Erik Lindgren
Encyclopedia
Erik Lindgren is an American
composer
and keyboards
player. He runs Arf! Arf! Records, and has led (or been a member of) several ensembles such as The Moving Parts, The Space Negros, The Rising Storm
, and Birdsongs of the Mesozoic
.
in December 1954. He attended Northfield Mount Hermon
School from 1969–1972, and received his BA in Music from Tufts University
in 1976 where he worked with T. J. Anderson
. In 1974–75 he spent his junior year abroad in London
studying composition at the Guildhall School of Music with Alfred Nieman
and piano with Birgette Wild. Lindgren received an MA in music composition
and piano performance from the University of Iowa
in 1977 where he studied with Donald Jenni, Richard Hervig and Peter Lewis
.
pieces to chamber music to orchestral works. He also owns Foot Foot Music BMI which publishes all of his original compositions. In 1978, Lindgren established Sounds Interesting Productions, a commercial recording studio and music production company based in Cambridge, MA. In 1998, he relocated his facility to Middleborough, MA. National and regional credits include original scores for ABC
, NBC
CBS
and PBS
, Eastpak, Boston Globe, Basketball Hall Of Fame
, Jordan Marsh
, Polaroid
, Prentice Hall
and the Christmas Tree Shops. Lindgren also markets The Well-Tempered Music Library that consists of seven CDs of stock commercial music that he composed and produced.
Lindgren was a founding member of the new music ensemble Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic
that Billboard Magazine described as “a mesmerizing venture into the space age jungle.” The quartet has toured extensively throughout the United States and Canada and held residencies at Dartmouth College
, Emory University
, Duke, UNCA and the Massachusetts College of Art
. Birdsongs’ has recorded for the Rykodisc
, Cuneiform
and Ace of Hearts
labels and released an album in 2005. Recently the group collaborated with Duplex Planet
editor/National Public Radio correspondent David Greenberger
on 1001 Real Apes.
The composer celebrated his 50th Birthday performing live, original works, at The Longy School of Music
, Pickman Hall, Cambridge, MA (June 4, 2005).
and “Outsider Music.” 'Arf! Arf!' issued four CD retrospectives by his ’80s experimental studio group The Space Negros. Lindgren has also produced over one hundred records for such diverse artists as Willie Loco Alexander
, the Rising Storm
, The Turbines, The Cynics, Magic Mose & his Royal Rockers, featuring 'Blind Sam,' Ed “Moose” Savage And His Litany Of Complaints, and harmonica virtuoso Richard Hunter. In addition, he runs the SFZ Recordings label which has released his 1999 release "Erik Lindgren Scores" (SFZ-001) consisting of acoustic chamber works with ambient visuals, and the 2008 release by the Frankenstein Consort "Classical A-Go-Go" (SFZ-004) which is one of his performing ensembles consisting of music for woodwind trio, piano, and percussion.
Additional information about Erik LIndgren can be found on his personal site at http://www.sfzrecordings.com
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
player. He runs Arf! Arf! Records, and has led (or been a member of) several ensembles such as The Moving Parts, The Space Negros, The Rising Storm
Rising Storm
The Rising Storm is a rock and roll group which was active at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts between 1965 and 1967.The original members of the group were Bob Cohan, Todd Cohen, Charlie Rockwell, Tom Scheft, Tony Thompson, and Rich Weinberg...
, and Birdsongs of the Mesozoic
Birdsongs of the Mesozoic
Birdsongs of the Mesozoic is a musical group founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1980.The music of Birdsongs of the Mesozoic is almost entirely instrumental, and incorporates many different musical elements; critic Rick Anderson writes, "Very few bands have ever managed to straddle the worlds of...
.
Early life
Lindgren was born in Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaHarrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
in December 1954. He attended Northfield Mount Hermon
Northfield Mount Hermon
Northfield Mount Hermon School, commonly referred to as NMH, is a co-educational independent boarding high school for students in grades 9–12...
School from 1969–1972, and received his BA in Music from Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
in 1976 where he worked with T. J. Anderson
T. J. Anderson
Thomas Jefferson "T.J." Anderson is an African American composer, conductor, orchestrator and educator. He is well-known for his orchestration of the Scott Joplin opera, Treemonisha....
. In 1974–75 he spent his junior year abroad in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
studying composition at the Guildhall School of Music with Alfred Nieman
Alfred Nieman
Alfred Nieman was a British pianist and composer.Born in the East End of London in 1914 to Polish immigrant parents, Alfred Nieman was playing piano for the silent cinema by the age of fourteen. His talent as a pianist was spotted and the result was that he won a piano scholarship to the Royal...
and piano with Birgette Wild. Lindgren received an MA in music composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
and piano performance from the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
in 1977 where he studied with Donald Jenni, Richard Hervig and Peter Lewis
Peter Lewis (musician)
Peter Lewis is one of the founding members of the band Moby Grape. Three of his better known songs with Moby Grape are "Fall On You" and "Sitting By The Window" from the self-titled first Moby Grape album and "If You Can't Learn From My Mistakes", from Moby Grape '69.- Background :He is the...
.
