Pat Long is a versatile performer and the composer of over 100 premiered works. He is best-known for his solo performances of live-electronic-music-with performance-driven-multi-media-but-also-with-comedic-storytelling. He calls this genre "Computer Music Theatre". He's pretty sure that he coined the term, but, if it turns out he didn't, he at least owns the URL.
Education
Born in 1968 and raised in Annapolis, Maryland, he attended Syracuse University where he studied composition with Andrew Waggoner and percussion with Michael Bull. He arrived not really knowing that "classical" composition was a thing one could do, but quickly settled on it as a major. While there he had many opportunities, including a chance to play the Creston Marimba Concertino with the orchestra after willing the concerto competition. Following Syracuse, he attended the Eastman School of Music, receiving his M.M. and then DMA in 1996. While there he studied composition with Warren Benson, Samuel Adler, Joseph Schwantner, Christopher Rouse and David Liptak, percussion with John Beck and computer music with Alan Schindler.
Notable Projects
Festival performances include Musicacoustica (Beijing), International Computer Music Conference, SEAMUS, Electronic Music Midwest, SCI National Conference, North American Saxophone Alliance National Conference, the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, the Florida State University New Music Festival, the Indiana State University New Music Festival, the Brave New Works Festival, the Bonk Festival, International Percussion Arts Festival (Poland), Gaudeamus Competition and Festival (Amsterdam), Image, Movement, Sound Festival (Rochester) and the University of Delaware New Music Festival, among others. His work has been commissioned and performed by many prominent ensembles and soloists, including the Syracuse Society for New Music, Montagnard Duo, Corigliano Quartet, Ithaca Trombone Troup, Maverick Ensemble, Ames Quartet, Maharlika Trio, Lincoln Chamber Singers, Williamsport Symphony, South Orange Symphony, West Shore Symphony Orchestra, the Penn Central Wind Band, hundreds of percussionists and percussion ensembles, and several outstanding soloists including Davis Brooks (violin), Jennifer Blyth (piano) Thomas Burritt (marimba), and Phillip O’Banion (percussion). In 2007 Susquehanna University celebrated its Sesquicentennial with a concert at Carnegie Hall, for which he composed a 35 minute work for chorus and orchestra, conducted by Jennifer Sacher Wiley. His 2016 work Toward the Star was included on the Emmy-winning PBS program “Christmas at Susquehanna”.
Teaching
He is currently Professor of Music at Susquehanna University in central Pennsylvania, where he has been fortunate to teach for over 20 years. In that time he has appreciated the chance to fully complete his musical education by teaching, at one time or another, twenty different courses, including applied Composition, applied Percussion, Theory I, II, Form and Analysis, 20th Century Harmonic Practice, Counterpoint, Orchestration, 20th Century Music Literature, Audio Engineering Fundamentals, Music Production in the Recording Studio, Computer Music Composition, Computer Music Performance, Introduction to Music, Rock Music and Society (online), Percussion Methods and Thought and the Arts. Composition has always thrived at Susquehanna, and there are usually about 10 student composers at any given time. Graduates of his studio have gone on to study at many prestigious places, including University of Michigan, Princeton, USC, Syracuse University, Peabody Conservatory, UNSC, University of Delaware, Eastman School of Music, UCSD, Penn State and Bowling Green University.
Percussion
As a percussionist he performs regularly in the orchestral and chamber realms, presents recitals of his own live electro-acoustic music, and continues to be an active practitioner of pop music with central Pennsylvania’s most imposing all-professor band, Faculty Lounge.
Recordings
New recording by Montagnard Duo includes my Cobalt Blue for guitar and alto saxophone, which they commissioned.
Violinist Davis Brooks (with Kurt Fowler on ‘cello) just released this recording on my piece, “Orbital Beacons” for Electric Violin, Electric Cello and Computer.
Percussionist Thomas Burritt produced this wonderful video recording of my 2000 work “Dreamscapes” for solo marimba.
My work “Toward the Star” for choir, organ, hand bells and percussion is included on this DVD/PBS release by Susquehanna University and WVIA. The show was seen widely last December, and received an Emmy for best direction.
Phillip O’Banion’s recording of Chaconne for vibraphone and tablet computer is included on his first CD, released by Temple University Recordings.
My recording of Chaconne for vibraphone and tablet computer was included in the 2015 International Computer Music Conference DVD.
My first solo disc features works for electronic and acoustic percussion. It is available from CDbaby.com or itunes.
This new CD by marimba soloist Tomasz Arnold contains my piece Smoke of the Ghost. It is available on CDbaby.
This recording by the Radford University Percussion Ensemble features Strange Loops. It is available from Highlander Records.
A live recording of Rain, River, Sea made during a performance at Carnegie Hall.
This recording by saxophonist Gail Levinsky includes my piece Barcarolle for Alto Saxophone and live electronics.
This recording by marimba artist Andrew Harnsberger contains my solo marimba work Smoke of the Ghost.
This recording by violinist Davis Brooks is available on itunes. It includes Shadow Steps for violin and tape
This recording of Strange Loops by the Meadows Percussion Ensemble is available from Gasparo Records.
My piece Ontology for electronic percussion and interactive computer music system is included on a Syracuse University Recordings.
