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Draft:Martha Mooke

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Martha Mooke
Born (1963-02-08) February 8, 1963 (age 61)
New York City
Alma materSUNY Albany, UMass Amherst
Occupations
  • Violist
  • violinist
  • composer
  • academic
AwardsGrammy Award
Best New Age, Ambient or Chant Album (2024)
Websitemarthamooke.com

Martha Mooke (born February 8, 1963) is an American electro-acoustic violist, composer, and educator.[1] A Grammy award-winner for her work on Carla Patullo's album So She Howls, Mooke is noted for her pioneering use of the electric five-string viola and violin. [2]

Early life and education

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Mooke was born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx and Staten Island. She attended public schools in New York City. [3] She began playing viola in elementary school, choosing the instrument because "most everybody wanted to play the violin."[4] She graduated from SUNY-Albany[5] and received a postgraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1988. [6]

Mooke has been a Yamaha Artist (their first electric string artist) for over two decades[7] and served as the first ever Artist-In-Residence for Eventide[8]. She previously held the position of Governor of the New York Chapter of the Recording Academy[9] and is currently a member of both the Executive Committee of the Composer Diversity Project[10], and the Advisory Board of Composers Now[11]. Mooke is the founder and director of the Multi-Style Strings program at New Jersey City University, where she is Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Strings.[12]

Composer/Performer

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Mooke has appeared on television multiple times, including features on The Tonight Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, Regis Live, The View, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and The Rosie O’Donnell Show.[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]

Mooke has performed annually since 2001 at the annual Tibet House Benefit Concerts at Carnegie Hall, with artists including David Bowie, Lou Reed, David Byrne, Laurie Anderson, Trey Anastasio, Moby, Joan Baez and Phoebe Bridgers. Mooke notes that "my work with many of these artists has been on acoustic viola playing as a touring musician (Streisand, Bocelli, “Star Wars: In Concert”), or as string arranger/violist with Scorchio, my quartet. I have been so fortunate to have many highlights in my career. I’m happy to share a few. Of course, touring with Barbra Streisand (2006 US/Canada and 2007 Europe) was an experience that I will cherish the rest of my life."[23].

Education/Advocacy

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Mooke regularly presents clinics and workshops at national and regional conferences including PopTech[24], Midwest Clinic, American String Teachers Association, NAMM Show, Jazz Education Network, New York State School Music Association and IAJE (International Association for Jazz Education)[25].

Mooke’s clinics encourage young string players to reconsider traditional genre boundaries and access their own unique musical voice, focusing on improvisation and technology. Her approach to performance and musicianship is designed to help participants working to overcome learned barriers and break through their own artistic inhibitions[26]

Mooke is the founder of multiple educational programs, including:

Thru The Walls

Produced in collaboration with American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Thru The Walls launched in January 2001[27], as a showcase series featuring new music from composer-performers in a variety of musical genres. The series took place at Manhattan's rock and jazz club The Cutting Room.[28]

Multi-Style Strings Symposium/Program

In 2017, Mooke began her tenure at New Jersey City University as Adjunct Professor in the Music, Dance and Theatre Department (MDT)[29]. In 2019, she was appointed Coordinator of Strings.

Mooke developed the performance degree program, Multi-Style Strings[30]. at NJCU in 2020. “Multi-Style Strings Symposium,” a professional development event for string educators, intended as a resource and teaching tool for embracing all styles of music, improvisation, and available technology in the classroom[31].

