I had the opportunity to sit down with Brian Riordan, a part-time instructor here at the University of Pittsburgh. In this interview, Brian generously shared his experience working with metal band and Pittsburgh natives Code Orange on their newest album ‘The Above’ (released September 29, 2023). In a candid moment, Brian recalled a remark he’d made years ago to his Composition professor when asked, “Why are you here? Why do you want to study composition?”. He jokingly expressed his desire to one day arrange string parts for a metal band, only for it to become a reality. This story is a testament to the unpredictable and rewarding nature of the music industry, where creativity and collaboration can lead to remarkable opportunities.

Brian is a former Pitt graduate student turned Part-Time instructor, teaching Music Theory and Music Technology. He highlighted the MaxMSP course (MUSIC 1443) he created at the university, a digital art class that employs Max MSP software to craft digital art and music. This course, as Brian explains, equips students with the tools to transform their laptops into versatile musical instruments, emphasizing its interdisciplinary nature.

I asked Brian how his collaboration with Code Orange began. “It was a cold call!” he shared. Reba Meyers, one of the band's guitarists and vocalists, reached out to him first via email. The band considered several potential string arrangers and ultimately chose Brian due to their immediate chemistry and shared musical tastes. “90 seconds after I hung up the phone, I received an email with a Dropbox link containing all of the demos for the songs that I was doing arrangements for. I thought it was going to be three or four - it turned out to be nine! So I ended up doing nine songs with the band.”

These demos, Brian explained, did not come with traditional sheet music. The band would be relying instead on Brian to transcribe their musical ideas. (The strings heard on the demos were MIDI tracks played on a keyboard.) Brian described the collaborative back-and-forth process, driven by tight schedules and a limited budget. With most of the musicians meeting for the first time on the day of recording, efficiency was paramount. The strings were recorded in a single day, requiring quick adjustments and on-the-fly notation changes. Brian's account of adapting his arrangements in real-time highlighted the dynamic nature of the recording process:

“The most common thing that happened was if I wrote a part for violin, they'd ask, ‘Cool, can we try it an octave down?’ and depending on the instrument, sometimes you can’t! For guitar or keyboard players, that’s not a big deal. But for string players, that means I'm rewriting it for viola in a new clef. It's also something I have to do really fast. ‘That's cool too, can we take that down another octave?’ It’s like working in a laboratory where they want to hear and capture all the possibilities on separate tracks, and then take and combine whatever they think is best. I ended up writing on the fly for more than one song, writing parts from violin to viola to cello and vice versa - three different clefs in a very short period of time.”

I inquired about the recording process itself, asking whether the strings were recorded simultaneously or as isolated tracks. Brian explained that recording together was the easiest way to ensure tuning amongst the instrumentalists, but there were instances where they isolated depending on the needs of the individual song. On occasion, they emulated a symphonic sound by overdubbing multiple layers of strings using a Hollywood-inspired technique. The violinist would record one take, move to a different chair in the room while keeping the microphones in the same position, and record another take. The result of this layered, spatial recording process is one player sounding like a full ensemble. The song Mirror, while only featuring violin and viola, sounds much more robust.

Brian stressed the diversity and uniqueness of this album, noting that it features recurring motifs (short musical ideas or phrases) throughout its tracks. The band may not have intentionally included these motifs, but it does suggest that they see the entire album as a single piece of art, bucking the trend of artists preferring singles over albums in the age of streaming. Brian firmly asserts that Code Orange's latest work is indeed an album, with each track contributing to a cohesive narrative. He underscores the band's diligent work ethic, evident in both their music and their visually compelling music videos.

As our discussion neared its conclusion, I inquired about Brian's current and upcoming projects. How Things Are Made is a long-term project he has been involved with for several years alongside collaborators David Bernabo and Matt Aelmore. He described the project's focus on sound synthesis, computer technology, and live processing of acoustic instruments. Brian shared details about their upcoming drone show, (Saturday, October 7 at 6pm) highlighting the unique immersive experience they offer. The trio recently recorded an outdoor WQED Session at The Mattress Factory.

Intrigued by the concept of a drone show, I sought more information about its structure. Brian explained their approach combines coordination and improvisation. While they plan specific time slots for different musicians to perform, much of the content remains improvised, responding to the moment and the evolving atmosphere. They draw inspiration from Pauline Oliveros's Tuning Meditation, which fosters a sense of connection and exploration during live performances.

Finally, I asked Brian for some parting words of wisdom for Pitt students and aspiring composers who may one day receive an unexpected opportunity like his. Brian's advice centered on humility and collaboration.

“At the end of the day, this is their [the artist’s] music. You're not there to impose on what they're doing, you're there to help them. Sure, it could be a collaboration. You could bring your own ideas to the table. For example, on one of the songs I wanted to do something really lush and grandiose with lots of string layers, but the demo they gave me was hyper-minimal, and so I wanted to work against it. But then I realized why it was minimal. They were experimenting with a unique and new guitar tone, and if I went with my initial instinct, it would have swallowed their parts. By going with their minimalist idea, it ended up being one of my favorite tracks on the album.”

Brian’s humility and experience made for an incredibly easy conversation. If you’re a student at Pitt with an interest in music or software development, (or both!) I highly recommend taking a course with Riordan. It’s an opportunity to learn from someone with incredible real world experience and an unmistakable passion for the arts.

This interview took place just before the album's release on September 26, 2023 with Rob Lynch and Brian Riordan.