Florence Bayz Music Series

UCR Department of Music

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

12 noon to 12:50pm

ARTS 157

Democratizing Music Technology
Prof. Ian Dicke discusses the formation of Novel Music, a software project which aims to make experimental musical concepts accessible (and fun!) for untrained musicians.

The pandemic challenged us in ways we could never imagine. For some it was a time to reflect on our purpose as artists, teachers, and community leaders. We found new ways to engage in our practices virtually and poured our energy into the issues/ideas that matter most. It was during this period that Prof. Ian Dicke developed a music software company that aims to engage all musicians regardless of experience. In this Bayz event, Dicke shares his experiences of designing and releasing software during the pandemic and beyond. 

Ian Dicke is a composer, musician, and software designer inspired by the intersection of technology and social-political culture. Praised for his “refreshingly well-structured” (Feast of Music) and “uncommonly memorable” (Sequenza 21) catalogue of works, Dicke’s music has been commissioned and performed by ensembles and soloists around the world, including the New World Symphony, Alarm Will Sound, the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, Paul Dresher Ensemble, pianist Vicky Chow, The MATA Festival, ISCM World New Music Days, and the Atlantic Coast Center Band Director’s Association. Dicke has received grants, awards, and recognition from the Hellman Foundation, Barlow Endowment, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, New Music USA, New York Youth Symphony, ASCAP, and BMI, among others. He was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to research interactive musical interfaces and environments in Stockholm, Sweden and has served as an artist in residence at various institutions, including the MacDowell Colony and Atlantic Center for the Arts.

Dicke is a Professor of Composition at the University of California, Riverside and founder of Novel Music, a software company that distributes innovative Max for Live devices.