David Borden was educated at the Eastman School of Music and Harvard University.
He was also a Fulbright student in Berlin Germany, where he studied at the Hochschule für Musik.
He founded Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Co. in 1969 with the generous support of Robert Moog. The group became the world's first synthesizer ensemble. "Mother Mallard turns out some of the best synthesizer music around." - New York Times.
His The Continuing Story of Counterpoint, a twelve-part cycle of pieces for synthesizers, acoustic instruments and voice has been called the “Goldberg Variations of minimalism.” He composed part of the soundtrack for The Exorcist, 1973, and other films. Four recent books have cited and discussed his work. In keeping with his interdisciplinary approach to his life and work, two of the books deal with American music history, one with music technology and one with the paintings of George Deem: America's Music in the Twentieth Century by Kyle Gann (Schirmer Books, New York, 1997); America's Musical Life: A History by Richard Crawford (W. W, Norton & Company, New York, London, 2001); Analog Days: The Invention and Impact of the Moog Synthesizer by Trevor Pinch and Frank Trocco (Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, London, England, 2002); How to Paint a Vermeer by George Deem (Thames & Hudson, N.Y., 2004). Borden's music is available on the Cuneiform, New World Records, Lameduck and Arbiter labels.
His first composition teachers were jazz musicians Jimmy Giuffre and Jaki Byard. He collaborates and performs with his son, Gabriel Borden and stepson, Sam Godin. He resides in Ithaca, NY with his wife, Rebecca Godin. He is the retired founder and Director of the Digital Music Program at Cornell University.
Silkscreen by David Borden
