Education

Louisiana State University—2021-25

Ph.D. candidate Experimental Music and Digital Media, studio art minor

California Institute of the Arts—2016-18

M.F.A. Experimental Sound Practices and Integrated Media 

Loyola University New Orleans—2007-11

B.M. Jazz Studies and Piano Performance

Workshop and Class Instruction

Composition for Electronic Media (APMS 2230)—Spring 2024

Tulane University, New Orleans

Production, composing with technology, experimental music techniques, harmony

Programming Digital Media (CSC 2463)—Spring 2024

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge

p5, Tone.js, and Arduino

Co-taught with Dr. Andrew Webb

EMDM Ensemble (MUS 4270)—Fall 2023

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge

Group improvisation, non-traditional scores, circuit building, and MAX/MSP

Co-taught with Dylan Burchett

Fundamentals of Sound Engineering—Summer 2023

LSU Pre-College Summer Program, Baton Rouge

Senior Project Advisor (MUS 4501)—Spring 2023

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge

Primary Electroacoustic Lessons (MUS 3153)—2022-23

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge

Songwriting, production, composing with technology

Focus Rock: Noise guest lecturer (MHST-407, MHST-607)—March 24, 2021

CalArts Herb Alpert School of Music

Discussed and work-shopped non-traditional composition methods and tools 

Soundscapes at Home—May 18, 2020

San Marino Music Center, San Marino, CA 

Online group class ages 7 and up for learning to play experimental music 

Make a Basic Electronic Musical Instrument—Jan. 25, 2020

Pasadena City College Extension Program, Pasadena, CA 

Weird Synth Making—Nov. 4, 2018

Hackaday Superconference at Supplyframe, Pasadena, CA  

Make Your Own CMOS Square Wave Synth—Aug. 5, 2018

Coaxial Arts Foundation, Los Angeles, CA 

A five-hour synth building workshop that went into the details of the 40106 CMOS chip, all components in the circuit, breadboard layout, schematic reading, and circuit board soldering 

Teaching Assistant—2016-18

CalArts Herb Alpert School of Music

Tonal Harmony and Keyboard I and II (MTHY-111, MTHY-112) 

History of Western Art Music (MHST-205, MHST-206) 

Electroacoustic Seminar (MCMP-605) 

Nihilism for Noise Musicians (MITM-421, MITM-621)—Jan. 9-20, 2017

CalArts Herb Alpert School of Music

Designed, researched, and taught a two-week winter session course that delved into the various theories of absurdism and nihilism and their relationships to performance art and noise music 

Composition and Music Theory Instructor—2016-17

CalArts Community Arts Partnership 

Intermediate tonal harmony and multi-genre composition 

Private Piano Lessons and Music Theory Classes—2011-16  

St. George’s Episcopal School, New Orleans, LA 

Loyola University New Orleans Preparatory Arts Program 

Other Employment

Graduate Assistant—June 2021-present

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge 

Web development and technical assistant, fabrication lab manager, FOH and stage management for concerts and conferences


Repair Technician—2021

Audio Rehab, Burbank, CA 

Repairs for vintage keyboards and studio equipment 


ThingMusic Instrument Shop (online only)—Established May 2020 

Electroacoustic instruments designed and handmade by Erin Demastes 


Arts and Music Administration  

Buyer, Perfect Circuit Audio, Burbank, CA—2019-20 

Data Coordinator, CalArts Admissions—2018-19 

Records and Registration Assistant, CalArts Registrar—2016-18 


Technical Assistant—2016-18

CalArts Herb Alpert School of Music

Vintage and Eurorack synth repairs and maintenance, tools and component inventory, software maintenance and troubleshooting


Freelance Jazz Pianist—2005-16

Various venues, New Orleans, LA 

Technical Skills

Click here for a list of technical skills.

Installation and Fixed Media

Timbral Shifts (8-channel audio)

As part of the Australasian Computer Music Conference

University of New England, Australia—Oct. 9, 2023

Closed Circuit

As part of a group show curated by Liz Lessner and Mat Keel

Good Children Gallery, New Orleans, LA—Feb. 11-March 5, 2023

Interface Design I, II, III, IV

The 4 iterations of Interface Design from 2017 to future installations

Received award for best installation at NIME 2022

On digital display at NIME 2022—June 29-July 1, 2022

C Foam (audio only)

