EDUCATION:
1996-2000 Hampshire College, Amherst, Mass., B.A., Music: Composition and Recording
PRINCIPAL INSTRUCTORS:
Yusef Lateef, '97-'00, UMASS Amherst / Hampshire College
Daniel Warner, '96-'97 Hampshire College
Kayo Dot (and the Music of Toby Driver)
Jan 2007 – Present
• Composed, produced, and performed original music for global media formats, spanning albums, films, events, installations, and advertisements.
• Orchestrated compositions, directed live performances, and collaborated with recording engineers to ensure exceptional audio quality.
• Spearheaded artist management, social media engagement, graphic design, accounting, fundraising, and event planning for successful project execution.
• Managed multiple disciplines including video editing, tour management, and audio engineering to deliver captivating musical experiences.
• Delivered masterclasses at the university level, sharing expertise on composition, music production, and industry insights.
• Provided private instruction, mentoring budding artists and composers to hone their craft and navigate the music industry.
Skills: Music Production • Audio Recording • Bass Guitar • Tour Management • Music Composition • Music Education • Mentoring
Haunted Steps (Freelance/Self-Employed)
Jun 2020 – Present
• Managed and maintained professional recording equipment, ensuring the highest quality sound production for various projects.
• Actively kept up-to-date with the latest audio recording technologies, equipment, and techniques to ensure state-of-the-art sound quality and innovative
• Collaborated closely with artists during recording sessions to achieve their desired sound and vision.
• Recorded, mixed, and mastered tracks, refining final audio for various platforms and audiences.
• Consulted on and contributed to the artistic and technical aspects of music production, from initial recording to final product.
Skills: Audio Engineering • Music Production • Sound Design • Artist Collaboration • Mixing and Mastering • Technological Updates
Freelance / Rock House School of Music / Forte (Recording Academy Initiative)
Jan 2007 – Present
• Delivered personalized instruction in multiple instruments, songwriting, and composition, catering to students with diverse musical aspirations.
• Catered to a range of students spanning from age 3 to adults, adapting teaching methods according to each individual's age, ability, and learning style.
• Provided expert instruction for an online platform through Forte, an initiative supported by the Recording Academy, expanding reach to students worldwide.
• Conducted specialized masterclasses at the university level, focusing on technique, music theory, and performance.
• Collaborated with Rock House School of Music, delivering structured lessons, leading ensembles, and contributing to curriculum development.
• Maintained up-to-date knowledge of various teaching methodologies and incorporated modern technology tools to enhance the learning experience.
Skills: Multi-instrument Proficiency • Songwriting • Composition • Pedagogy • Online Instruction • Curriculum Development • Music Theory •
Performance Coaching
Ice Level Music
Jan 2007 – Present
• Founded and managed a boutique record label, specializing in product management, distribution, marketing, and artist representation.
• Oversaw roles including artist management, booking agent, graphic and web designer, video editor, photographer, and fundraiser.
• Utilized a diverse skill set to champion the success of musical projects and establish a recognized presence in the music industry.
Freelance
Jan 2004 – Present
• Served as Music Director and performer for renowned artists, overseeing musician sourcing, sheet music preparation, and orchestrating rehearsals.
• Directed the live performance process, integrating creative direction with technical expertise to deliver seamless and memorable shows.
• Expanded industry knowledge and network by collaborating with prominent artists, leading rehearsals, and managing technical operations.
Skills: Ensemble Leading · Music Industry · Bass Guitar · Tour Management · Management
2022: Toby Driver – "Three Peaks" (Ice Level Music)
Progressive pop song in odd compound metersinspired by Sting's 1990s output. As composer, arranger, performer, and engineer.
2021: Kayo Dot – Moss Grew on the Swords and Plowshares Alike (Prophecy Productions)
Through-composed progressive metal paying homage to mid-90s European gothic artists.
As composer, producer, recordist, arranger, guitar, bass, synths, percussion, programming, voice
2021: Alora Crucible – Thymiamatascension (House of Mythology)
Atmospheric, semi-ambient music inspired by 1970s-90s cassette-based New Age.
