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Education

MFA, Music
Program in Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology,
University of California, Irvine, USA, 2009
Thesis Paper: Reevaluating the Foundations of Improvisation: Perspectives on the Potential for Development of New Improvisational Referents link
Thesis Recital: Improvisations for Solo String Bass/Pieces for Improvised String Bass and Computer. Thesis committee: Kei Akagi (chair), Michael Dessen, Chris Dobrian
Bachelor of Music
Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development
New York University, 1996

Teaching

University of California, Irvine

Lecturer, 2010-present
Courses:
Digital Media: History & Foundations (Arts 11)
http://digital.arts.uci.edu/arts11/
Digital Media: Current Directions (Arts 12)
http://digital.arts.uci.edu/arts12/
Musicianship (Music 15 A-B-C)
http://music.arts.uci.edu/crooksj/
Introduction to Pitch Systems in Tonal Music
http://ocw.uci.edu/courses/course.aspx?id=121

Faculty Instructor, COSMOS-UC Irvine 2008-20011
Courses:
Psychoacoustics, Math, and Creative Computing 2010, 2011
Mathematics of Music; Rhythm and Pitch (2008, 2009)

Teaching Assistant, Department of Music 2007-2009
Courses:
Musicianship (two-year appointment, acted as course instructor)
Digital Media: History and Foundations
Digital Media: Current Directions
Jazz History
Beatles and the Sixties
History of Rock
Jazz Orchestra

String Project Los Angeles

Music Director Winter/Spring 2011
Courses:
Alternative String Group
Music Theory

Lectures

“Recreating an Unreal Reality: Performance Practice, Recording, and the Jazz Rhythm Section,” Conference of the Association for the Study of the Art of Record Production, San Francisco, 2011. link
“Computer Music and Improvisation: Frameworks and Referents,” Imagine Create Festival, Derry~Londonderry, Northern Ireland, 2011. link
“Periodicity, Formal Improvisation, and Trio Cycles,” Sonic Arts Research Centre (SARC), Queen’s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland 2011. link
“21st Century Contrafacts,” Centre for Computational Musicology and Computer Music (CCMCM), University of Limerick, Ireland, 2011. link
“Technology and American Improvisation,” Department of Music, University College Cork, Ireland, 2011. link
“Composing and Performing Descarga,” 10th Annual New Music Festival, California State University Fullerton, 2011. link
String Bass Master Class, University of California, Irvine, 2009

Master classes

With the New Power Trio (Nate Shaw, piano; Mark Suter, percussion), an ensemble that integrated African diasporic and Central Asian rhythms with the traditions of piano jazz and chamber music. Workshops and residencies at:
Emory University, University of S. Carolina, University of Illinois, University of Maryland, University of Wisconsin, CSU Fullerton, The College of Charleston, Macalester College, Morgan State University, Roanoke College,
Northland College, and Biola University

Awards

University of California, Irvine 2011 Professional Development Award
OpenCourseWare Consortium 2011 Award for OpenCourseWare Excellence link

Computer Applications for Research and Teaching

Interval ID Quizzes Series of drills and quizzes for development of interval identification skills.
Relative Pitch Keyboard/Relative Pitch Solfége Series of drills and quizzes designed to increase ability locating one or mote pitches relative to a given tonic pitch. Interface uses a piano keyboard or chromatic solfége set for entering answers.
Sing and Name Drill Series of drills and quizzes for development of skill singing and locating intervals on a keyboard.
Tuning Synth/√2 Synth Uses an external or virtual keyboard to demonstrate the sound and mathematics of various tuning systems. Demonstrates principles of ADSR and spectroscopy.
Gain Basics Explains how linear and logarithmic scales are used to describe gain in acoustics and digital audio. Uses various formulas, visuals, and audio files to demonstrate principles of audio gain.
Panning Basics Demonstrates the mathematics of stereo panorama effects. Uses various formulas, visuals, and audio files to demonstrate panning.
ADC Basics Uses sonograms and waveforms to demonstrate the principles of analog-to-digital conversion.
MIDI Basics uses an external keyboard to show what MIDI pitch, velocity, and control data is, and how it is sent between external devices and the computer.
Pulse Monitor IOI Data Compiler Very low latency application for measurement and analysis of long-term patterns in the interonset intervals (IOI) of pulse-based timekeeping.
Funscope A digital x-y oscilloscope designed for the study of tuning systems and pitch relationships.
Triad ID A progressive series of fourteen videos that use audio and animation to quiz and reinforce the memorization of triadic sounds and keyboard shapes by quality and inversion.
Resolution Game A computer application for in-class, group, and individual development of tonicization skills.