For physical modeling and granular synthesis in Csound

Cinema for the Ears, LSU DMC Theater—Sept. 23, 2022

New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival—June 21, 2022

Sound Shadows

A piece for sound objects on plexiglass filmed from below 

A re-imagining of the Soundpedro 2020 in-person art show sponsored by Angeles Gate Cultural Center, San Pedro, CA 

On digital display at soundpedro.org—June 6-30, 2020

Slinkyscope

As part of the Hacked Found Repurposed Vol. 3 group show curated by Bryan Day and Kirk Pearson

Center for New Music, San Francisco, CA—Feb. 2-28, 2020  

Scavenging Sound

A collaboration with Ethan Marks. A short half mile hike in the San Gabriel Mountains, this scavenger hunt consisted of 13 clues that led participants to different locations on the trail to observe various sounds that were planted. 

The Dogstar Orchestra 15 festival, Millard Falls, Angeles Forest, CA—June 8, 2019  

Cone & Slinkies

Two interactive sound pieces, Cone consists of a plastic lighting cone, a cell phone buzzer, a distance sensor, and an Arduino. Slinkies consists of two amplified metal slinkies on a coat rack. 

CalArts staff group show D300 Gallery—Sept. 17-21, 2018

Interface Design II

Ten exposed circuits made with light resistors like Interface Design I, exposed wire and piping for the floor and window display, and videos taken with a microscope camera of various industrial materials. This residency also featured a synth-building workshop and a night of curated performances. 

Residency at Coaxial Arts Foundation, Los Angeles, CA—Aug. 1-10, 2018

Intermittency

Seven homemade electromagnets attached to lamps and routed through a mixer and speakers  

CalArts Center for Integrated Media—March 20-23, 2018

Games

An M.F.A. group show featuring games and scores 

CalArts Wavecave—March 12-16, 2018

Interface Design

Ten exposed circuits made with light resistors that allow them to be played with flashlights 

CalArts Wavecave—Nov. 27-Dec. 1, 2017

Solo Performance and Composition

Boxes, Bells, & Bird Calls

For handmade instruments, desk bells, bird caller, and toys

As part of a pre-SEAMUS conference concert

Yes We Cannibal, Baton Rouge—April 4, 2024

Sample & Hold

For record players, karaoke mic, tuning forks, radio, dog training buttons, and small instruments

Yes We Cannibal, Baton Rouge—Jan. 4, 2024

LNML Lit Winter Fest at The Domino, New Orleans—Dec. 16, 2023

Bells & Whistles

For bells, toy piano, melodica, pitch pipes, and other noise makers

HopKins Black Box Theater at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge—June 23, 2023

As part of the Experimental Music Night curated by Erin Demastes

Zeitgeist Theater, New Orleans—June 22, 2023

As part of the Experimental Music Night curated by Erin Demastes

LMNL Lit Summer Fest at Zeitgeist Theater, New Orleans—June 18, 2023

Box

For handmade box with speakers, motors, and metal structures

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge—Jan. 27, 2024

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge—May 1, 2023

Stirrers

For 3 latte stirrers, 2 magnetic stirrers, and 1 soup stirrer

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge—Nov. 28, 2022

University of South Carolina, Columbia—Nov. 11, 2022

Cups & Tubes

For wooden discs, pop-tops, Solo cups, magnetic stirrers, and other materials

East Village Arts, Birmingham, AL—July 1, 2022 

Yes We Cannibal, Baton Rouge, LA—June 17, 2022 

Perpetual Motion

For handmade automatic instruments, handmade amplifiers, and speaker cones

High Zero Foundation Livestream, Baltimore, MD—Feb 24, 2022

Hartley / Vey Theater, Baton Rouge, LA—Feb. 12, 2022

Yes We Cannibal, Baton Rouge, LA—Oct. 24, 2021

Connections

For metal acoustic instruments that become electronic  

Canessa Gallery, San Francisco, CA—June 26, 2021 

Thing Music

For record player, bells, automatic stirrer, plastic balls, and other materials

Yes We Cannibal, Baton Rouge, LA—Feb. 25, 2022

Pan Y Rosa Discos, Chicago Twitch livestream—April 11, 2021 

Microsound

For microscope camera, contact mics, and materials 

Indexical’s Twitch livestream, Santa Cruz, CA—April 18, 2020 

Rec Center, Los Angeles, CA—Aug. 22, 2018 

Coaxial Arts Foundation, Los Angeles, CA—Aug. 5, 2018 

CalArts ESP Night—April 17, 2018 

What Is It?

