CURTIS MACDONALD

I have been a composer of all sorts of music for many different avenues in the entertainment industry. After graduating from California Institute of the Arts in 1986 with a Bachelors in Composition, I began composing for film and television.

I was fortunate to acquire the knowledge of MIDI and synthetic composition during the early eighties and applied my efforts as a composer's apprentice working with such shows as "Star Trek, the Next Generation" and the revamp of the Mission Impossible series. The "seat of the pants" training I received got me into my own business as a working composer. I acquired the skills of working a recording studio, mixing, and production. I took all that I learned and began composing for industrial videos, computer games, commercials, art installations, and music libraries.

At the same time I was branching off becoming my own artist. The experimental minimalist approach I developed at Cal Arts was a blessing in disguise. Who knew the stylization of Phillip Glass would become popular. I just felt it could be created for the masses a little differently. I grew up in a marketing family and knew that if the public likes certain things, they will accept and consume. Taking the elements of repetition, sonic landscapes, memorable melodies and hooks, I felt I could create a type of music that could be listenable and still be derived from the artistic schooling I received. My first break as a artist came when I teamed up with film scoring engineer steve Hallmark.

It was during the peak of the "New Age", KTWV era, and we put out a CD under the name "The Highland Project". It sold well and received plenty of radio. Some of the tunes still live according to my BMI statements. This material was moody, melodic, and produced with longevity in mind. Similar to what i am doing today, but not as modern.

As a stylistic composer for the industry, I have become very chameleonic. I hopscotch from one style to the next very quickly, but when it comes to my "Personal" music, I believe I have found what I want to do. I enjoy the hyperactive and tonal shaping sound of Electronica, but I also enjoy my jazz and classic roots. So I combined them together to create my style of music.

My performance experience includes many, many years of playing keyboards in Dinner Houses, Casinos, and events. I have been fortunate enough to play some large stages, The Palace, Whisky, and the Troubadour. My stage presence is of my own, focused with enthusiasm. I have played solo piano for coffee houses and book stores. These were great because I could work out my atmospheric compositions on a good demographic. Those performances led up to the hybrid sound I have at the moment. My studio experience is solid. I have worked as a composer/producer or a hired gun for other producers. I am versed in today's digital recordings as well as analog.

My goal is to continue and evolve my present sound, transparent Electronica undercurrent with piano as the voice. I could easily play this material live, but since it would be a rack with flashing LEDs and me sitting at a keyboard, it may help having a multimedia presentation to go along with it. That could take time to create, so for now, I don't mind just creating music and having it heard by many people. It would be nice to establish this sound and have it used in film. If an audience accepts my music and is anticipating more, I will not disappoint. I know the value of continuity and I would want to maintain a relationship with the listener.