Archer (Tom) Endrich

Composer

Archer studied composition and music education with Edgar Curtis at Union College, Schenectady, New York (MA in Teaching), music history and style with Louis Cheslock and counterpoint with Stefan Grové at Peabody Conservatory (summers), and composition with Bernard Rands at York University, England (Ph D in composition).

Archer's approach to music composition is inspired by the music of all periods and cultures, while forming a distinctly personal contemporary style. Melodic design – linear patterning – very often the key which unlocks the dynamic of a musical process, is his main source of inspiration. Gregorian, early Renaissance, Indian and Arabic music have been particularly influential. His musical style crosses many boundaries and favours a richly chromatic harmonic idiom laced with aspects of 'sound composition'.

The use of sound – in recent years greatly enhanced by new computer tools for sound design – has always pervaded his outlook. The effective and musical integration of pitched and sonic components is a major objective: expanding musical discourse while retaining the ability to use a wide variety of musical components.

The use of text, often handled phonetically, and the musicalisation of theatrical elements adds another dimension to his varied and unpredictable output.

Archer is Administrator & Coordinator of The Composers' Desktop Project (CDP), an independent network of composers and programmers working on state-of-the-art software tools for sound design: http://www.composersdesktop.com

He is currently developing a series of composition workshops relating to specialist areas of CDP software, composing, and writing a book on forms and relationships in musical design. He is a visiting Research Fellow at the University of Bath, researching 'micro-forms' as a musical pattern language.