EDUCATION

Ph.D.    

University of California at San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, California

Music, Critical Studies Experimental Practices, August 2004

Dissertation Title: "The Use of Technology in Philippe Manoury's Opera K..."

Comprehensive areas: computer music, philosophy of technology, opera

M.A.

San Diego State University (SDSU), San Diego, California

Music Composition, December 1998

Thesis: Cyberlife: Analysis and Score

University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii

Music Composition, 1994-1996

Post-baccalaureate study

B.S.

University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts

Biochemistry, Magna Cum Laude, 1980

University and Departmental Honors

INTERESTS AND EXPERTISE

The impact of technology on music, composition, semiotics, multimedia authoring, electronic music culture and aesthetics, audio spatialization, film editing, grant and budget writing, fluent French (written and spoken).

TEACHING

Associate Professor of Music,  tenured faculty, San Diego Mesa College, direct and teach music theory and ear training program, 2005 - present.

Lecturer, UCSD, Mixing and Editing, dsp, mastering, recording, spatialization, 2006-7.

Lecturer, Miracosta College, Computerized Audio Production, MIDI I, administered and taught class in MIDI recording and composition, developed online WebCT component for student testing, discussions and assignments, 2005.

Associate in Music, UCSD, lecturer for Music in Multicultural America. Developed course content, created exams, coordinated guest lecturers and demonstrations, directed 3 teaching assistants, determined final grades, 2004.

Lecturer, SDSU, Aural Skills levels III and IV (in a two year, 4 level sequence that all students are required to pass in order to be able to graduate), Composition IV, responsible for course content; devised syllabi and created curriculum, lectured, composed exams and administered grades. I developed an innovative and effective method for students to learn four part dictation for the aural skills classes, 1999-2002.

Lecturer, Southwestern College, 1999-2000

Music Theory I and III, responsible for course content; devised syllabi and created curriculum, lectured, composed exams and administered grades.

Aural Skills I and III, responsible for course content; devised syllabi and created curriculum, lectured, composed exams and administered grades. I developed an online Aural Skills testing and practice website for students to use in conjunction with the class.

Music for Elementary School Educators, responsible for course content; devised syllabi and created curriculum, lectured, composed exams and administered grades. I developed an extensive program for this class which trains teachers to teach music in the classroom.

Lecturer, San Diego City College: Class Piano I and II, responsible for course content; devised syllabi and created curriculum, lectured, composed exams and administered grades, 1999-2000.

Lecturer, Mesa College, Music Appreciation, responsible for course content; devised syllabi and created curriculum, lectured, composed exams and administered grades, 1999-2000.

Adjunct faculty, SDSU, Director then Co-Director of the New Music Ensemble, directed ensemble, led classes, picked performance pieces, conducted rehearsals, coached performances, 1997-1998.

TEACHING ASSISTANT

UCSD, Contemporary Music, 2004, Computer Music I, 2001-2002, Computer Music II, 2001-2002, Musical Acoustics, 2001, Electronic Music History, 2000, Film Music, 2000.

SDSU, Music Appreciation, 1998.

PUBLICATIONS

" Philippe Manoury's Electronic Opera K.." in Analyzing Electroacoustic Music, ed. Mary Simoni. New York, Routledge, in press.

"Concert Review, International Computer Music Conference (ICMC) 2004" Array, International Computer Music Association, San Francisco, in press.

From Kafka to K...: A Multimedia Exploration of Manoury's Opera K... . DVD-ROM, Paris, France: IRCAM, Opera National de Paris, 2004.

NATIONAL

AND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

"Les Elements de K…,” Résonances, IRCAM, Paris, October 21, 2004.

“From Kafka to K... Documenting an Electronic Opera,” ICMC, presented and published in conference proceedings, University of Miami, Florida, November 3, 2004.

 “Real-time Performance Strategies for the Electronic Opera K...” ICMC, presented and published in conference proceedings, University of Singapore, Singapore, October 2, 2003.

"Aesthetics, Referential Meaning and the Funneling Effect: Approaches to K…,” Second International Festival/Symposium of Sound and Experimental Music, Maxis 2003, Alternative, Aesthetic and Technologic Issues Pertinent to Sound, Leeds, UK, April 13, 2003.

" Spatialization: Technological and Aesthetic Considerations in Manoury’s Opera K…" Scarborough Electroacoustics 2003, Creative Music Technology, University of Hull, Scarborough Campus, July 5, 2003.

“Hegel, Heidegger, and Borgman’s Substantive Implications for Music and Technology,” ICMC, published in conference proceedings, Goteburg, Sweden, 2002.