Career
As a contemporary classical composer, Lindgren has a catalog of over six dozen works, ranging from solo pianoPiano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
pieces to chamber music to orchestral works. He also owns Foot Foot Music BMI which publishes all of his original compositions. In 1978, Lindgren established Sounds Interesting Productions, a commercial recording studio and music production company based in Cambridge, MA. In 1998, he relocated his facility to Middleborough, MA. National and regional credits include original scores for ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
and PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
, Eastpak, Boston Globe, Basketball Hall Of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
, Jordan Marsh
Jordan Marsh
Jordan Marsh & Company was a department store in Boston, Massachusetts, which grew to be a major regional chain in the New England area of the United States. In 1996, the last of the Jordan Marsh stores were converted to Macy's. The store was formerly part of Allied Stores and then Federated...
, Polaroid
Polaroid Corporation
Polaroid Corporation is an American-based international consumer electronics and eyewear company, originally founded in 1937 by Edwin H. Land. It is most famous for its instant film cameras, which reached the market in 1948, and continued to be the company's flagship product line until the February...
, Prentice Hall
Prentice Hall
Prentice Hall is a major educational publisher. It is an imprint of Pearson Education, Inc., based in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, USA. Prentice Hall publishes print and digital content for the 6-12 and higher-education market. Prentice Hall distributes its technical titles through the Safari...
and the Christmas Tree Shops. Lindgren also markets The Well-Tempered Music Library that consists of seven CDs of stock commercial music that he composed and produced.
Lindgren was a founding member of the new music ensemble Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic
Birdsongs of the Mesozoic
Birdsongs of the Mesozoic is a musical group founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1980.The music of Birdsongs of the Mesozoic is almost entirely instrumental, and incorporates many different musical elements; critic Rick Anderson writes, "Very few bands have ever managed to straddle the worlds of...
that Billboard Magazine described as “a mesmerizing venture into the space age jungle.” The quartet has toured extensively throughout the United States and Canada and held residencies at Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
, Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
, Duke, UNCA and the Massachusetts College of Art
Massachusetts College of Art
Massachusetts College of Art and Design is a publicly-funded college of visual and applied art, founded in 1873. It is one of the oldest art schools, the only publicly-funded free-standing art school in the United States, and was the first art college in the United States to grant an artistic degree...
. Birdsongs’ has recorded for the Rykodisc
Rykodisc
Rykodisc Records is an American record label. It is owned by Warner Music Group, operates as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance.-Company history:...
, Cuneiform
Cuneiform Records
Cuneiform Records is an independent record label based in Silver Spring, Maryland.The label releases a mixture of musical styles, including progressive jazz, modern fusion music, progressive rock, the Canterbury Scene and electronic music...
and Ace of Hearts
Ace of Hearts Records (Boston)
Ace of Hearts Records is a Boston-based independent label founded in 1978 by Rick Harte, who also produced all its releases. It recorded and released Boston area post-punk and garage rock bands in the early 1980s, including Mission of Burma, Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, Roger Miller, Neats, Lyres,...
labels and released an album in 2005. Recently the group collaborated with Duplex Planet
Duplex Planet
The Duplex Planet is a zine edited and published by David Greenberger since 1979. It contains transcriptions of his interviews with elderly residents at a Boston, Massachusetts, United States, nursing home.-Adaptations:...
editor/National Public Radio correspondent David Greenberger
David Greenberger
David Greenberger is an American artist, writer and radio commentator best known for his Duplex Planet series of zines, comic books, CDs, and spoken word performances and radio plays...
on 1001 Real Apes.
The composer celebrated his 50th Birthday performing live, original works, at The Longy School of Music
Longy School of Music
The Longy School of Music of Bard College is a conservatory located near Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1915, it was one of the four independent degree-granting music schools in the Boston region along with the New England Conservatory, Berklee College of Music, and Boston...
, Pickman Hall, Cambridge, MA (June 4, 2005).
Arf! Arf! Records
For over twenty years, Lindgren has run the Arf! Arf label which has released six-dozen archival CDs documenting ’60s Garage/Psychedelic RockPsychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
and “Outsider Music.” 'Arf! Arf!' issued four CD retrospectives by his ’80s experimental studio group The Space Negros. Lindgren has also produced over one hundred records for such diverse artists as Willie Loco Alexander
Willie Alexander
For the football player of the same name see Willie Alexander .Willie "Loco" Alexander is an American singer and keyboard player based in Gloucester, Massachusetts....
, the Rising Storm
Rising Storm
The Rising Storm is a rock and roll group which was active at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts between 1965 and 1967.The original members of the group were Bob Cohan, Todd Cohen, Charlie Rockwell, Tom Scheft, Tony Thompson, and Rich Weinberg...
, The Turbines, The Cynics, Magic Mose & his Royal Rockers, featuring 'Blind Sam,' Ed “Moose” Savage And His Litany Of Complaints, and harmonica virtuoso Richard Hunter. In addition, he runs the SFZ Recordings label which has released his 1999 release "Erik Lindgren Scores" (SFZ-001) consisting of acoustic chamber works with ambient visuals, and the 2008 release by the Frankenstein Consort "Classical A-Go-Go" (SFZ-004) which is one of his performing ensembles consisting of music for woodwind trio, piano, and percussion.
Additional information about Erik LIndgren can be found on his personal site at http://www.sfzrecordings.com