I’m a drummer and composer from Portland, Maine. From 2006-2010 I studied at Oberlin Conservatory, where I majored in Contemporary Improvisation, a self-designed course of study that combined jazz drum set, electronic music, and composition/music theory coursework. My primary teachers were Billy Hart, Jamey Haddad, Paul Samuels, and Brian Alegant.
During this time, I performed jazz regularly as a bandleader in the Cleveland area. I also wrote music and played drums for an indie rock band, Like Bells. We released two albums on Exit Stencil Records, and played about 100 shows on the road across the eastern United States. Recordings from these various groups can be found on the “Music” page.
I now reside in New York City, where I am pursuing a PhD in music theory at Columbia University, on a faculty fellowship. My research interests include microtonal music, especially that of the spectral school and its exponents. I’m also interested in music cognition/perception, American music, and pedagogy.
Lately I’ve been writing music for a chamber sextet of oboe, alto sax, two guitars, bass, and drums. The songs combine elements of spectral composition, minimalism, metal, and free improvisation; on a less technical level, they are inspired (albeit abstractly) by my beloved home state of Maine.
Contact me at wmason88 [at] gmail [dot] com.
