Draft:Martin Case
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Martin Case | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 18, 1971 Concord, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Genres | World music, Electronic, Jazz, Contemporary classical |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, Musician, Producer, Educator |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Labels | Independent |
| Website | Official site |
Martin Case (born October 18, 1971) is an American Australian composer, multi-instrumentalist, music producer, and educator. He is known for integrating world music traditions with contemporary electronic and acoustic production. Case has composed for dance, film, and ensemble works across the U.S., Australia, and internationally, and is the founder of the multicultural percussion ensemble Visionary and its Australian counterpart Visionary-Steel.
Early Life and Education
[edit]Case was born in Concord, New Hampshire, to Mary Irene Lee and Harrold William Case. At age 3, he entered the New Hampshire Foster Care Program. He received his first saxophone at age 11 from his stepfather, Brian Kelly. After being reunited with his mother at 12, he lived with his stepbrother for one year during his teenage years.
Supported by his local community, he graduated from Merrimack Valley High School in 1990. That same year, he moved to Boston to study at Berklee College of Music, earning a B.A. in Professional Music in 1994, focusing on composition, performance, and arts management.
Career
[edit]Early Work and Visionary (1994–1996)
[edit]After a short post-graduation period in Florida where he attempted to start an arts production company, Case returned to New England. In 1994, he began working as a dance accompanist at Dartmouth College. That year, he co-founded the ensemble Visionary, a 17–20 member diasporic percussion group inspired by West African traditions, guided by artist Dwight Graves and influenced by West African musician Kwabena Oussou.
The ensemble released three albums in 1995:
- Visionary
- Visionary Volume II
- An Ecstasis/Visionary – Live Solstice Version
Boston Period (1996–2016)
[edit]Case founded the production company Full Spectrum Scoring and worked with institutions such as: Harvard University, MIT, Boston Conservatory, Wheelock College, Boston Ballet.
He collaborated with professional dance groups including Liz Bergmann Dance Company, Mark Morris Dance Group, Paul Taylor Dance Company, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
From 1997 to 2001, he served as a software consultant for McGraw-Hill, developing music notation tools for international educational markets.
In 1996, he traveled to Côte d'Ivoire with artists to support PSI in public health education using multimedia and music. Between 1996 and 2013, he released several albums combining traditional rhythms with modern production. In collaboration with saxophonist Joe Brogan, he released:
- Awakening (2013)
- 4 Directions (2015)
- The December Sessions – Martin Case with Love and Light (2014)
- Performance Offering – Visionary (2016)
Australia (2017–present)
[edit]In 2017, Case relocated to Melbourne, Australia. He served as professor and curriculum writer at JMC Academy (2017–2019). In 2025, he was granted Australian citizenship.
He currently runs *Martin Case Media Productions* and leads:
- Visionary-Steel – a world-influenced modern jazz ensemble
- Newport Drummers – a West African-inspired community drumming group
- Cherry Lake Cultural Series – community cultural event series in Melbourne
He has held leadership roles in Lions International Altona:
- Vice-President (2021–2022)
- President (2022–2025)
- Parade Coordinator for LCIC 2024 Melbourne
- Producer of the 2024 LCIC Charity Concert: Bringing the World Together, Down Under
Film and Multimedia
[edit]- Withdrawn – Tse Tse Fly Productions (1993)
- Bay State – Boston University (1991–1993)
- 50 Grand – Patriot Productions (1997)
- Strength, Stress Reduction, Finding Focus – Yogaaway Productions (2004–2014)
- Largo Desolato – Pocket Productions (2021) YouTube
Selected Discography
[edit]- Visionary (1995)
- Awakening (2013)
- 4 Directions (2015)
- Performance Offering (2016)