Faculty

Chris Cunningham
ccunningham@mcnallysmith.edu
Department Head, Music Composition
Faculty Member Since: 2002
Primary Department: Composition
Formal Education:BA- Film Production/Electronic Music Composition -NYU 

Professional Experience: Chris’ lead guitar gig with James Chance (James White) and The Contortions (Blacks) began a twenty-five year period of musical global wandering, involving a multitude of subsequent groupings, pairings, and breakups. He has collaborated on stages and in studios with the likes of Marianne Faithfull, The Lounge Lizards, Gavin Friday, Boukman Eksperyans, Omar Farouk Tekbilek, Katell Keineg, The Golden Paliminos, Marshall Crenshaw, Richie Havens, and The Saqqara Dogs. In the early 1990’s, he also began a continuing collaboration with cellist/composer Michelle Kinney, which has produced CD’s, concerts, and tours. Relocating to the Twin Cities in 2002, he has continued to branch out further into composing and sound designing for moving pictures, producing other musicians, and added laptop VJ-ing to his long list of “axes of choice”. His multimedia remix ensemble Improvised Explosive Device  regularly detonate their experiments in area clubs and festivals, such as the Twin Cities’ Southern Theater. In 1998, he released his first solo CD, Stories to Play, which earned much critical acclaim. The music for his most recent CD, NEVERWAS, was written and recorded over several years in a wide variety of locations.

J. Anthony Allen
jallen@mcnallysmith.edu
Faculty Member Since: 2009
Primary Department: Composition
Formal Education:MM in composition, MM in computer music, Peabody Conservatory of Music; BA in Music, Grand Valley State University
 

Professional Experience: J. Anthony Allen is a prolific composer of both acoustic and electronic music. He has worked with many forms of interactive media including audio, video, installation, and dance.  Mr. Allen’s works have been called "a study in ominous sound and motion" (Baltimore Sun), “An aural hallucinogen” (Minnesota Public Radio), and "A well-executed, beautiful and engaging use of technology" (Cogapp: The Art and Science Blog).

Allen's artistic interests lie not only in exploring new sounds and methods of music, but the sociological aspects of performance art as well. This philosophy is evident in his works with fire dancers, turntablists, outdoor performances, homemade and non-traditional instruments, and collaborations with everyone from bio-medical engineers to skateboarders.

Allen’s work has been performed by the Peabody and Aspen orchestras, and in 2006 by the Minnesota Orchestra as part of their acclaimed Composer Institute program.  Additionally, Allen's work has been presented at International Computer Music Conferences, Society of Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States (SEAMUS) national conferences, Society of Composers (SCI) national student conference, Electronic Music Midwest festivals, Spark Festivals of Electronic Music and Art (Minneapolis), Music at the Anthology (MATA) festival (New York City), June in Buffalo Festival, and the Aspen Music Festival, for which he received the Susan and Ford Schumann Award in 2004 and 2005.

Allen is a recipient of the Prix D'Ete award (first prize, Peabody Conservatory), Macht Orchestral Prize and P. Bruce Blair Award (Peabody Conservatory).  He was a regional winner of the SCI/ASCAP Student Commission Prize, recipient of two Peabody Institute Career Development Grants, an Arts Quarter Collective Grant (University of Minnesota), Meet the Composer Creative Connections grant, many ASCAP Standard Awards, and several grants from the American Composers Forum.

Recent paper publications have appeared in Organized Sound (Cambridge University Press), The Living Music Journal, Proceedings of the Third Annual Spark Festival, and ComposersOnline.Org.  Allen has studied with prominent teachers in the United States while at the Peabody Conservatory and University of Minnesota.  Additionally, Allen has studied electro-acoustic music at the Centre de Création of Music Iannis Xenakis (CCMIX) in Paris, France.  In 2008 he was awarded the first ever Distinguished Young Alumni award from his alma mater, Grand Valley State University.

Allen performs extensively both as a guitarist and on wearable sensor controllers built and designed by himself.  He has performed at the Guitar Foundation of America National Conference, given numerous solo concerts and recitals, as well as professional studio work.  He has performed on electronic devices on several occasions including performances with members of the Zeitgeist Contemporary Music Ensemble, in New York City at the MATA festival, Miami, FL., Minneapolis, MN., and recurring performances with the improvisation group Ballet Méchanique.  His music has been performed throughout the United States and Europe, including Denmark, the Netherlands, Hungary, the Czech Republic, France, and Italy.

Allen has been the lead Producer for the international Spark Festival of Electronic Music and Arts since 2003.  In 2004 Allen co-founded the “Salon3136” Concert Series which hosts concerts and other events with the intention of dismantling the exclusivity of concert music.

Recent teaching appointments include: The Universiteit van Amsterdam (Amsterdam, Netherlands), Teaching Associate for the Computer Music Department of the Peabody Conservatory of Music of the Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD), Instructor positions at the University of Minnesota (Teaching Advanced Notation and Introduction to Music Software and MIDI), as well as various Teaching Assistantships at Peabody and elsewhere. Additionally, he has taught classical, jazz, folk, and rock guitar at academies and institutions throughout the Midwest.

Allen’s music is recorded on the Innova, SEAMUS, and Panacea3 labels.  More information can be found on janthonyallen.com.

