Hi, I'm Reilly Spitzfaden! I'm a composer and programmer who likes noise, obsolete media, electronics, and nostalgia.

Everything lost along the way

Part of my Eastman PhD dissertation was featured on Score Follower's YouTube channel. I composed a set of three pieces using MIDI keyboards and Max/MSP. Some of the keyboard range plays electric piano sounds — in this one, I used Dexed to emulate the classic 80s Yamaha DX7 "E.PIANO 1" sound. Other parts of the keyboard play databending and shortwave radio samples, or trigger noise synthesizers.

This one also has percussion, trumpet, and trombone. The percussionist has metal tins, a music stand, and other "junk" metal running through various contact mics, distortion pedals, and small amps. I hope you enjoy!

If this reaches you

My piece If this reaches you is on Apply Triangle's new album Oxalis Triangularis. I was one of the composers selected in the group's call for scores in 2020, and the album came out on April 12, 2024. It's a 3-CD release, and my piece is on volume 2.

Contemporary classical magazine I Care If You Listen did an intervew with the group, and described my piece as having

...a retro-futuristic vibe with electronic samples from distorted fax machines, maritime radios and walkie-talkies...

I also wrote a blog post about composing the piece.

Reach Through

The TaPIR Lab at the University of Toronto commissioned me for the 2023 Composer in Residence Concert. I wrote for percussion quartet, with each performer using the accelerometer/gyroscope data from a mobile phone to trigger and control sounds in Max/MSP.

Here is the premiere of Reach Through at Array Space in Toronto.