Daniel Scheidt

Scheidt, Daniel

Scheidt, Daniel (Joseph). Composer, b Edmonton 26 Jun 1956; B MUS (Victoria) 1982, M SC computing science (Queen's) 1985. He grew up in Edmonton, Calgary, and North Vancouver, then attended the University of Victoria 1977-82 where he studied composition with John Celona and others. Having developed an interest in electronic music, he moved to Toronto for a year and then went on to study 1984-5 at Queen's University. He participated 1985-6 in the Banff CA's winter cycle interarts program. Scheidt then moved to Vancouver. His main focus has been the development of interactive software structures as compositional media; many of his works require a computer operator who generates the electronic element (normally using synthesizers) by employing software containing rules set up by Scheidt. Scheidt intends to enhance performance opportunities for instrumental musicians rather than to replace them by computers, though, and his works often call for musicians using acoustic instruments to interact with the software in a jointly improvisational framework. Among the composers whose work has had an influence on Scheidt are Anton Webern, John Cage, and Martin Bartlett. He has had many performances of his work, including those at the University of Victoria (1979), the STEIM Symposium, Amsterdam (1986), the Conference/Festival 2001(-14) and the Canadian Electroacoustic Community Conference, Montreal (both 1987), Vancouver New Music (1988), the International Computer Music Conference, Cologne (1988), the First International Symposium on Electronic Art, Utrecht (1988), NMC (1989), and Electro-Traces - Canadian Tour of Electroacoustic Music (1991). In 1991 Empreintes Digitales released a CD, Action/Réaction (IMED-9105), which included the works Obeying the Laws of Physics (1987), A Digital Ecologue (1986), Stories Told (1989), Norm'n George (1990) and Squeeze (1990). Obeying the Laws of Physics is also included on the CD Electroacoustic Music (4-ACM 37). What if... (1990) is on the CD Électro Clips (1990, Empreintes Digitales IMED-9004/ Ear Magazine CD-1150). Scheidt has received commissions from Vancouver New Music (At Play), Catherine Lewis (Stories Told), Susan Frykberg (Significant Bits) and Trevor Tureski (Obeying the Laws of Physics). He is a member of the CLComp and the Canadian Electroacoustic Community, and an associate of the Canadian Music Centre.