Music Outpost

David Borden (born December 25, 1938 in Boston) is an American composer of minimalist music, an electronic musician and a keyboardist. In 1969, with the support of Robert Moog, inventor of the Moog synthesizer, he founded the world’s first all-synthesizer ensemble in Ithaca, New York.  The first incarnation of the ensemble was called Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Company. Using Moog’s MiniMoog prototype and other synthesizers for instrumentation and the Moog factory in Trumansburg for rehearsal space, Borden recruited keyboardist Steve Drews (and soon after, Linda Fischer) and began performing pieces by modern composers such as Robert Ashley, John Cage, Jon Hassell, Daniel Lentz, Terry Riley, Philip Glass, and Steve Reich. Soon, however, the ensemble began composing original works for live synth performance. On Easter weekend of April 1970, Borden composed “Easter”, his first tonal pulse-piece for Moog synthesizer. His performance of that piece with Drews at Cornell University two weeks later marked the world’s first-ever live performance with a MiniMoog. In June of that year. Borden and Drews premiered the Mini-Moog in NYC. By 1971, Mother Mallard was performing and recording only works by its composer-performers Borden, Drews, and Fisher.

In 1973 the group released its first LP recording on its own label, Earthquack Records.  Featuring compositions by Borden and Drews, it was enthusiastically received by critics. In 1975 Judy Borsher replaced Linda Fisher, and Mother Mallard released a second LP on Earthquack, called Like a Duck to Water, which was also a critical success. [Cuneiform reissued both of these albums on CD: 1970-1973 in 1999, and Like a Duck to Water in 2001, in addition to releasing two vinyl Mother Mallard recordings: Anatiadae (1986) and Migration (1988).] In 1977 Chip Smith replaced Steve Drews, and this is when the group was entirely directed by David Borden, and played his music exclusively.

Mother Mallard has reformed several times since 1978, and expanded its instrumentation over the years to include acoustic, electric and digital instrumentation in addition to analog synths. The group has performed at most of the avant garde venues in New York City, including the Kitchen, the Knitting Factory, the WBAI Free Music Store, The Alternative Museum, Danceteria, Town Hall and Lincoln Center.  In Europe, MM has performed at the Barbican Center in London, the Portsmouth Festival and The Tivoli Koncertsalen in Copenhagen, Denmark in addition to many universities and festivals in the United States and Canada, cultivating a dedicated following worldwide.

Borden's oeuvre is filled with remarkable compositions, but his masterwork is probably The Continuing Story Of Counterpoint, a 12-part musical cycle that is a Borden composed between 1976-87. Lasting 3 hours, Cuneiform has released this seminal work on 3 CDs, each containing 4 parts. The music is a pleasing and highly listenable mixture of classical forms, dense textures, strict counterpoint, and high energy electronics. AUDIO Magazine had this to say about the series: "When released in its entirety, this series may stand as the 'Goldberg Variations' of minimalism, a canon of work that defines a style and an era."

Mother Mallard's leader David Borden was the Director of Cornell University's Digital Music Program from 1987 until his retirement c. 2010; he currently serves as Professor Emeritus.  He first came to Ithaca in 1966 on a Ford Foundation Grant as Composer-in-Residence for the Ithaca City School District, and in 1968 he began working at Cornell University as the Composer-Pianist for Dance (Dept. of Athletics). In addition to his work with electronics and the Mother Mallard ensemble, Borden has written music for various chamber and vocal ensembles. He is also an accomplished jazz pianist; his first composition teachers were Jimmy Giuffre and Jaki Byard. Borden, who holds two Masters degrees in Music, was educated at the Eastman School of Music and Harvard University. At Harvard he studied with Leon Kirchner and Randall Thompson, and at Eastman with Bernard Rogers and Howard Hanson. He was also a Fulbright student in Berlin Germany, where he studied at the Hochschule für Musik. His teachers have included Gunther Schuller, Howard Hanson, Wolfgang Fortner, Boris Blacher and Aaron Copeland.   His music has been performed the world over.

Based in Ithaca to the present day, Borden remains active as a composer, and Mother Mallard  

Borden was the Director of the Digital Music Program at Cornell University where he had been teaching since 1968.  Before coming to the Music Department in 1987 he was Composer-Pianist for Dance in the Department of Women's Physical Education (now defunct) and the Department of Athletics.  He earned his undergraduate degree at the Eastman School of Music and holds Masters Degrees in Music from both Eastman and Harvard University.  He first came to Ithaca in 1966 on a Ford Foundation Grant as Composer-in-Residence for the Ithaca City School District. Before this, Borden attended the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin, Germany as a Fulbright student. His teachers have been many: Leon Kirchner, Gunther Schuller, Howard Hanson, Bernard Rogers, Wolfgang Fortner, Boris Blacher and Aaron Copeland.  His first composition teachers were jazz musicians: Jimmy Giuffre and Jaki Byard whose influences can still be heard in his music.  His music has been performed the world over.

Currently there are four CDs available of MM from Cuneiform which includes the entire Continuing Story of Counterpoint cycle as well as some of the Birthday Variations.

David Borden is the Director of the Digital Music Program at Cornell University where he has been teaching since 1968.  Before coming to the Music Department in 1987 he was Composer-Pianist for Dance in the Department of Women's Physical Education (now defunct) and the Department of Athletics.  He earned his undergraduate degree at the Eastman School of Music and holds Masters Degrees in Music  from both Eastman and Harvard University.  He first came to Ithaca in 1966 on a Ford Foundation Grant as Composer-in-Residence for the Ithaca City School District.  Before that, he attended the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin, Germany as a Fulbright student. His teachers have been many: Leon Kirchner, Gunther Schuller, Howard Hanson, Bernard Rogers, Wolfgang Fortner, Boris Blacher and Aaron Copeland.  His first composition teachers were jazz musicians: Jimmy Giuffre and Jaki Byard whose influences can still be heard in his music.  His music has been performed  the world over.