Pippa Murphy
Specialist in electroacoustic and instrumental composition; digital sound technology; sound engineering; workshops and teaching.
Freelance composer (1997 — present)
Compositional tools include: G4 Mac, Pro Tools with TDM & RTAS plug-ins; GRM Tools; Cecilia; Logic Audio; Soundhack; Metasynth; Audiosculpt; Sound Designer; Peak; Sound Maker; Masterlist CD; MAX MSP; Sibelius.
ACADEMIC TEACHING
University of Edinburgh (October 2001 – Dec 2005)
Part-time lecturer. Devised and taught the ‘Creative Music Technology’ options
for 1st – 4th year students: Microphone techniques, location recording,
multi-track recording, editing and mixing.
University of Aberdeen (October 2002 – 2003)
Part-time lecturer in composition. Devised and taught the ‘Electroacoustic
Elective’ course. Lectured to 1st & 2nd years on ‘The History
of Electroacoustic Music’ and ‘Music since 1945’. Supervising
4th year students on dissertations related to electroacoustic music and music
technology. Responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the studios.
ARTICLES AND PUBLICATIONS
Sunday Times – Articles on Stockhausen,
James Dillon.
Whittakers Almanac 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 – Researched and wrote
the chapter on ‘Music in Britain’ (5000 words)
CURRENT PROJECTS
Traverse Theatre – Original music for ‘Strangers, Babies’.
Dir: Philip Howard.
Sonic Postcards: China – Facilitating composition workshops for pupils
and teachers in China.
WORKSHOPS & TEACHING
Sonic Arts Network (Jun 2005 - Present) – Workshop leader and mentor
for Sonic Postcards project funded by NESTA and Music For Youth in Primary
schools in Aberdeenshire. Winner of the New Media Awards for Education 2006.
Salford Art Gallery and Museum (Jun 2005) – Music workshops with Asylum
seekers and refugees aged between 4 and 94.
Spnm and Scottish Ensemble at the CCA (Jan 2005) – Introduction to composing
with electronics workshop
COMA (Contemporary Music For Amateurs) (Nov 2004) – composition workshops
for ensemble & tape with London based instrumental composer Phil Cashian.
Paragon Ensemble (October 2003) – ‘Echo Detectors’ workshops
at Sight Hill Primary School, Glasgow
Edinburgh International Festival & University of Edinburgh Adult Learning (November 2002) Proposed, devised and facilitated a weekend sound composition
and improvisation course for adults.
Tollbooth Arts Centre, Stirling (October 2002) composition workshop facilitator
for Primary school children to create a soundtrack to a movie made by children.
Funded by SAC and the British Film Council.
Edinburgh International Festival (July 2002) Devised and facilitated a series
of contemporary music workshops in secondary schools in preparation for the
EIF.
Contemporary Music for Amateurs (COMA) (July 2001) Electroacoustic composition
workshop facilitator for the COMA one week summer school, Breton Hall.
Sonic Arts Network (June 2001) – composition workshops for Primary & Secondary
school teachers. Composer featured on. The SAN CD-ROM ‘Sound Magic’
Fadj International Theatre and Film Festival, Iran (February 2001) - Sound
Design & composition workshops for young professional actors & musicians.
A two-week creative collaboration programme combined with choreography, video,
design and physical theatre.
Birmingham Young Composers (1999) - composition and electroacoustic performance
practice workshop with young composers in Birmingham, funded by A4E lottery
fund.
Birmingham Community Composition Workshop -(1998) - composition and music technology
workshops (2 weeks) - introduction to electroacoustic music composition.
Birmingham Education Department (1997) - Sessional tutor for 'Birmingham Schools
Wind Orchestra', assisting with the organisation and teaching of residential
courses. Workshop leader & Pastoral carer for 'Birmingham Young Composers'
PROJECTS & COLLABORATIONS
2006
BBC Radio 4 – Original Music for play ‘The Room’ Catherine
Bailey Productions.
Paragon Ensemble – new commission for ensemble, live electronics,
video & electroacoustic
for the CCA, funded by the PRS Foundation
New Commission – Scottish Arts council – to write a piece for cello,
musical saw, Theremin and electronics premiered at ‘Cubed’ – Traverse
Theatre and ‘Dialogues’.
Nutshell Theatre Company – Original music for ‘Stars’ Traverse
Theatre, Edinburgh International Festival.
Auld Reekie – Music for Audio Tour – Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
2005
Nutshell Theatre Company – Original music for ‘Crestfall’ at
Citizens Theatre, Glasgow and Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.
Tron Theatre Glasgow – Original music for David Leddy’s ‘In
the Shade’
Dance Base Edinburgh – 2 Week composer in residence with Mehrav Israel
and Skye Reynolds
2004
Tron Theatre Company - composer for ‘Standing Wave’ a play
about the composer Delia Derbyshire
Papillons Theatre Company – Soundtrack to a show choreographed by
Skye Reynolds funded by Scottish Arts Council.
Salford Art Gallery and Museum – soundtrack to ‘Wayfarer’ a
film about Asylum Seekers arriving in Salford.
Commission from COMA (Contemporary Music For Amateurs) – new commission
to write a 30-minute ensemble & tape piece with London based composer Phil
Cashian funded by the Arts Council England.
2003
ZKM Zentrum fur Kunst und Medientechnologie, Karsruhe – 2
month residency to compose Voix du Sable made possible with funds from the
Scottish Arts Council
7:84 Theatre Company – Composed the original music to
Gilt
Scottish Arts Council – Award winner of a £6,000
music bursary to compose three electroacoustic pieces inspired by oceanic mythology
from
Persia, India and Europe.
