Hi! I’m Josh.
I’m somewhere between a researcher, musician, and composer, all with the goal of teaching those same skills to my students.
My research is on modeling nonlinear systems for sonic purposes, with a particular focus on nonlinear feedback and chaotic dynamics. I’m fascinated by the gritty sonic textures that arise from nonlinear and chaotic systems in “real-world” musical instruments, and by applying similar systems from other areas of physics towards new sonic textures!
To me, that cross-talk between seemingly unrelated disciplines is the heart of what makes teaching music technology so special. My goal with each of the projects on this site is to spread the joy I’ve found through this particular approach to learning with as many people as I can, in as many exciting and accessible ways as I can.
While I’m currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Music at UC San Diego, I also hold a B.S. in Physics and B.A. in Music from Santa Clara University, and an M.A. in Music, Science, and Technology from Stanford. On top of this I’ve performed in several venues in the Bay Area and beyond as both an individual artist and (more often) as a member of groups like the Santa Clara Laptop Orchestra, or SCLOrk.
With this group, I helped develop SCLOrkSynths, a freely available and hands-on learning tool for music-making in the SuperCollider programming language. I (and hopefully my students as well) have had tons of fun using it as a teaching tool in multiple classes at Santa Clara University and a summer SuperCollider workshop at Stanford’s CCRMA. You can find other tools I’ve designed for this rewarding type of hands-on sonic exploration at the Sound Tools link above.
Got any questions or comments? I’d love to hear from you!
Josh Mitchell 