Dave Reminick

Composition/Songwriting, Guitar,
Electric Bass, Ukulele, Saxophone

With his music described as “bracing, original, and often jaw-dropping” (New Music Box), composer David Reminick brings a rigorous and hyperactive approach to contemporary concert music – and a cogent and structurally complex approach to his post-punk endeavors.
As a dedicated composer in the Chicago new music scene and the singer/guitarist for the post-punk band Paper Mice, David’s writing doesn’t so much blur the perceived boundaries between genres as augment and exchange the virtues and idiosyncrasies of each. In his relatively young career as a composer, David includes such notable groups as the International Contemporary Ensemble, Ensemble Recherche, Ensemble Dal Niente, the Spektral Quartet, Quince Contemporary Vocal Ensemble, Ogni Suono, the Anubis Quartet, the H2 Quartet, Tim Munro, Marcus Weiss, Wild and Wulliman, Weston Olencki, Shi-An Costello, and the New York Miniaturist Ensemble in his inventory of commissions and collaborators. As the frontman for Paper Mice, which enjoys a robust underground following in Chicago and beyond, he was instrumental in the creation of the band’s 2021 album, 1-800-MONDAYS, which was released on the notorious San Diego label Three One G. An accomplished performer and improvisor, David was the founding saxophonist for the path-carving International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE). His piece for singing string quartet, The Ancestral Mousetrap (2014), was released by the Spektral Quartet on the Sono Luminus label in January of 2016. The album was nominated for the Grammy award for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance.

David received his Doctorate (DMA) in Composition from Northwestern University where his primary composition teachers included Lee Hyla, Chris Mercer, Hans Thomalla, and Jay Alan Yim. He also received Masters Degrees in Saxophone (MM) and Music Theory (MA) from the University of Michigan, as well as a BM in Saxophone Performance and a BA in Psychology from Oberlin Conservatory and College. An avid pedagogue, David currently teaches at DePaul University, the Oak Park School of Music, and formerly at Northwestern University, Northeastern Illinois University, and Columbia College Chicago. 

At the center of my teaching philosophy is a sense of responsibility, not just to teach you how to play, compose, and understand music, but to inspire a genuine and enduring love of music and self-expression. I am here to help you understand and apply concepts, but I am also here to peel away self-consciousness and doubt – to create a space where you can nurture a personal and authentic expression of yourself. I believe we are all capable of making unique and compelling contributions to our musical world. My mission as your teacher is to guide and support you as you discover what it is you want to achieve and to help you develop the tools and confidence with which to do so.