James M. Brody (b.1941 - d.2010) studied composition at Indiana University with Iannis Xenakis and Franz Kamin and was a Teaching Assistant in the electronic studio during its first years at IU. Brody wrote the liner notes for the original Nonesuch LP of 'Iannis Xenakis - Electroacoustic Music'. He was co-founder of the FIASCO group in Bloomington, CAPASA in San Antonio and the Baltimore Composers Forum. In 1970, he taught composition, theory and electronic music at East Texas State University. He has written many electroacoustic and instrumental works. The following works have been presented at the annual International Computer Music Conference(s) (ICMC): Barzakh for tape (1983), 7-1-7…for tape (1996), Background Count, percussion and tape (1998), Syllepsis - Hommage à Iannis Xenakis (2002), Transport (2006) ZAZON (2008). Traces for solo woodwinds and brass, piano, harp, percussion and strings was commissioned and performed by the Harrisburg Symphony in 1994. Theta Ticker was performed at the IV Brazilian Symposium on Computer Music, August 1997 and the Beckonings series at Stanford University, June 1999. A Glance into the Garden for flute and tape was played at SEAMUS 2000 and ZAZON at SEAMUS 2009. Brody was a guest composer at the Electronic and Computer Music Studio of The Peabody Institute and is an active member and past president of the Baltimore Composers Forum. Background Count was performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC as part of a concert of the SONIC CIRCUITS International Electronic Music Festival. Syllepsis was played on a concert at MAXIS, a Festival of Sound and Experimental Music, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, England, Spring 2002. DRD4 for flute, clarinet, contrabass and piano, based on the genetic code, was performed by Washington Musica Viva in 2003. Techqua Ikachi!, for four channel electroacoustics, four instrumental groups, chorus, singers and actors with a text by Frederick Schreiner based on the Hopi story of creation, was premiered at York College of Pennsylvania in 2004 where he was a member of the adjunct faculty of York College of Pennsylvania. Brody currently resides in northern New Mexico near Santa Fe where he is helping to design a music program for the Santa Fe Complex. His current compositional project, which has resulted in 2 finished works, is called the Archipelago Project, in which Brody seeks to use various powerful MIDI algorithmic generators, Artwonk and NODAL so far, to drive a sampler (Kontakt3) richly set up with hundreds of sounds (the makeup of the sounds changes from work to work).The results have included reatime performances and 'frozen' works and there are plans to expand into the areas of lighting, visual events and audience interaction employing sensors of some kind.
The lives of both James Brody and Franz Kamin , who were best friends, creative colleagues and were both 68 years of age, came to an untimely end in this World on Sunday, April 16, 2010 in a car crash. James Brody was at the wheel of the car and Franz Kamin was sitting next to him in the passenger seat.
NOTE: This Bio (except for the part about the car crash) is taken from James Brody's official website (see Links page) and may be updated and re-written at a later date. By Permission of David Brody, the son.
BIO as can also be read at The James Brody Obituary Site:
JAMES M. BRODY James M. Brody of Espanola, NM, formerly of New Cumberland, Baltimore, and San Antonio, TX, died as a result of a car accident on Sunday, April 11, 2010 in Roseville, MN. He was born July 13, 1941 in Clearfield, PA. He was the son of the late William and Virginia Brody of Harrisburg, PA. He studied music composition with Iannis Xenakis and Franz Kamin at Indiana University, where he received a master's degree. "An important figure in the development of electronic music in the Midwest," according to the American Music Center, Brody wrote the liner notes for the original Nonesuch LP of 'Iannis Xenakis - Electroacoustic Music'. He was co-founder of organizations in Bloomington, IN and San Antonio, TX, dedicated to presenting and performing works by local composers. In 1970 he taught composition, theory and electronic music at East Texas State University. Brody composed many electroacoustic and instrumental works, including a performance in 1994 of "Traces", commissioned and performed by the Harrisburg Symphony. He also served on the Harrisburg Symphony's Board of Directors. Brody was a guest composer at the Electronic and Computer Music Studio of The Peabody Institute and an active member and past president of the Baltimore Composers Forum. Based on the Hopi story of creation, his large-scale work "Techqua Ikachi!" was premiered at York College of Pennsylvania in 2004, where he was a lecturer from 2005-2007. Most recently he hosted a radio program on WKUNM-FM in Santa Fe called "Other Voices, Other Sounds." He was on a team to organize the music program for the Santa Fe Complex, where he recently participated in a program called "The Improvising Composer." Sufism was an essential and passionate part of his life and led him to meet and study with many spiritual teachers and their communities around the world, most closely with Pir Vilayat Khan and Reshad Feild. Brody is survived by his wife, Siri Neel Kaur Khalsa and her children: I. Gurushabad Singh Khalsa, of Philadelphia and Lakshmi Kaur Khalsa of Santa Cruz, NM; son David Brody and his wife Amy of Westminster MD; daughter Sophia Brody; granddaughter Laurelin of Corpus Christi, TX; brother Tom Brody and his wife Judy of Washington, D.C.; sister Ellen Hughes and her husband Nicholas of Mechanicsburg, PA; and many loving family members, friends and colleagues. A memorial service will be held Sunday, April 18, 2010 at 2 p.m. at the Santa Fe Complex. Memorial contributions in lieu of flowers may be made to the Santa Fe Complex, 624 Agua Fria St., Santa Fe, NM, 87501; the Chalice Guild-Living School, 1807 Second St. #73, Santa Fe, NM; the Yogi Bhajan Library of Teachings, PO Box 1819, Santa Cruz, NM 87567; or to a charity of the donor's choosing.
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