OTHER PAPERS

AND

PRESENTATIONS

“How is Technology Changing Music and Our Notion of Art?” Critical Studies, Experimental Practices focus seminar presentation, UCSD, May 22, 2002.

"Brandon LaBelle Concert Respondent" CS/EP Intermedia Festival, UCSD, June 4, 2005.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Technical Assistant, rehearsals and performance, Philippe Manoury’s K…, an opera for orchestra, singers, and electronics, Opéra Bastille, Paris, 2003.

Visiting Researcher, Paris, France at IRCAM, “Techniques and the Production of Philippe Manoury’s Electronic Opera”, and “The Coordination and Production of  a DVD-ROM on Manoury’s K…”, June 2004 - August 2004, and October 2002 – July 2003.

DVD Production, edited and assembled the companion DVD at the Center for Research and Computing in the Arts (CRCA) at UCSD for a work with narration, music, and animation, with contrabassist Bert Turetzky and visual artist Lori Gordon, adapting  a short story by Anton Chekhov for stage, “Romance for a Double bass,” also composed music, 2002 - 2003.

Technical Assistant, rehearsals and performance, Stockhausen’s “Mantra,” for two pianos and electronics, played by Aleck Karis and Kian Freitas, UCSD, 2000.

Research Associate, CRCA at UCSD, spatialization, audio synthesis techniques and electronic opera, 2000 – 2005.

Audio consultant, SDSU Computer Design Lab, with Marc Siprut, “Turkish Souvenirs,” an interactive multimedia computer presentation, and with Andrea Zittel, “A-Z Escape Vehicle,” an installation project of a customizable mini mobile home with sound system, 1998.

GRANTS

UCSD Department of Music Recording Grant, "Recording Romance with a Double Bass with Burt Turetzky, In-kind, 2004-2005.

UCSD Department of Music Dissertation Travel Grant, "IRCAM Research and Philippe Manoury", $600, 2004.

UCRI Intercampus Arts Grant, $2400, “Romance with a Double bass, with Burt Turetzky, performed at University of California, Berkeley and University of California, Santa Barbara,” 2003 – 2004.

UCSD Travel Grant, $1500, travel to ICMC 2003 conference, Singapore.

Chateaubriand Fellowship from the French government "Computer Techniques, Spatial Acoustics and Aesthetics in Philippe Manoury’s Electronic Opera K…", $22,000, 2002-2003.

Center for the Humanities Dissertation Fellowship from The UCSD Center for the Humanities, "The Documentation of the Production of Philippe Manoury’s Electronic Opera K…", $4000, 2002.

DISTINCTIONS

Teaching Assistant Excellence Award from the UCSD Department of Music, 2001-2002.

University of California, San Diego Graduate Student Fellowship, 1999 - 2004.

Pi Kappa Lambda, National Music Honor Society, Eta Theta Chapter, 1998 - 2005.

Heide Foundation Grant, from the University of Hawaii Music Department’s Scholarship Committee, “The Creation of the Noelani School After-School Music Program”, 1995.

Olelo Corporation Grant, creating a music video, children’s opera The Laughing Gecko, music composed and arranged by M. Ramstrum, 1994.

Koa Anvil Award: Awarded by the American Society of Publicists in Boston, Foreign Trade Zone Video, music composed, arranged and performed by M. Ramstrum, 1993.

Olelo Corporation Grant from ‘Olelo: The Corporation for Community Television, “The Creation and Production of the children’s opera The Laughing Gecko,”  written by Bruce Hale, music composed and arranged by M. Ramstrum, 1990.

COMPOSITIONS AND PERFORMANCES

“Gloved Water” for voice, with MIDI Glove and computer, University of Central Missouri New Music Festival, Innovations, Warrensburg, MO, March 2009; New York City Electroacoustic New Music Festival, NYC, NY, SUNY Graduate Center, April 2009;  San Francisco Chamber Wind Festival, guest vocalist and composer, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, SF, CA, July 2009.

“Dances:” for solo saxophone, premiered October 2008 Mesa College Interlude with saxophonist James Romeo

“Camber” for saxophone and guitar, premiered October 2008 Mesa College Interlude with saxophonist James Romeo and guitarist George Svoboda

“Grass, Metal, Water” a voice/computer/dance project with choreographer Debi Toth, premiered in December 2007, Seville Theater, San Diego.

“Romance with a Double Bass,” composition and production by M. Ramstrum, with animation by Lori Gordon and performance by Bert Turetzky. Performances in Canebrake, CA (2005), University of California, Berkeley (2004), University of California, Santa Barbara (2004), University of Richmond, Virginia (International Society of Bassists Convention, 2003), UCSD (Department of Music, 2003, CalIT2 grand opening festival, 2005).

