My work as a creative musician encompasses composition, improvisation, and collaboration with other artists. I started out my undergraduate education as a composition major in the School of Music at the University of Victoria, where I studied with John Abram, Martin Arnold, and Michael Longton. After following Rudolf Komorous to Simon Fraser University, I encountered Javanese gamelan, which set me on a more varied career path. Since completing my MA at Wesleyan University, while shifting my attention toward scholarship, I have continued to work with other composers. Most recently, I have pursued my long-standing interest in improvisation as a member of the Cornell Avant-Garde Ensemble (CAGE).
Sekar Anu (2004)
Ensemble of eight composer/performers, four from Indonesia (I Nyoman Dewa Supenida, Ida Bagus Widnyana, A.L. Suwardi, Pande Made Sukerta) and four from North America (Nicholas Brooke, Andrew McGraw, Andrew Raffo Dewar, myself). We presented a collaborative work, Maya, at the 2004 Yogyakarta International Gamelan Festival, and two programs of individual works in joint performances with I Made Subandi at the Umbul-Umbul Festival in Denpasar and in Peliatan, Bali.
The name Sekar Anu, a play on traditional Javanese ensemble names such as Sekar Arum (Fragrant Flower), translates roughly as "the flowering, uh..."
Mud Music (1996)
Improvisation with percussionist Andreas Kahre as part of a conference around development on a former mudflat turned industrial zone on Vancouver’s downtown eastside. Conference held at the Western Front, Vancouver.
Kami Sedang Membangun Rumah (1994)
Improvisation led by I Wayan Sadra (Betawi fiddle, tape of water dripping), with Endo Suanda (suling) and Chris Miller (Javanese rebab) for a dance performance by Marintan Sirait, Margie Suanda and Andar Manik. Performance at Taman Budaya, Surakarta.
Glossolalia (1992)
Improvisation led by Kenneth Newby with Andreas Kahre and Chris Miller to accompany a video shoot of a dance work by Lorraine Thomson.
Proses Dua (1991)
Structured improvisation with three members of Gamelan Madu Sari led by Al. Suwardi during his residency in Vancouver. Performed at the Western Front, Vancouver.