As composer, producer, guitarist, vocalist, keyboardist.
2020: Oixisha – Neverflesh Safary (Ice Level Music)
Electronica inspired by downtempo and IDM artists of the UK scene.
As composer, producer, arranger, synths, field recording, samples, programming
2020: Oixisha – Fragmentation Garden (Ice Level Music)
Electronica inspired by downtempo and IDM artists of the UK scene.
As composer, producer, arranger, synths, field recording, samples, programming
2019: Kayo Dot – Blasphemy (Prophecy Productions)
A narrative in eight (8) parts based on the novel by Jason Byron
As composer, co-producer, arranger, guitar, bass, synths, piano, organ, percussion, programming, voice
2019: Toby Driver and Nick Hudson – Black Feather Under Your Tongue (Ice Level Music)
Free improvisation on a whim during Nick's short visit to the US.
As guitarist.
2018: Toby Driver – They Are The Shield (Blood Music)
A suite of violin-led experimental ballads, created in part with support from Roulette Intermedium, Brooklyn, NY
As composer, producer, arranger, lyricist, guitar, bass, synths, piano, organ, voice
2018: Piggy Black Cross – Always Just Out of R.E.A.C.H. (Robotic Eclosion After Coming Hylozoic) (Ice Level Music)
An exploration of impressionistic electronic body music
As composer, producer, arranger, guitar, synths, field recording, samples, programming
2017: Toby Driver – Madonnawhore (Flenser Recordings)
A collection of minimalistic, primarily organ-driven ballads
As composer, producer, arranger, lyricist, guitar, bass, synths, organ, voice
2016: Kayo Dot – Plastic House on Base of Sky (Flenser Recordings)
Pieces inspired by the music of Japanese composer Susumu Hirasawa
As composer, producer, arranger, co-lyricist, guitar, bass, synths, programming, voice
2014: Kayo Dot – Coffins on Io (Flenser Recordings)
Songs evoking a retro-future noir aesthetic, inspired by urban landscapes and dystopian science fiction
As composer, producer, arranger, guitar, bass, synths, rhodes, organ, voice
2014: Toby Driver – Ichneumonidae (Ice Level Music)
A chamber piece written for a Butoh performance by Michelle Morinaga
As composer, producer, arranger, guitar, synths
2013: Kayo Dot – Hubardo (Ice Level Music)
An epic narrative in eleven parts for a larger ensemble, based on the story by Jason Byron
As composer, co-producer, co-arranger, bass guitar, synthesizers, piano, rhodes, percussion, voice
2012: Kayo Dot – Gamma Knife (Ice Level Music/Antithetic)
Sacred expressions from the ecclesiastical to the Satanic built on meditation, mysticism, 11-note chords and obliquely-timed beats
As composer, producer, arranger, co-lyricist, guitar, bass guitar, synthesizers, piano, church bells, voice
2012: Tartar Lamb II – Polyimage of Known Exits (Ice Level Music)
A long-form piece using Driver's characteristic method of phrase-driven abstract timing pioneered in Tartar Lamb 1 (2006-7),
this time focusing on rhythmic phrases led by processed extended-technique clarinet.
As composer, arranger, lyricist, bass guitar, synthesizers, voice
2011: Kayo Dot – Stained Glass (Hydra Head)
Originally composed as a collaborative piece for Peter Hopkins Miller's film, Stained Glass, expanded here with further-developed ideas
and larger ensemble; a synaesthetic rendering of a Luciferian journey across colored windows in a darkened cathedral
As composer, producer, arranger, guitar, bass guitar, synthesizers, bells and chimes, processing, samples, voice
2010: Kayo Dot – Coyote (Hydra Head)
A long-form piece focusing on reviving the chorus-bass sound of early 80s post-punk combined with the trumpet/cornet and alto sax
unisons hinted at by Ornette Coleman on “The Shape of Jazz to Come,” in a hyper-complex through-composed form. Based on the story by Yuko Sueta.
