About Me

Last modified: Nov 3, 2020 @ 2:59 pm

Contact e-mail: donyaquick@gmail.com

I am currently a Senior Research Scientist at Stevens Institute of Technology. I am interested in research and teaching in the areas of computer music, artificial intelligence, machine learning, computational linguistics, and programming languages.

PDF Cariculum Vitae
My LinkedIn Profile

Current research area: since the spring of ’09, my research has involved modeling the compositional process through a combination of programming languages, artificial intelligence, machine learning, music theory, and computational linguistics. I am particularly interested in the relationship between music and language. Most recently, I have been exploring the use of natural language in musical settings and developing models for real-time jazz improvisation.

Previous research and academic experience: my background prior to coming to Yale was in computer science and environmental science at Southern Methodist University (SMU). My research involved visualization of DNA/RNA and seismic data as well as event cluster detection in seismic data.

Employment

• Research Assistant Professor, Stevens Institute of Technology, June 2017 – present
• Visiting Professor, Southern Methodist University, August 2016 – May 2017
• Researcher, University of Arizona, June 2016 – August 2016.
• Lecturer, Yale University Department of Computer Science, November 2014 – May 2016.
• Postdoctoral Research Associate, Yale University Department of Computer Science, September 2014 – October 2014.
• Software development for Geotech Instruments, 2007.

Education

• Ph.D. in Computer Science, Yale University, December 2014.
• M.Phil. in Computer Science, Yale University, December 2011.
• M.S. in Computer Science, Yale University, December 2011.
• M.S. in Computer Science, Southern Methodist University, July 2008.
• B.S. in Computer Science and Environmental Science, Southern Methodist University, May 2008. Graduated summa cum laude.
• A.A. in Science, Lord Fairfax Community College, May 2005.
• Honor societies:
  • Phi Beta Kappa
  • Phi Theta Kappa

Books

• An Origami Farm. Donya Quick, 2020.
• The Haskell School of Music: from Signals to Symphonies. Paul Hudak and Donya Quick. Cambridge University Press, 2018.

Articles and Conference Papers

• A Functional Model of Jazz Improvisation (Slides: PPTX | PDF). Donya Quick and Kelland Thomas. 2019 ACM Workshop on Functional Art, Music, Modeling and Design at ICFP.
• Evaluating Natural Language for Musical Operations. Donya Quick and Christopher N. Burrows. Proceedings of the International Computer Music Conference, 2019.
• Composition by Conversation. Donya Quick and Clayton T. Morrison. Proceedings of the International Computer Music Conference, 2017.
• Recursive Generation of Rhythmic Structures with PTGGs. Brian Heim and Donya Quick. Proceedings of the International Computer Music Conference, 2017.
• Learning Production Probabilities for Musical Grammars. Donya Quick. Journal of New Music Research, 2016.
• Composing with Kulitta. Donya Quick. Proceedings of the International Computer Music Conference, 2015.
• Media Modules: Intermedia Systems in a Pure Functional Paradigm. Mark Santolucito, Donya Quick, and Paul Hudak. Proceedings of the International Computer Music Conference, 2015.
• Real-Time Interactive Music in Haskell. Paul Hudak, Donya Quick, Mark Santolucito, and Daniel Winograd-Cort. 2015 Workshop on Functional Art, Music, Modeling, and Design.
• Kulitta: a Framework for Automated Composition. Doctoral Thesis at Yale University. August, 2014.
• Grammar-Based Automated Music Composition in Haskell (Slides). Donya Quick and Paul Hudak. 2013 ACM Workshop on Functional Art, Music, Modeling and Design at ICFP.
• A Temporal Generative Graph Grammar for Harmonic and Metrical Structure. Donya Quick and Paul Hudak. Proceedings of the International Computer Music Conference, 2013.
• Computing with Chord Spaces. Donya Quick and Paul Hudak. International Computer Music Conference, 2012. Supporting implementation.
• Generating Music Using Concepts from Schenkerian Analysis and Chord Spaces. Donya Quick. Yale Technical Report, 2010.
• Masters thesis: Applications and Parameter Analysis of Temporal Chaos Game Representation. Southern Methodist University, 2008.
• TCGR: A Novel DNA/RNA Visualization Technique. Donya Quick and Margaret H. Dunham. Extended abstract, NGDM 2007.
• Visualization of DNA/RNA Structure using Temporal CGRs. Margaret H. Dunham, Donya Quick, Yuhang Wang, Monnie McGee, and Jim Waddle. IEEE BIBE 2006.

