Sentman, Alan

Alan Sentman (1968 - )

Pianist, Percussionist and Computer Music Artist

Undergraduate studies at University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music in music theory and composition. While there he studied under Frederick Bianchi, Jonathan Kramer and Allen Otte. As an undergrad student, he focused on determinant and indeterminate forms and extended techniques and was influenced by John Cage, Krzysztof Penderecki, Gyorgy Ligeti, Herbert Brun, and George Crumb.

Graduate studies at the City University of New York - City College of New York, also in music theory and composition, where he studied under David Del Tredici and David Olan (Baruch College). Further influences included Edgard Varèse and Helmut Lachenmann.

While in New York City, co-founded a new music collective called Groundwave and produced several new music concerts featuring various composers and artists, produced events inspired by John Cage’s music circuses (Musical Happenings) that also included theatre collaborations in New York City and Philadelphia.

Don't Idle Engine was started in 2006 and is a current solo electronic music studio project that shifted gears from earlier genres to delve into new disciplines and styles like alternative, electronic(a), glitch, etc.; piano, percussion, field recordings (found sounds), synthesizers, computer, vocalization and other devices being commonly used.

Some Musical Works Include:

• Three Short Pieces for Piano
• Violin Trio
• ‘What Hath God Wrought’ - for string quartet
• Bookoctet - for percussion ensemble
• Patchwork - for solo marimba
• Book Between Bookends - for percussion Trio
• The Singularity - for viola and violin
• New York Minuet - for piano and percussion