Profile
Aaron Myers-Brooks is a composer, educator, and performer with diverse interests who comes to music by way of rock and metal’s avant-garde. Born and raised in Greenville, North Carolina by visual artist parents, he developed an interest in creativity at a young age, first via drawing as a child, and later with 4-track home recording during his teenage years, subsequently finding a home in the contemporary classical and DIY rock worlds during college. He is currently active as a Pittsburgh based composer and teacher, and as a guitarist in math metal bands AutoReplicant and Monochromatic Residua, and filk (fiction folk) duo Familiar.
Aaron has composed in various styles, but always attempts to maintain a quirky and exciting approach to rhythmic energy in his music. Much of his recent work focuses on microtonal electronic and electric guitar writing through digital technology, alternate tunings, and on his recently acquired 17-notes-per-octave guitar. As an educator, Aaron has largely focused on teaching electronic music and music theory, recently developing The University of Pittsburgh’s first Ableton beat-making course and assisting in the development of an undergrad music theory curriculum which integrates a broad variety of musics and perspectives.
Aaron has written pieces at the request of the North Carolina New Music Initiative, Collide-O-Scope Music, Patchwork, and Kamratōn, among others. Aaron has performed at events such as the Beyond 2020: Microtonal Music Festival, Berserker Fest, Kamratōn’s She Scores series, the Ohio Valley Filk Fest, and Cropped Out. His bands and compositions have been reviewed favorably by Metal Injection, Decibel Magazine, and Cleveland Classical, among others.
Courses Taught
Electronic and Computer Music 1: Studio Composition and Beat Making
Theory 1
Electronic and Computer Music 2
Theory 2
Electronic Beatmaking and Songwriting
Intermediate Piano
Creative Musicianship
Education & Training
- PhD in Music Composition and Theory, University of Pittsburgh