Posters

• Empirical Evaluation of Kulitta. Donya Quick and Christopher Burrows. Northeast Music Cognition Group, 2015.
• Empirical Assessment of Automated Composition Algorithms. Donya Quick and Christopher Burrows. Proceedings of the 54th Annual Meeting of the New England Psychological Association, October 2014.

Talks & Demos

• Making Algorithmic Music with Euterpea. Donya Quick. Keynote at Compose NYC 2019.
• Pattern-Based Algorithmic Music with Euterpea. Donya Quick. Demo given at the 2018 ACM Workshop on Functional Art, Music, Modeling and Design at ICFP.
• Algorithmic Music in Haskell. Donya Quick. Invited talk given at the 2017 Haskell Symposium at ICFP.

Software Projects

• MUSICA, contributor, spring 2016 – present. A system for interactive improvisation and musical communication funded by the Communicating with Computers DARPA grant.
• Kulitta, creator and maintainer, spring 2009 – present. A framework for algorithmic and automated composition.
• Euterpea, contributor and maintainer, fall 2009 – present. A library for music representation, algorithmic composition, and sound synthesis in Haskell.

Music Composition Performances, Concerts, and Commissions

• Lightning Bug, algorithmic composition using Euterpea with reactive visuals created in Processing. Shown at the FARM Performance Evening at ICFP 2020.
• HAILO, interactive system for guitar and generative AI. To be performed by Mario Diaz De Leon at Electronic Music Midwest in September 2019.
• Ugly Purse Dog, interactive jazz improvisation system implemented in Python with visuals created in Processing. Performed at the 2019 FARM Performance Evening at ICFP in Berlin.
• Dot Matrix, algorithmic composition using Euterpea and Kulitta with visuals created in Processing. Shown at the 2018 FARM Performance Evening and forthcoming performance at Electronic Music Widwest 2018.
• Tandava, algorithmic composition using Kulitta performed at Electronic Music Midwest, 2017.
• Vesicularia, algorithmic composition performed at Electronic Music Midwest, October 2016.
• Paul Hudak Symposium Listening Room, April 2016. Concert organization and presentation of multiple original and algorithmic compositions using Euterpea and Kulitta.
• Algorithmic music commission, January 2016. Using Kulitta to produce performable piano compositions for Gartner.
• Euterpea Studio Concert, November 2015. Concert organization and presentation of an algorithmic composition using Kulitta.

Courses Taught

• Functional Creative Coding (spring 2017, SMU). Functional paradigms explored through musical applications using Haskell programming language and Euterpea library.
• Sound and Code (spring 2017, SMU). Creating virtual instruments and signal processing programs with Pure Data.
• AI and Creative Composition (fall 2016, SMU). Advanced course examining AI in creative fields, with a focus on automated music generation.
• Creative Coding I (fall 2016 and spring 2017, SMU). Introduction to programming using Processing and Java.
• Computer Music: Sound Representation and Synthesis (spring 2016). Advanced computer music course focused on low-level issues of representing sound and programming with streams. Software used: Haskell and Euterpea.
• Programming Musical Applications (fall 2015, Yale). Introductory course exploring the basics of programming and computer science with music as an area of application. Software used: JythonMusic.
• Computer Music: Algorithmic and Heuristic Composition, (spring 2015). Advanced computer music course focused on programming language representation for score-level musical features and algorithms for producing novel musical works. Software used: Haskell and Euterpea.

Teaching Assistant Experience (Yale University): Object-Oriented Programming, Parallel Programming Techniques, Computer Music, Machine Learning, Cryptography and Computer Security, and Advanced Artificial Intelligence.

Skills

• Currently developing with: Haskell, Python, Processing, Java
• Recent past development with: Pure Data
• Familiar with: C++, C, SQL/MySQL, C#, PHP, ML, Verilog, Assembly.
• Other skills: repository/version management, iterative software development with a programming team, algorithm engineering.

Hobbies and other interests:

• Music. I compose and work with a variety of acoustic and electronic instruments.
• Origami and other forms of art. I recently published An Origami Farm, a book of some of my origami designs. My older artwork and some of my older origami diagrams are hosted on Deviantart.
• Aquatic gastropods, both freshwater and marine. My work on the subject can be found here.
• Marine hermit crab behavior. My work on the subject can be found here.
• Freshwater and marine reef aquariums, and propagation of soft corals and sea anemones.

Origami Parasaurolophus, designed and folded by me. Instructions can be found HERE.