The International Computer Music Association (ICMA)
The International Computer Music Association is an international affiliation of individuals and institutions involved in the technical, creative, and performance aspects of computer music. It serves composers, computer software and hardware developers, researchers, and musicians who are interested in the integration of music and technology.
description excerpt from the official ICMA web site
Craig Harris became involved with the ICMA in the early 1980s, first by attending conferences (1981), assisting in the organization of the annual International Computer Music Conferences (1983), becoming involved in the organization as a Publications Coordinator (1984), and then as the organization's President (1986).
During the course of his involvement he worked with fellow Board members and community leaders on a variety of key initiatives:
- Developing and improving the quality and regularity of the ICMA newsletter ARRAY;
- Ensuring that the proceedings of the annual conferences were published and available at each year's conference, rather than after the conference, facilitating communication and exchange of knowledge and research;
- Strengthening the organization's administrative infrastructure and financial practices;
- Building the Board of Directors;
- Formalizing procedures for annual conference selection and processes;
- Conduct research on international activities, create a database of resources, and publish the Computer Music Association Source Book, a book that became an important resource in the community.
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Leonardo/The International Society for the Arts, Sciences and Technology
Leonardo/ISAST serves the international arts community by promoting and documenting work at the intersection of the arts, sciences, and technology, and by encouraging and stimulating collaboration between artists, scientists, and technologists. Activities include publication of the art, science and technology journal Leonardo; the Leonardo Music Journal; the Leonardo Book Series; the electronic journal, Leonardo Electronic Almanac; and our World Wide Web Site, Leonardo On-Line (all published by The MIT Press). We have a sister organization in France, the Association Leonardo, which publishes the Observatoire Leonardo Web Site. We have a number of other activities including the Leonardo Educators and Students Program and an awards program.
excerpt from the official Leonardo/ISAST web site
Craig Harris became the Executive Director of Leonardo/ISAST in 1991, and was involved in the following key initiatives:
- Negotiate a comprehensive publishing agreement with MIT Press to print the journal Leonardo, to create a new Leonardo Book Series, and to launch a Leonardo web-based journal;
- Launch the Leonardo Book Series;
- Create the web-based journal Leonardo Electronic Almanac;
- Assist the organization in developing a variety of national and international collaborations;
- Facilitate the development of the International Symposium on Electronic Arts;
- Develop the organization's administrative infrastructure; and
- Implement a fund development program to increase contributed income.
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The Eastman School of Music Computer Music Center
Craig Harris arrived at Eastman School of Music as a graduate student in the Composition Department, and immediately became immersed in the development of Eastman's newly created Computer Music Center. First as a student, then serving the Center in a technical support role, and later as Visiting Faculty member and Visiting Director of the Center, Harris was involved in the creation of one of the nation's first computer music studio integrated into a music conservatory environment.
The studio was launched using a PDP11-34, with 80MB of disk space and 256K of memory, and specialized in creating music using direct synthesis and software mixing and processing resources. Software developed at key institutions such as MIT, Princeton and CCRMA were built to function in this computing environment, and the compositional focus was oriented towards integrating computer-based musical resources and sounds into ensemble performances works utilizing traditional instruments.
During the 2006-2007 school year the Eastman Computer Music Center has been celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the creation of the Center, and Harris was invited to return to Eastman to participate in the celebrations. On March 8, 2007 the Center performed Harris' composition Threshold, for Chamber Ensemble and Computer-Generated sound, the first ensemble work created using the Center resources (1983). A student ensemble conducted by Matt Barber performed the work, synchronized with video created in 1986 at Banff Center for the Arts with visual artists Pat Byrne and Beth Gafarian. Also presented at this concert was a video of Beauty is... deep deep sleep, an excerpt from Harris' Sleeping Beauty Ballet, created in 2003 for the dance theater company Ballet of the Dolls..
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- Assist the school in establishing professional collaborations within the computer music community;
- Oversee the development of technical resources to be used to demonstrate the use of personal computers to serve digital music resource requirements; and
- Organize the University of Michigan's First Symposium on Computers and the Performing Arts, bringing experts from around the nation for a series of concerts, panel discussions and presentations about current work in the field.
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Ballet of the Dolls
The Minneapolis-based dance theater company Ballet of the Dolls hired Craig Harris as Executive Director in 1999 to assist the organization in the following activities:
- Build the organization's administrative infrastructure through hiring and training of staff, and through the development of complete administrative systems;
- Establish a comprehensive fund development program to significantly increase contributed income;
- Formalize performance production procedures to stabilize the organization's ability to mount shows;
- Increase performing artist compensation, create fair compensation system and formalize hiring practices in order to stabilize the company's performing assets;
- Create comprehensive financial systems and manage the company's financial operations;
- Establish improved procedures for marketing of company productions;
- Negotiate leases, theater and studio rental agreements, and all production contracts;
- Assist the organization in Board Development activities and move from a "friends of the founder" Board of Directors to a Governing Board of Directors; and
- Manage the company's initiative to develop the Ritz Theater in Northeast Minneapolis to become the company's permanent performing home; and
- Establish all necessary staff and operating systems for the new venue to support marketing, facility management, fund development, box office management, hospitality services, theater and studio rental, and technical support functions.
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The Ritz Theater Foundation
The Ritz Theater Foundation was created in 2003 during the course of working with Ballet of the Dolls to complete the Ritz Theater development project, and to secure the theater as a community asset. The goal was to take ownership of the Ritz Theater in Northeast Minneapolis, an abandoned 900-seat movie theater, and convert the facility into a high quality, 240-seat, multi-use performing arts venue for small to mid-sized performing arts organizations and individual artists to present their work. Craig Harris became the Executive Director of the Foundation, and was responsible for the following initiatives:
- Serve as the Project Manager for the Ritz Theater Development project;
- Manage the Capital Campaign to raise $2.3 million;
- Establish relationships with the neighborhood, local corporations, public officials, local banks, and funding entities to support the project;
- Serve as the organization's liaison with legal counsel for all legal functions related to purchasing the building from the City of Minneapolis and implementing the renovation;
- Oversee the renovation and work with project construction consultants to complete the project; and
- Develop relationships with local performing arts groups and artists to establish a solid performance roster to open the theater during its first season;
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