"Being Homeless is Not a Crime," Civil Rights Rally and concert organized by Larry Mulligan, music composed and performed by M. Ramstrum with bassist Gunnar Ramstrum, San Diego City Hall Concourse, April 15, 2005.

“Rub a Dub Dub,” play with puppets, guitar, percussion, piano, and live electronics; play by Laura Henry, music by M. Ramstrum, real-time electronics programmed and performed by M. Ramstrum, Galbraith Hall, UCSD (2000).

CyberLife. A multi-media opera in one act. composition by M. Ramstrum, animation by Gunnar Ramstrum, libretto by Helene Trock. Performances in UCSD (CSEP Forum, 2000), SDSU (College Music Society Annual Southwest Pacific Chapter Meeting, 1999, San Diego New Music Festival, 1999, and Performance and Video Forum, 1998).

“Abderian,” for clarinet and string quartet, commissioned by the San Diego/Tijuana New Music Festival, composed by M. Ramstrum; Lyceum Theater, San Diego, 1999.

“Running On,” for 2 guitars, saxophone, piano, and percussion, guitar, composed by M. Ramstrum; New Music Ensemble Concert, co-director Momilani Ramstrum, SDSU, 1998.

“Sax +,” for saxophone and piano, composed by M. Ramstrum; “Minuet on D,” for three guitars; “Fugue in Stevens,” for six vocalists, composed by M. Ramstrum; New Music Ensemble Concert, director Momilani Ramstrum, SDSU, 1997.

“Native Stories,” for ensemble and dancers; composed by M. Ramstrum; Gemini, for guitar and synthesizer, performed by M. Ramstrum and D. Ward-Steinman, composition by D. Ward-Steinman. New Music Ensemble Concert, SDSU, 1996.

RECORDINGS AND PRODUCTION EXPERIENCE

TELEVISION

AND

VIDEO

SOUNDTRACKS

Recording engineer Palm Studios with Larry Mulligan, composing and recording guitar and poetry, 2005.

Post-production audio engineer, "Romance with a Double Bass," editing audio and merging with video to create a multi-view DVD, 2005.

Technical assistant, audio engineer, Opera Bastille, set up, tested, and ran equipment for Philippe Manoury's electronic opera K..., 2003.

The Laughing Gecko: A Children’s Music Video, with Bruce Hale. Produced and edited video, composed songs and soundtrack, storyboarding, administration, organization, fundraising, directing, casting, hiring, and editing, 1996.

Solo Guitar by Momilani Ramstrum, project production and performance on guitar performing classical, slack key, traditional, and Japanese pieces by Tarrega, Bernstein, Carulli, Bach, Joplin, and others, 1988.

Ho’oponopono: Self Identity, Alaska, SunRay TV, composed, performed, and recorded music for soundtrack, 2000

The SDSU Dance Department, SDSU, Produced by Instructional Technology Services, composed, performed, and recorded music for soundtrack, assisted in post-production, 1996.

The Youth Development Project, Office of Youth Services; State of Hawaii, produced by Fourth Wave Productions, composed, performed, and recorded music for soundtrack, 1993.

Electric Gallery, a computer graphic animation television series by Larry Lovitt, composed, performed, and recorded music for soundtrack, 1992 - 1993.

Foreign Trade Zone Video, The Hawaii Foreign Trade Zone, Produced by Hefner Visual Communications, composed, performed, and recorded music for soundtrack, 1992.

Out of Order Stopped by Language, The Employment Discrimination Education Project (with Frank DeLima ), produced by Hefner Visual Communications, composed, performed, and recorded music for soundtrack, 1991.

Earth Island Pacific Chronicle on the Makiki Contemporary Arts Museum, Honolulu, HI, composed, performed, and recorded music for soundtrack, 1988.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Founding member of the Community Coalition for the Environment, 2007 - Art, music, and technology will be used to collect and share information on environmental issues and new technologies in order to increase public awareness and facilitate community partnerships with industry. These efforts will be organized so that personal and political actions can be focused and coordinated.

Foundation of I, Inc. (Freedom of the Cosmos), an ancient Hawaiian belief system updated by Kahuna Lapa`au, Morrnah Nalamaku Simeona teaching an Hawaiian form of stress release and Self Identity, Honolulu, Hawaii, 1983-1996, San Diego, 1996-2003, staff volunteer; director of teaching, 1985-6, California Coordinator, 1997-2000, IZI LLC Los Angeles staff, 2008-9.

Teknika Radica, a group run by women dedicated to promoting radical engagement with the arts and access to technology, San Diego, member and videographer, 2004.

Computing Arts Alumni Chapter, UCSD, steering and organization committee, chair of interdisciplinary collaboration, 2005 - present.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

International Computer Music Association

College Music Society

Electronic Music Foundation