2002
Scottish Chamber Orchestra - Sound Design for Dee Isacs’ opera Festus funded by the Scottish Arts Council.
2001
Paragon Ensemble — Commissioned to write 2 pieces for the Paragon Ensemble’s new season. Performances at the Tron Theatre, and the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, October 2001
Iranian Album — Produced & engineered a 5 track album (Roxana Pope) with funds from Bodyform; currently on the record label circuit.
Hoda Productions — Composed the soundtrack for a 5 minute documentary on Iranian contemporary performance art with Conrad Molleson (video artist).
United Creations - Video, dance, music and theatre performance of influences and material collected from Iran at Bongo club Edinburgh.
Fadjr Theatre & Film Festival, Iran - Sound Design for a theatre & multimedia performance at Tatre Shah, Tehran.
2000
Dundee - Community CD to present recordings of OAPs recalling what community life in Dundee high rise flats used to be like.
'Safe Delivery' Tom McGrath - Original music and sound design for playwright Tom McGrath, with Dave Trouton, sponsored by the 'Glaxo Wellcome Trust' performed in the Edinburgh International Festival.
Shine - producing, mixing and mastering a live performance of 'Shine' for CD production.
1998
Gerard McBurney, Woods and Trees - recording and editing sounds of a Balkan lithaphone, and engineering a performance of his 'Woods and Trees' with Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG) at Witney Court.
FURTHER MUSIC EXPERIENCE
Freelance Violin & Piano Teacher - Sept 1997 - Dec 1999
Private pupils from beginners to Grade 8 - Violin & Piano
Floating Earth - Summer Vacations 1993 - 1996
Work Experience with Mike Hatch, assisting on various recording sessions, including CBSO, Ex Cathedra, RLP, with producers, Mark Brown, Colin Matthews (with NMC), Stephen Johns. Following up recording sessions in the digital editing suites at Floating Earth, using Sonic Solutions and Sadie.
Music Workshops — Romania and Bosnia 1995 & 1997 with children & young adults.
RECENT COMPOSITIONS & SELECTED PERFORMANCES
Caspian Retreat — (Electroacoustic) Commissioned by the Scottish Arts Council
- CBSO Centre, Birmingham, March 2003
- Lemon Tree, Aberdeen, October 2002
- Drama Studio, Sheffield University, January 2003
- Queens University, Belfast, January 2003
Ranga — (Electroacoustic) meaning ‘raga’ or ‘colour’
- Reid Hall, Edinburgh, February 2002
- Arches, Glasgow, February 2002
12345 — (Electroacoustic and ensemble) commissioned by the Paragon Ensemble.
- Tron Theatre Glasgow, September 2001
What is? (Electroacoustic) commissioned by the Paragon Ensemble.
- Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, October 2001.
Serpentina (Electroacoustic) created from the phonetic breakdown of the poem Serpentina by the Argentinean poet Delmira Augustini. All of the compositional material is derived from the female voice.
- Aarhus, Denmark 2001
- Bedlum Theatre, Edinburgh 2000
- Montreal, Canada 1999
- International conference of Women in Music Technology, Texas 1998
- BBC Radio 3 'Time Machine' plus interview 1997
Postcard from Mostar (Voice & Electroacoustic) Mostar was one of the most beautiful former Yugoslavian cities, visited by many. The city was torn apart piece by piece, and yet the musical landscape is still inseparable….
- Karlsruhe, Germany, August 2002
- Arches, Glasgow, February 2002
- CBSO Centre, Birmingham, June 2001
- Reid Hall, Edinburgh, June 2000
Postcard from Paris (Electroacoustic) capturing an outsider's day trip to Paris, summarising a brief exploration of a few characteristic sites of interest. Having a great time. Wish you were here….
- Reid Hall, Edinburgh, October 2002
- Queens University, Belfast, June 2001
- RSAMD, Glasgow 2000
- MAC, Birmingham 2000
- SAN Sound Magic CD-ROM 2001
Integration/Disintegration (2 Violins & Electroacoustic) explores the relationship between live violin sounds and the slight & extreme processing of recorded violin sounds.
- Cresent Theatre, Birmingham 2000
EDUCATION
University of Birmingham, Edgbaston
September 1997 — present
In the final stages of a self-financing, part-time PhD in electroacoustic composition. Due to complete 09.03
September 1995 — September 1996
MA with Distinction
Electroacoustic and Instrumental Composition
History and Aesthetics of 20th Century Music including;
British composers of the last decade. Boulez, Dillon, Saariaho, Stockhausen, Cage, Berio.
September1992 - July 1995
BMus (Hons) Class II-I
Electroacoustic and Instrumental Composition
Sound Recording Practice
Contemporary Orchestration
Music since 1945
Music and Architecture
All Hallows Catholic School, Macclesfield, Cheshire
September1984 — July 1991
4 A' Levels, 9 GCSEs
INTERESTS
Contemporary Music, Sonic Art, Contemporary Art & Theatre, Architecture, Photography, Indian singing & violin.
MEMBERSHIPS
Director of Sonic Arts Network (SAN)
Director of UNESCO GAIN (Wales)
Birmingham Electroacoustic Sound Theatre (BEAST)
Society for the Promotion of New Music (SPNM)
Women in Music (WIM)
Contemporary Music for Amateurs (COMA)