As composer, co-producer, arranger, bass guitar, voice.
2009: Maudlin of the Well – Part the Second (Ice Level Music)
Chamber-orchestral progressive rock re-imaginations of pieces from Driver's 2000 oratorio, “Six Trillion Miles Before the First,” based
on the epic poem by Jason Byron, and new pieces following the same aesthetic
As composer, producer, arranger, co-lyricist, guitar, bass guitar, voice
2008: Kayo Dot – Blue Lambency Downward (Hydra Head)
Compositions in response to Hurricane Katrina, built on a low-woodwind ensemble taking inspiration from West African jazz
As composer, arranger, guitar, bass guitar, lyricist, synthesizers, piano, clarinet, percussion, voice
2007: Tartar Lamb – Sixty Metonymies (Ice Level Music)
A long-form composition using Driver's newly-developed technique of phrase-based conduction and response in a chamber setting.
As composer, arranger, conductor, lyricist, guitar, voice
2006: Kayo Dot – Dowsing Anemone With Copper Tongue (Robotic Empire)
A collection of songs for large band focusing on three guitars, drones, and extended technique
As composer, producer, arranger, co-lyricist, guitar, clarinet, piano, electronics, percussion, voice
2005: Toby Driver – In the L..L..Library Loft (Tzadik)
Four large-ensemble pieces using conceptual and experimental techniques.
As composer, producer, arranger, lyricist, guitar, bass guitar, piano, prepared piano, percussion, bowed tuning forks, voice
2003: Kayo Dot – Choirs of the Eye (Tzadik)
A discovery of through-composed form, utilizing the layers of guitars and volume more commonly found in metal along with orchestral
instruments.
As composer, producer, co-arranger, guitar, bass guitar, electronics, processing, cello, voice
2001: Maudlin of the Well – Leaving Your Body Map (Dark Symphonies)
Driver's practice of dream-journaling and meditation led him to an enhanced ability to lucid dream, compose ideas in the dream, and
remember them upon waking. Contextualized here in progressive rock and chamber miniatures, part 2 of 2.
As composer, producer, co-arranger, co-lyricist, guitar, bass guitar, percussion, cello, contrabass, field recording, voice
2001: Maudlin of the Well – Bath (Dark Symphonies)
Driver's practice of dream-journaling and meditation led him to an enhanced ability to lucid dream, compose ideas in the dream, and
remember them upon waking. Contextualized here in progressive rock and chamber miniatures, part 1 of 2.
As composer, producer, co-arranger, co-lyricist, guitar, bass guitar, cello, percussion, field recording, voice
2022: Parapuká Vená, for Ludovico Ensemble, cimbalom and mezzo-soprano, Boston, MA
2017: Through the Arm to Magma, for Sacrum Profanum festival and Spółdzielnia Muzyczna, chamber orchestra, Kraków, Poland
2017: Lazaretto (dir. Kevin Endres)
2014: Ichneumonidae (Butoh performance for Michelle Morinaga) (Ice Level Music)
2013: The Pod (dir. Eric Pennycoff)
2023: Extra Life – Secular Works, vol. 2 (Last Things Records) (As bassist)
2022: Bloodmist – Arc, feat. Jeremiah Cymerman and Mario Diaz de Leon (5049 Records) (As bassist and co-writer)
2022: Ultraphauna – No, No, No, NO! (self-released) (as bassist and mix engineer)
2022: Vaura – Vista of Deviant Anatomies, (Primal Architecture) (As bassist, co-writer, and mix engineer)
2020: Bloodmist – Phos, feat. Jeremiah Cymerman and Mario Diaz de Leon (5049 Records) (As bassist and co-writer)
2019: Vaura – Sables, (Profound Lore) (As bassist and co-writer)
2018: Stern – Missive: Sister Ships (Sleeping Giant Glossolalia) (as guitarist)
2015: BloodMist – Sheen, feat. Jeremiah Cymerman and Mario Diaz de Leon (5049 Records) (As bassist and co-writer)
2015: Stern – Bone Turquoise (New Atlantis) (as guitarist)
2014: Secret Chiefs 3 – Book of Souls: Folio A (Web of Mimicry) (as bassist)
2014: Stern – Entitlement (s/r) (as guitarist)
2014: Vaura – The Missing (Profound Lore) (As bassist, keyboardist, and co-writer)
2013: Vaura – Selenelion (WIERD) (As bassist and co-writer)
2010: Asva – Presences of Absences (Important Records) (As vocalist and co-writer)
2009: Gregor Samsa – Rest (The Kora Records) (As vibraphonist, clarinetist, and arranger)
2022: Ultraphauna – No, No, No, NO!!! (Dur et Doux)
2020: Asava – Asava (self-released)
2017 57th Biennale di Venezia, in collaboration with filmmaker Peter Hopkins Miller, “Stained Glass,” Pavilion of Colors, composer
June 2023, Avaloch Farm Music Institute, Boscawen, New Hampshire.
