{"id":115877,"date":"2025-07-09T16:22:16","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T20:22:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=115877"},"modified":"2025-07-10T08:00:01","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T12:00:01","slug":"interview-laws-nature-composer-andrew-staniland-talks-making-music-electronics-dancers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/07\/09\/interview-laws-nature-composer-andrew-staniland-talks-making-music-electronics-dancers\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | The Laws Of Nature: Composer Andrew Staniland Talks About Making Music With Electronics And Dancers"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_115879\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-115879\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-115879\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-88.jpg\" alt=\"Composer Andrew Staniland (Photo courtesy of the artist)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-88.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-88-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-88-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-88-768x402.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-115879\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Composer Andrew Staniland (Photo courtesy of the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Composer Andrew Staniland is releasing a new album he\u2019s dubbed classical crossover. The Laws of Nature was created using innovative electronic technology that the University of Toronto graduate has been developing for several years.<\/p>\n<p>Staniland\u2019s music takes elements of classical, cinematic, and electronic music, blending them into a distinctive sound.<\/p>\n<h3>Andrew Staniland<\/h3>\n<p>Born in Red Deer, Alberta, Staniland\u2019s first foray into music came via the guitar. He went on to play in heavy metal bands as a teenager. He then made the switch to jazz, which he studied at the then Grant MacEwan College (now MacEwan University) in Edmonton. He studied classical guitar performance at the University of Lethbridge, and followed up with a Master\u2019s and Doctorate degree in composition at the University of Toronto.<\/p>\n<p>His music has been performed across the globe, and has been commissioned by the Gryphon Trio, Les Percussion de Strasbourg, Germany\u2019s Flex Ensemble, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, and American poet and activist Jessica Care Moore, among others.<\/p>\n<p>Staniland served as the Affiliate Composer for the National Arts Centre Orchestra from 2002 to 2004, and held the same position with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra from 2006 until 2009. In between, he was composer-in-residence at the Centre de Cr\u00e9ation Musicale Iannis Xenakis in Paris in 2005.<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s been nominated for three JUNO Awards, and has taken home ECMA Awards, along with the 2016 Terra Nova Young Innovators Award.<\/p>\n<p>Staniland still occasionally performs on the guitar in multimedia electroacoustic projects. Today, along with his composition and performance practice, Andrew is a professor at Memorial University in St. John\u2019s Newfoundland.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Percussionist Rob Power uses JADE in EEG mode to create live accompaniment that he improvises over:<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jZ4TdwutTp8?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<h3>The Laws of Nature: JADE and Mune<\/h3>\n<p>At Memorial University\u2019s Memorial ElectroAcoustic Research Lab, or MEARL, Staniland leads a cross-disciplinary research team that has developed two electronic instruments: JADE and Mune.<\/p>\n<p>Mune aims to combine digital music production with the expressiveness \u2014 and simplicity \u2014 of acoustic instruments. It\u2019s designed for both traditional and avant-garde musical idioms.<\/p>\n<p>It allows you to use a vast array of sounds and playing modes, including beat sequencing, controls, melodies and chords. Mune can be played in a variety of different positions, with 24 touch sensors and controls that allow for several parameters to be manipulated simultaneously.<\/p>\n<p>Best of all: it\u2019s easy to use, making it accessible to anyone.<\/p>\n<p>JADE is a unique instrument that plays according to vital signs it measures, such as heart rate and blood pressure. The instrument has a dual purpose, in that it\u2019s used for both music, and working on mindfulness via biofeedback you can hear.<\/p>\n<p>Possible uses include music performance and composition, meditation and mindfulness, and stress management, among others. Find out more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.andrewstaniland.com\/jade\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_115880\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-115880\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-115880\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/Staniland_Blenkinsopp1_web-2.jpg\" alt=\"Composer Andrew Staniland (Photo courtesy of the artist)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"801\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/Staniland_Blenkinsopp1_web-2.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/Staniland_Blenkinsopp1_web-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/Staniland_Blenkinsopp1_web-2-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/Staniland_Blenkinsopp1_web-2-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-115880\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Composer Andrew Staniland (Photo courtesy of the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Andrew Staniland: The Interview<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cI think that this album release is the first major artistic output, the crown jewel of all the work we did before on the JADE instrument,\u201d he says, noting how much work had gone into the project over more than a decade.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was looking for an opportunity to do something artistic with it in a big way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The album includes pieces written over about the last two years, but came out of a process that spent years in development.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI started this other journey about in 2010 I guess,\u201d he recalls. \u201cThat journey began out of a gap or a problem that I found when performing these multimedia projects on stage with my colleagues.\u201d Staniland typically added the electronic elements.