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL (composer, sound engineer)

1998

Invention #4 by Chris Brown, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL (laptop)

1998

Abstraction #1 by Arto Artinian, Midwest Composers Symposium, Hancher Auditorium, University of Iowa, Iowa City (harpsichordist)

1997

Renga, performed by Alex Dawe, Joshua Miller, and Adam James Wilson, Warner Concert Hall, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH, 1997 (composer, guitarist)

1996

Sunrise on Bank Street, public reading by the Oberlin Orchestra conducted by Tim Weiss, Oberlin, OH (composer)

1994

Sextet, performed by Arturo Araya, Kathleen Hertzer, Kate Holzemer, Andrew Stamp, Kathryn Troup, Armando Vazquez, Adam Wilson, and Hanfang Zhang, Kulas Recital Hall, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH (composer, conductor)

Computing

C, Java, Scheme, php, mySQL, Max/MSP externals; 10+ years experience with Common Lisp

Natural Languages

English (native speaker), French (reading and writing ability, rudimentary verbal skills)

References

Shlomo Dubnov

Professor of Music

University of California, San Diego

Philippe Manoury

Professor of Music

University of California, San Diego

Miller Puckette

Professor of Music

University of California, San Diego

Contact information available upon request.