Scorchio Quartet

In February 2001, Mooke assembled a string quartet, consisting of Gregor Kitzis (violin), Meg Okura (violin), Mary Wooten (cello) and herself (viola), to perform with David Bowie at Carnegie Hall as part of the 2001 Tibet House Benefit Concert, produced by Philip Glass [32]. The group became the de facto “house band” (along with the Patti Smith Band) for the annual charity concert[33]. Scorchio is featured on Bowie's 2002 release Heathen (David Bowie album) [34]. Collaborations with a variety of other popular artists followed; the quartet has also recorded and performed with Trey Anastasio, Ziggy Marley, Angelique Kidjo, Linda Thompson, Dean and Britta, Charlie Winston, and Blur/Damon Albarn[35]

Awards

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Mooke has received awards from Arts International, ASCAP, Meet the Composer, and Fellowships at the MacDowell Colony. Mooke received the ASCAP Concert Music Award for creating and producing ASCAP's new music showcase THRU THE WALLS featuring composer/performers that defy genre boundaries. She is a recipient of the 2013 ASTA Kudos Award for "helping extend the boundaries in string music and education."[36]

References

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  1. ^ "Mooke, the Maverick - Culture City :: SRQ Magazine Article by Phil Lederer".
  2. ^ "Listen: Electro-Acoustic Violist Martha Mooke Live from the WRTI Performance Studio". WRTI. 2018-03-26. Retrieved 2024-08-25.
  3. ^ "The Orchestra Teacher Podcast: Martha Mooke".
  4. ^ "Violist has had an electrifying career".
  5. ^ "Music Alumni | University at Albany".
  6. ^ "Martha Mooke '88MM Lauded for Performance on Grammy-Winning Album : Department of Music and Dance : UMass Amherst". www.umass.edu. Retrieved 2024-08-25.
  7. ^ "Yamaha Honors Martha Mooke and Christian Howes for 20 Years at ASTA 2018 - Yamaha - United States". 31 January 2024.
  8. ^ "Artist-in-Residence: Martha Mooke". 18 January 2019.
  9. ^ "Martha Mooke • Maestra".
  10. ^ "Advisory Councils".
  11. ^ "Boards - Composers Now".
  12. ^ "Strings | New Jersey City University".
  13. ^ "Music Alumni | University at Albany".
  14. ^ "Martha Mooke: Notating Effects in Musical Scores". 8 December 2015.
  15. ^ "NJCU presents Igniting the Imagination: An evening of music and exploration of David Bowie's creative process". 7 February 2022.
  16. ^ "NJCU presents Igniting the Imagination: An evening of music and exploration of David Bowie's creative process". 7 February 2022.
  17. ^ "NJCU presents Igniting the Imagination: An evening of music and exploration of David Bowie's creative process". 7 February 2022.
  18. ^ "Martha Mooke • Maestra".
  19. ^ "Music Alumni | University at Albany".
  20. ^ "2022 Conference – PopTech".
  21. ^ "Home".
  22. ^ "‎Gear Club Podcast: Martha Mooke, No Ordinary Artist on Apple Podcasts".
  23. ^ "Composer's Corner: Martha Mooke". 27 September 2022.
  24. ^ "2022 Conference – PopTech".
  25. ^ "NJCU presents Igniting the Imagination: An evening of music and exploration of David Bowie's creative process". 7 February 2022.
  26. ^ "Martha Mooke: Walls, Windows, and Doors - New Music USA". April 2017.
  27. ^ "Composers Participate in Cross-Genre ASCAP Showcase, "Thru The Walls," Jan. 31".
  28. ^ "Martha Mooke: Walls, Windows, and Doors - New Music USA". April 2017.
  29. ^ "Composer's Corner: Martha Mooke". 27 September 2022.
  30. ^ "Performance—Multi-Style Strings, M.M. | New Jersey City University".
  31. ^ "Composer's Corner: Martha Mooke". 27 September 2022.
  32. ^ "Tibet House Benefit Concert 2001".
  33. ^ "Tibet House US - 35th Annual Benefit Concert - March 3, 2022".
  34. ^ "Martha Mooke: Walls, Windows, and Doors - New Music USA". April 2017.
  35. ^ "Scorchio Quartet".
  36. ^ "Martha Mooke - Electro-Acoustic Violist | Composer | Producer | Clinician & Educator".
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