Dessa Darling
ddarling@mcnallysmith.edu
Faculty Member Since: 2008
Primary Department: Composition
Secondary Department: Hip Hop

Professional Experience: Dessa is a published writer, an award-winning musician, a vibrant teacher, and a proud member of the Doomtree crew. As a rapper, she’s had the opportunity to share stages with KRS One, the Wu-Tang Clan, Wyclef Jean, and Craig Finn of the Hold Steady.  As a writer and spoken word poet, she is the recipient of the Jerome/SASE grant and a regular contributor to Spin Magazine’s online book forum. As a businesswoman, Dessa has helped to position Doomtree as one of the most exciting and ascendant crews in underground hip hop. She tours nationally, performing her work at schools, clubs, concert halls, and on street corners around the country. As a teacher, Dessa is eager and honored to share what she has learned from her career in independent music—to foster the skills and the ethos that will help emerging talent find success.
 

Peter Johnson
pjohnson@mcnallysmith.edu
Faculty Member Since: 2007
Primary Department: Composition

Professional Experience: Peter has spent his entire career as a full time professional drummer/musician/songwriter. In the mid 70’s, he was a drummer and toured the U.S., Europe, Australia and New Zealand for three years with Manhattan Transfer. He played on "Manhattan Transfer Live", an album recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. He also played on the "Pastiche" Manhattan Transfer studio album.

He has written hundreds of jingles, songs and underscores for commercials, including composing and producing all the music for two "Sesame Street Live" shows, which toured the world.

Peter was the house band drummer for two American Public Radio weekly shows that were heard nationally: "Good Evening" and "First House on the Right," where played with Shawn Colvin, Lyle Lovett, and Harry Connick Jr., among many others.

Peter still exhibits his drumming versatility; in appearances with the Minnesota Orchestra, he’s played Klezmer music with Doc Severinson, and jazz with Dave Brubeck. He plays often with "Synergy," one of the elite variety bands in the Twin Cities. He is the principal percussionist with the Minnesota Sinfonia, a 26-piece chamber orchestra. He makes frequent appearances on Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion." Peter has played with Michael Bolton, Sister Sledge, Freda Payne, Trisha Yearwood, Chuck Berry, David Gaines, and Donny Osmond, among many others. He also does recording sessions with local artists.

Sean McMahon
smcmahon@mcnallysmith.edu
Faculty Member Since: 2009
Primary Department: Composition
Formal Education:B.M. Berklee College of Music;  Advanced Certificate in Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television, University of Southern California – Los Angeles

Professional Experience: Sean McMahon has worked in various roles on film scores for major motion pictures including Spider-Man 3 and Dreamgirls, and most recently composed the score for The Grudge 3.  Originally from Toronto, Sean lived and worked in Los Angeles for six years prior to joining the McNally Smith faculty. While in Los Angeles, much of his work on film scores was under the direction of prominent Hollywood composer Christopher Young, whom McMahon first met while completing post-graduate work in Film Music at the University of Southern California.  

In addition to Spider-Man 3, McMahon’s work for Christopher Young included orchestrations for the film Ghost Rider (on which he can also be heard playing guitar) and the DreamWorks picture The Uninvited, score coordination for Beauty Shop, and much more. He also worked with successful film composer John Ottman, orchestrating films including Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer and The Invasion.
 

Gary Rue
grue@mcnallysmith.edu
Faculty Member Since: 2007
Primary Department: Composition
Secondary Department: Music Business

Professional Experience: Gary has been writing music for a wide variety of applications since his early teens.  Recording credits include LOST IN THE SHUFFLE performed by Helen Reddy on the European release of her greatest hits compilation, and EVERYONE, recorded by Nick Lowe on his Columbia Records release THE ROSE OF ENGLAND (the song found its way to Nick via pop idol Elvis Costello, a fan of Rue's band, RUE NOUVEAU).

Mr. Rue has over 70 theater musicals to his credit, among these, PAINTING IT RED by Steven Dietz (author of the Pulitzer Prize nominee LAST OF THE BOYS), which enjoyed wide exposure nationally, including a very successful 6 week run at BERKELEY REPERTORY THEATER’s Second Stage in Berkeley, California.  Gary is also composer-in-residence at SteppingStone Theatre of St Paul. One of these commission, THE STINKY CHEESE MAN recently completed a national tour (including a series of performances in Shanghai, China) with the Dallas Children’s Theatre.

Gary had also served since 1986 as conductor and arranger in North America for ‘60’s pop star Gene Pitney (“The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance”, “Town Without Pity”) and his 15 piece orchestra until Mr. Pitney’s death in 2006.

Watch Gary talk about songwriting.

David Singley
dsingley@mcnallysmith.edu
Faculty Member Since: 2007
Primary Department: Composition
Formal Education:B.M. in Jazz Composition, M.M. in Jazz Studies

Professional Experience: David Singley is a professional guitarist who has shared the stage with such jazz luminaries as Bob Brookmeyer, George Shearing, James Moody, Bob Mintzer, Phil Woods, Ernestine Anderson, Paquito d'Rivera, Bob Florence, Tal Farlow, and Buddy DeFranco.  His work as a professional guitarist has also taken him across North America appearing with Perry Como, Debbie Gibson, Gene Pitney, Mary Wells, Debbie Reynolds, Shari Lewis & Lambchop, and many others.  He has worked in the orchestra pit of many a touring Broadway musical including, most notably, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat starring Donny Osmond, The Lion King, Chicago, and Sweet Charity.  He has also performed with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Minnesota Opera, and has appeared on National Public Radio's A Prairie Home Companion.  His playing has graced countless commercial jingles, and he has appeared on over a dozen jazz recordings produced in the Twin Cities, including his debut recording as a leader, How My Heart Sings.  David is also a published composer and arranger with pieces for Jazz Ensemble available in the catalogs of the Neil A. Kjos Music Co., Increase Music, and reallygoodmusic.com.

David Singley also holds the position of Lecturer of Music at Carelton College in Northfield, MN where he teaches Jazz Guitar and Jazz Improvisation and also directs the Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combos. When he’s not making music, David is also an avid long-distance runner.