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI felt a real mismatch,\u201d he says. Pushing keys on a laptop just didn\u2019t create the kind of performance experience he was looking for. It\u2019s not the same visceral appeal as striking a drum with a stick, he points out. It\u2019s also not as exciting for audiences.<\/p>\n<p>The electronic projects developed from that starting point. \u201cIt\u2019s been an incredible adventure.\u201d And not one, as he points out, where he knew the end point when he started.<\/p>\n<p>That journey began after he left Toronto and connected with <strong>Scott Stevenson<\/strong>, an entrepreneur with a love of electronic music. Stevenson founded Mune as a private company for a few years before it became part of MEARL. JADE came along several years later.<\/p>\n<p>For Staniland, it was also a combination of his interests. \u201cWhat happens if I take all these things I\u2019m interested in [&#8230;] composition and digital instruments? What comes up? That\u2019s been the guiding principle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The music, and the ways it can be created with Mune and JADE, are part of the exploration. \u201cThese are all questions, they\u2019re not answers at all.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the new album, Andrew uses JADE to measure the EEG brain waves of a group of dancers. Six dancers from the Newfoundland based <strong>Kittiwake Dance<\/strong> company participated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was really fun working with the dancers on it,\u201d he says. The data from the EEG creates a flow of numbers, which in turn produces sounds. \u201cThat\u2019s already an artistic act,\u201d he says. \u201cYou\u2019re composing immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It brings science and art together seamlessly, but that wasn\u2019t actually a specific goal. \u201cI think it certainly happened organically,\u201d he says. \u201cWhat happens when I align my values in this or this or this?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The project also satisfies artistic preferences. \u201cI also love to collaborate. I also love dance. That was a really interesting element to bring to the piece.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Data from the EEG sensors on the dancers is unique. \u201cYou really have this response that it\u2019s impossible to anticipate or recreate in any way.\u201d It becomes something that he couldn\u2019t possibly have put together on his own.<\/p>\n<p>As he points out, the Greek root word of \u201corchestra\u201d (\u1f40\u03c1\u03c7\u03ae\u03c3\u03c4\u03c1\u03b1) comes from the verb <em>orcheisthai,<\/em> or to dance.<\/p>\n<h3>A Different Direction<\/h3>\n<p>Along with composing contemporary orchestral music, his practice has extended to film music in recent years, and ongoing electroacoustic performance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think why I\u2019m so excited about this album \u2014 I\u2019m super excited about his one especially \u2014 is because it\u2019s really different for me,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>As far as genre, he\u2019s going with classical crossover.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs it for the new music crowd? I don\u2019t know. Is it for the dance crowd? I\u2019m not sure,\u201d he says. \u201cWe settled on classical crossover, and contemporary.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In truth, it\u2019s hard to put into a category neatly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it\u2019s really cool, and to me, it\u2019s a real fresh, artistic output.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The album will be released on August 1 on the Leaf Music label. You can pre-add\/save, or stream later from your favourite service [<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/leaf-music.lnk.to\/as2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HERE<\/a><\/strong>].<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>Are you looking to promote an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/advertising\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #0e101a\"><u>event<\/u><\/span><\/a>? Have a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/masthead\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>news tip<\/u><\/a>? Need to know the best\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/events\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>events<\/u><\/a>\u00a0happening this weekend? Send us a\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><a href=\"mailto:anya@ludwig-van.com?subject=Let's%20chat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><em><u>note<\/u>.<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><em><b>#LUDWIGVAN<\/b><\/em><\/h3>\n<p class=\"western\"><em>Get the daily arts news straight to your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><em>Sign up for the Ludwig Van Toronto e-Blast! \u2014 local classical music and opera news straight to your inbox <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/583e6ce0-dfd0-48be-8a33-61256b3c58e3.mlbtlr.com\/p2\/Fbd8jWoWQQ6CdBcLIvut3Q\/02E3cYaETqaj4Xm087cpSg?contactid=S3HHYfHY5rZv5f94S15MnA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/583e6ce0-dfd0-48be-8a33-61256b3c58e3.mlbtlr.com\/p2\/Fbd8jWoWQQ6CdBcLIvut3Q\/02E3cYaETqaj4Xm087cpSg?contactid%3DS3HHYfHY5rZv5f94S15MnA&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1695737525351000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0QTqKRwRJQFGK3KoJYigxX\">HERE<\/a>.<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Composer Andrew Staniland is releasing a new album titled Laws of Nature he&#8217;s created using innovative electronic technology. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":115879,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[41660,18,42084,42100,41441,41306,29,41373,81,51,63],"tags":[282,40372,40877],"yst_prominent_words":[15756,13078,17703,18222,14729,6616,10453,13077,14728,7549],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-88.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-u8Z","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115877"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/64"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115877"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115877\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":115888,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115877\/revisions\/115888"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115879"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115877"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115877"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115877"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=115877"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}