about me
David is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada. He is a composer, producer, pianist, and writer. David’s creative work is deeply influenced by human responses to the climate crisis, life with a chronic illness, science fiction, and his location on Haida territory at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.
Need a bio for your concert program? See below.
Today’s biggest projects
Music for piano and biosphere: I’m creating original piano music orchestrated with recordings of the lush, natural environment in Haida Gwaii and Northern BC. An album and audio installation are slated to release in fall 2023. You can support this project on Patreon and Bandcamp.
Podcast production: Think Revelstoke is a show about tourism and community planning in a fast-growing mountain community. Audio production, editing, and theme music are by me. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or wherever you prefer.
Why do I keep writing music?
Ask me another day, and you’ll get a different answer. Honestly, sometimes I don’t know. It can be a lot of work for not much tangible reward.
Mostly I do it because it feels good to make something new. And composing is a way to be in touch with my emotions, my mind, my body, and reality, all at the same time. The vibrations and harmonies are comforting when I am making them and sharing them. Music has been a spiritual refuge outlasting several phases of religion and faith in my life. I like making music more than listening to it (at least in some of the ways music is consumed as a commodity today), which sounds weird to say, but is probably true of a lot of composers and other musicians. I make music that satisfies my curiosity. I also think that making music and exploring art is one of the more worthwhile ways to spend time and stay connected to humanity as we all witness civilizational and climate collapse, and, in our better moments, try to do something about it.
Composing is also an escape into abstraction, in the same important way that mathematics or role-playing games or science fiction or cosmology or philosophy are – arenas that give you a place to explore without directly pressing onto the texture of your life, where you can be curious and creative in an elaborate sandbox. Composing is flexible like that.
My music is mostly for me, and I think that gives it the best chance to connect with others. I’ve seen it have a positive impact on individuals and communities, and that’s important too. I hope to continue making music and collaborating for a very long time.
Concert program bio
David Archer (b. 1985) – David creates thoughtful and emotionally engaging music charged with mystery and beauty. His focus on choral music has led to an ever-expanding a cappella repertoire that has been performed by several of Canada’s top choirs and others in the U.S. and Sweden. He is based in Daajing Giids, BC, and his works also include music for instrumentalists and video projects. He is currently working on an album on music for piano and biosphere. www.davidarcher.net.
Need a longer bio or a CV? Email me: archer.db [at] gmail.com.