For materials hidden behind a project board 

Betalevel, Los Angeles, CA—Nov. 15, 2019 

Thymele Arts, Los Angeles, CA—Oct. 27, 2019 

Computer Music

For computer speaker feedback and resonant materials

Coaxial Arts Foundation, Los Angeles, CA—March 15, 2019  

Sponsored by the wulf.

Coaxial Arts Foundation, Los Angeles, CA—Feb. 19, 2019 

As part of the Open Source music series

I Leave My Seat

For poem, Mac Terminal, and plastic wrap 

As part of the CalArts Center for Integrated Media Project Scream 

Navel LA, Los Angeles, CA—Jan. 26, 2019

Cone Suite

For amplified cone and materials

CalArts—Jan. 29, 2018

Solo for Two Slinkies

For amplified metal slinkies on a coat rack

CalArts—Jan. 29, 2018

Bells

For cell phone buzzers, containers, and bells 

CalArts ESP Night—Nov. 14, 2017

Microphone II

For amplified slinkies, PVC, and iPhone feedback

Sponsored by the wulf.

Coaxial Arts Foundation, Los Angeles, CA—Aug. 18, 2017

Microphone

For iPhone feedback and containers

CalArts ESP Night—April 25, 2017

Intermittency

For fizz, drill, no-input mixer, aux cable, bottle, and fan 

As part of the California Electronic Music Exchange Concerts (CEMEC) at: 

UC Santa Cruz—April 23, 2017 

Mills College, Oakland, CA—April 22, 2017 

CalArts—April 4, 2017 

Collaborative Performance

Improvised duo with Dylan Burchett

Midcity Ballroom, Baton Rouge—Feb. 27, 2024

Yes We Cannibal, Baton Rouge—Feb. 20, 2024

Happyland Theater, New Orleans—Oct. 21, 2023

Highland Road Park Observatory, Baton Rouge—Sept. 1, 2023

Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios, Denton, TX—Aug. 16, 2023

HopKins Black Box Theater, LSU—July 15, 2023

Quartet for Pitch Pipes

For four performers and four pitch pipes composed by Erin Demastes 

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge—Nov. 27, 2023

Coaxial Arts Foundation, Los Angeles, CA—Sept. 13, 2019

As part of Weird Winds Night sponsored by the wulf. and curated by Erin Demastes 

EMDM Ensemble Concert (MUS 4270)

Works by John Cage, Pauline Oliveros, James Tenney, Christian Wolff, and more

Directed by Dylan Burchett and Erin Demastes

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge—Nov. 1, 2023

Computer Music II

For two people, computer speaker feedback, and objects composed by Erin Demastes

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge—Feb. 24, 2023

Rice University, Houston, TX—Nov. 5, 2022

How To

Commissioned work for objects and ensemble composed by Erin Demastes

For the Experimental Music Workshop directed by Greg Stuart

University of South Carolina, Columbia—Nov. 11, 2022

Error Chirp

For 8 people, 8 Macs, and Mac “purr” error sound composed by Erin Demastes

Performed by the LSU Laptop Orchestra 

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge—Oct. 31, 2022

From the Untroubled Mind

For laptop orchestra, Mac terminal, and text by Agnes Martin composed by Erin Demastes

Performed by the LSU Laptop Orchestra 

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge—Oct. 31, 2022

Click Map

For mouse-controlled Max/MSP patch composed by Erin Demastes

Performed by the LSU Laptop Orchestra 

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge—Nov. 1, 2021 

Leviathan

Solo performance video piece for Music for Your Inbox 

Composed by Tim Feeney and videography and stage management by Middle Ear Project 

Human Resources, Los Angeles, CA—June 20, 2021  

SpaceSearch

A duo with Cassiopeia Sturm 

Battery Books and Music, Pasadena, CA—Feb. 28, 2020 

Coaxial Arts Foundation, Los Angeles, CA—April 12, 2019 

CalArts Digital Arts Expo—May 4, 2017 

CalArts ESP Night—Dec. 6, 2016 

Duet for Magnetic Stirrers

For two performers, two magnetic stirrers, water, beads, and other materials composed by Erin Demastes 

CalArts—Jan. 29, 2018

Splat Music

For dropping materials into an amplified tin bucket composed by Erin Demastes 

CalArts—Jan. 29, 2018

Resonance

For 12 tuning forks, 6 resonant objects, and 6 performers composed by Erin Demastes 