August 2022, Avaloch Farm Music Institute, Boscawen, New Hampshire.
August 25–31, 2015, The Stone, New York, NY, curated by John Zorn
January 2017, Roulette Intermedium, Brooklyn, NY for the creation and presentation of new works.
July 2023, KAYO DOT at LUNASA CASCADIA FEST
World premiere performances of music from Moss Grew on the Swords and Plowshares Alike
April–May 2023, ULTRAPHAUNA EUROPEAN TOUR,
feat. headlining concerts and festivals in the France, Germany, Belgium, and The Netherlands in support of No, No, No, NO!!!
February–March 2023, CHOIRS OF THE EYE 20th ANNIVERSARY TOUR
feat. sold-out headlining concerts in the U.K. and Europe to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Choirs of the Eye
January 2023, EXTRA LIFE EUROPEAN TOUR,
feat. headlining concerts in the U.K., France, and Belgium in support of Secular Works, Vol. 2
September–October 2019, March 2020, KAYO DOT U.S. TOUR,
feat. headlining concerts and festival dates in the U.S. and Canada in support of Blasphemy
September–December 2018, TOBY DRIVER WORLD TOUR,
feat. headlining concerts and festivals in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East, in support of They Are the Shield
August 2018, PIGGY BLACK CROSS WEST COAST TOUR,
feat. concerts in the west coast U.S., in support of
Always Just Out of R.E.A.C.H.
April 2018, TOBY DRIVER SOLO at ROADBURN FESTIVAL
February–April 2018, DECIBEL TOUR,
featuring ENSLAVED, MYRKUR, and WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM, playing bass for MYRKUR
September 2017, SACRUM PROFANUM FESTIVAL,
commission for chamber orchestra
November–December 2017, SOLSTAFIR and MYRKUR EUROPEAN TOUR,
playing bass for MYRKUR across Europe and Scandinavia
August 2017, PSYCHO LAS VEGAS FESTIVAL, main stage, playing bass for MYRKUR
March–September 2017, KAYO DOT U.S. TOURS supporting PALLBEARER, MARISSA NADLER, and TODAY IS THE DAY, in support of Plastic House on Base of Sky
August–November 2016, KAYO DOT WORLD TOUR,
feat. concerts and festival dates in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and the Middle East, in support of Plastic House on Base of Sky
June 2016, KAYO DOT JAPAN TOUR,
feat. headlining concerts in Japan, in support of Plastic House on Base of Sky
February 1–April 1, 2016, TOBY DRIVER WORLD TOUR,
feat. concerts in Europe, the Middle East, and Russia, in support of Madonnawhore
August 25–30, 2015, TOBY DRIVER RESIDENCY AND RETROSPECTIVE,
The Stone, NYC. Feat. 12 concerts of premieres and past works
ASCAP, The Recording Academy/GRAMMYs, Tzadik, Prophecy Productions, The Flenser, Blood Music, Hydra Head Records, TerrorBird Media, Daymare Records, Tartarus Tapes, Plutonic Group Syncs, Notedrops Inc., Hotwire KK, Ice Level Music, House of Mythology