Computer Music Programming and Composition

Trio Cycles (2010) Sound/video installation for improvising musicians created with MaxMSP/Jitter.
Descarga (2009) Interactive aleatoric composition for improvised string bass and sampled audio.
Leaf Piece (2009) Interactive tonal composition for improvised string bass, MaxMSP/Jitter and Reason.
Mirrors (2009) Computer music composition created using Reason.
When I’m 65 (2008) Computer music composition created using sampled audio and Pro Tools.

Composer/Ensemble Leader

John Crooks Ensemble (2010-present)
Compositions for improvising musicians and interactive computer systems. Collaborators include Brad Dutz, percussion, Bevan Manson, piano, and others. Recent performances at Blue Whale in Los Angeles.

Improvisations for Solo String Bass/Pieces for Improvised String Bass and Computer (May 2009)
Recital at the University of California, Irvine.

The New Power Trio (1999-2004)
With Nate Shaw, piano and Mark Suter, percussion
Recordings:
NPT 2004 (NPTunes 2003)
Echo Park (NPTunes 2002)
The New Power Trio (NPTunes 2000)
Performances:
Clubs and performance spaces: The Knitting Factory, The Museum of Modern Art, and Makor, NYC; The Green Mill and Hot House, Chicago; The Dakota, Minneapolis/St. Paul
Festivals/Concert Series: The Atlanta Jazz Festival; Spoleto festival USA, Charleston, SC; Trinity Church, NYC; Grand Performances and The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles
Universities: Emory University, University of South Carolina, University of Illinois, University of Maryland, University of Wisconsin, California State University Fullerton, The
College of Charleston (SC), Macalester College, Morgan State University, and Roanoke College.
The New Power Trio was featured in O magazine, The Wall Street Journal, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, and other publications.

The Crooks Band (1995-2000)
A quartet dedicated to performing new compositions for saxophone, piano, bass, and drum kit. Musicians who performed in the ensemble included: Melvin Butler, Orrin Evans, Mark Ferber, Ari Hoenig, Jacques Schwarz-Bart, and others. Performed regularly at The Knitting Factory (NYC and LA).
Recordings:
Spy vs. Spy (Crooksband Records 1999)
Distant Delight (Crooksband Records 1997)
Performances:
Frequent appearances at The Knitting Factory in New York and Los Angeles

Bassist

Studio: session work for Grammy-winning composer/producer David Foster, Warner Bros. Studios, and others.
Orchestral: Bassist with the Riverside Symphony (NYC), Santa Monica Symphony, and the New York Youth Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall.
Club appearances at top venues including:
New York City: Small’s, Smoke, Visiones, Cornelia St Café, The Blue Note, The 55 Bar, The Knitting Factory, Birdland.
Los Angeles: The Jazz Bakery, Catalina Bar and Grill, Steamer’s Jazz Café, The World Stage, The Baked Potato, Vibrato.
Collaborators include: Jane Monheit, Gretchen Parlato, Renee Olstead, Ralph Lalama, Arturo O’Farrill, Danny Grissett, Gary Foster, Joe La Barbera, Bill Perkins, Orrin Evans, Ari Hoenig, Ravi Coltrane, Steve Huffsteder, Joe Bagg, John Beasley, Dave Kikoski, Paul Bollenback, Robert Perkins, Jeff Babko, Bill Reichenbach, Kim Richmond, Ronald Muldrow, Jason Harnell, Mark Ferber, Larry Koonse, Ali Jackson, Eric Lewis, Kendall Kay, John Beasley, David Arnay, Chris Dawson, Louis Durra, Jerry Kalaf, Cecilia Coleman, Jamey Haddad, Steve Cardenas, Chuck Manning, Ron Stout, Bevan Manson, Taylor Eigsti, Jamie Rosenn, Olivia Netwon-John, Ralph Penland, and Harvey Mason.

Performance Art

How Jazz Works
Performed by Tameka Norris and John Crooks. Performance score by Dan Levenson, Tameka Norris, and John Crooks.
Performances:
Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, July 21, 2011
CB1 Gallery, Los Angeles, July 23, 2011

Computing Skills

MaxMSP/Jitter, Pro Tools, Logic, Reason, Live, Audacity, Sibelius, Finale, WordPress

Teaching Interests/Expertise

Music Technology, Ear and Rhythm Training, Music Theory, Interactive Musical Systems, Digital Art, Computer Music Programming, Composition, online course development, Ensemble Coaching, Improvisation, Jazz History, Jazz Theory, String Bass.

Research Interests

Interactive Computer Music, Cognition of Pitch and Rhythm, Improvisational Processes in Music, Musical Form and Improvisation, Rhythm in African Diasporic Music, American Popular Song, String Bass Technique.

References on request