Derek Drudge is a composer and performer whose work explores contemporary and experimental music through sound, space, and collaboration. He holds a Master’s degree in Digital Culture from Arizona State University and a Bachelor’s degree in Composition and Piano Performance from Eastern Illinois University.
His compositions range from acousmatic works for multichannel systems to pieces for open instrumentation and gesture-controlled electronics. Recent projects include Topology, combining electroacoustic music and poetry, and PrimeStorm, a 32-channel work featured at SEAMUS in New York City and Convergence at De Montfort University in the UK.
As a performer, Derek leads the band Pants For Panthers, which explores sonic movement, space, and improvisation. He has also appeared with ensembles including the Cornelius Cardew Choir, Pet the Tiger instrument-building collective, and Gamelan Encinal. His performance history spans festivals, experimental music venues, and site-specific events, including Garden of Memory at the Chapel of the Chimes and Music for the Afterlife at the Asian Art Museum.
Alongside his creative work, Derek has shared his research and practice through invited talks and conference presentations in the US and abroad, and has taught electronic music and sound design at SUNY-Potsdam and Phoenix College.
His compositions range from acousmatic works for multichannel systems to pieces for open instrumentation and gesture-controlled electronics. Recent projects include Topology, combining electroacoustic music and poetry, and PrimeStorm, a 32-channel work featured at SEAMUS in New York City and Convergence at De Montfort University in the UK.
As a performer, Derek leads the band Pants For Panthers, which explores sonic movement, space, and improvisation. He has also appeared with ensembles including the Cornelius Cardew Choir, Pet the Tiger instrument-building collective, and Gamelan Encinal. His performance history spans festivals, experimental music venues, and site-specific events, including Garden of Memory at the Chapel of the Chimes and Music for the Afterlife at the Asian Art Museum.
Alongside his creative work, Derek has shared his research and practice through invited talks and conference presentations in the US and abroad, and has taught electronic music and sound design at SUNY-Potsdam and Phoenix College.