CalArts—Jan. 29, 2018 

Coaxial Arts Foundation—Jan. 22, 2018  

For the Music for Tuning Forks festival, Los Angeles, CA

The Dogstar Orchestra 13 with the Reader’s Chorus and Dogstar Orchestra 

Works by Pauline Oliveros, James Tenney, and others including an arrangement of Agnes Martin writings by Erin Demastes 

Human Resources, Los Angeles, CA—June 17, 2017 

Women’s Center for Creative Works, Los Angeles, CA—June 11, 2017  

Santa Monica Public Library—June 7, 2017 

Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA—June 3, 2017  

Faculty Lounge

An improvisation collective with Iris Sidikman, Josh Westerman, Cassiopeia Sturm, and Ethan Marks that mixes unconventional and DIY sound makers, acoustic instruments, live coding, and feedback. 

Art Share LA, Los Angeles, CA—April 21, 2018 

CalArts Digital Arts Expo—May 4, 2017 

Pasadena Conservatory of Music, Pasadena, CA—April 7, 2017  

CalArts ESP Night—Feb. 21, 2017 

Verbs

Text score for people, pencils, objects, and space composed by Erin Demastes

As part of the OK Composer concert series 

CalArts Wild Beast Theater—March 12, 2017

Regular Performances in New Orleans, 2005-16

Solo jazz piano at Ralph’s on the Park 

Solo jazz piano lecture performances at the New Orleans Jazz Museum

Erin Demastes trio at Maison Frenchmen 

Erin Demastes trio at New Orleans Museum of Art 

Erin Demastes quartet at Three Muses 

Erin Demastes quartet at Bacchanal Wine Bar 

The National WWII Museum 

Merged Music, an experimental music series curated by Articulated Works 

Open Ears, a series for new and experimental music of all genres 

Instant Opus, a series curated for free improvisation 

Progressions, a series for experimental rock, pop, and electronic music 

Selected Discography

Keys & Bells—2024

For small instruments in resonant spaces

Released on Sawyer Spaces both digitally and on CD

Thing Music—2021 

Compositions with household items and tools arranged by color 

Released on Public Eyesore SF both digitally and on tape 

2 Gray Foxes—2020

Compositions written from 2007 to 2010 for jazz trio and quartet reimagined with synths

What Is It?—2019 

A weekly project of field recordings and materials experiments turned into short pieces

Cat Dreams—2016

Original solo synth pop songs

Planet Earth—2015

A multi-genre trio where each member contributed compositions

Composition for Theater

Thieves Playing Pool—Spring 2017

A play by Timothy Adams

Directed by Christopher Givens 

A Mary Majak’s production, New Orleans, LA

Rope—April 2016

A play by Milena Martinovic

As part of Five Times: A Showcase of One-Acts

A Lowling Company and Mary Majak’s production, New Orleans, LA

Publications

Verbs and Leave a Sound Wherever You Go—Aug. 2024

Two text scores published in A Year of Deep Listening: 365 Text Scores for Pauline Oliveros on MIT Press

Interface Design—June 2022

For the NIME 2022 conference

Composing with Words: Form, Performance, and Meaning—March 2019  

Published in issue 6 of Soap Ear, an online quarterly music and sound art review 

Awards and Honors

Guest speaker for the CalArts Center for Integrated Media—April 2024

Second place in the first annual LSU Libraries graphic score competition—Feb. 2024

Artist-in-residence at University of South Carolina—Nov. 2022

Best Installation Award at NIME 2022—Summer 2022

Member of the Dogstar Experimental Music Festival board—2019-present

CODE Digital Art Research Residency—Fall 2019 

Coaxial Arts Foundation Residency—Aug. 2018 

The Jory Prum Scholarship for Sounds that Redefine Normal, CalArts—2017-18 

Conferences

LaTex 2024, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge

Performed Box for handmade kinetic speaker box

Australasian Computer Music Conference 2023, University of New England, Australia

Presented Timbral Shifts 8-channel composition in Csound

LaTex 2022, Rice University, Houston, TX

Performed Computer Music II composition for DAW feedback and objects

NIME 2022, University of Auckland, NZ

Presented Interface Design installation and paper

New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival 2022

Presented C Foam fixed media composition in Csound

Louisiana STEM Summit 2022, Baton Rouge, LA

Co-presented “STEM Empowered Students and Agency in the Digital World”

Dr. Jesse Allison, Matthew Bardin, Treya Nash, Scott Nelson, and William Thompson

Hackaday Superconference 2018, Pasadena, CA

Taught Weird Synth Making workshop