Brian Shank is a composer, percussionist, and musicologist. He has performed as a soloist at Bard’s Fisher Center and the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, and his work covers styles including contemporary classical music, electronic music, and jazz. His academic writing investigates the connections between music and other artistic mediums, philosophy, and human-centered applications of artificial intelligence. His music has been performed by ensembles like the New Jersey Symphony and the Rome Opera Choir, and he has been commissioned by Italy’s National Gallery for 21st Century Art in Rome, Juilliard Pre-College Percussion Ensemble, CreArt Box, Tom Gold Dance ballet company, and many others. From 2015 to 2020, he worked with the Bridge Arts Ensemble to bring music to public schools in the Adirondacks. Brian earned degrees from The Juilliard School (B.M. Percussion) and the San Francisco Conservatory (M.M. Composition) and is completing a Ph.D. in the History and Theory of Music at the University of California, Irvine. When not working on paradiddles, he’s often birding, cooking, surfing, mountain biking, and golfing.