Son of Bernice Douglass and Harry Reinhard Marshall, Sr, Marshall's early interest in music was the result of encouragement provided by his mother, herself an accomplished pianist and vocalist. As a youth, he performed as a soprano in the Boy's Choir at the Mt. Vernon Community Church, and during his high school years was influenced early by noted music instructor, Victor Laslo. After graduating from the Fox Lane High School in 1960, he pursued musical studies at Lake Forest College and Columbia University. In 1970 he became graduate assistant to Morton Subotnik at Cal Arts, staying on to teach for several years after receiving his MFA in 1971.
Career
Though the composer uses the term "expressivist" to describe his music, he is often associated with post-minimalism. His music often reflects an interest in world music, particularly Balinese gamelan tradition, as well as influence from the Americanminimalism trends of the 1960s. He first gained recognition for his electroacoustic pieces, often performed by the composer himself on synthesizer, tape looping, gambuh, and voice. His acoustic music frequently incorporates tape delay, and later, digital delay. Many of the tape parts of his pieces include the composer's own keening falsetto and gambuh playing. Some of his works were produced in coordination with the assistance of noted Norwegian photographer, James Bengston of Studio Nord in Oslo. He has written for the Kronos Quartet: Voces Resonae and Fog Tropes II, featured in the film "Shutter Island," and for the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra: Orphic Memories. He joined the music faculty at The Evergreen State College and later moved to New Haven, Connecticut, where he is now a professor at the Yale School of Music. He was the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship and studied gamelan music in Bali. In 1990 he was awarded a doctorate of philosophy in music by Lake Forest College, largely in recognition of his Fulbright award and gamelan studies in Bali.
Music
Chamber works
"The Fragility Cycles", electronics, synthesizer, gambuh flute, and voice
"Gradual Requiem", electronics, synthesizer, flute, voice, mandolin, and piano
Fog Tropes, brass sextet and tape
Voces Resonae, string quartet
In My End is My Beginning, Piano Quartet in 2 Movements
Evensongs, string quartet
Fog Tropes II, string quartet and tape
Sierran Songs, bass, marimba, and electronics
In Deserto: Smoke Creek, violin, bassoon, percussion, guitar, cello, and electronics
Muddy Waters, piano, percussion, electric guitar, bass, bass clarinet, and cello
Sea Tropes, flute, violin, cello, bass clarinet, marimba, and tape
Orchestral works
"Spiritus"
"Sinfonia Dolce far Niente"
Peaceable Kingdom
"Kingdom Come"
Bright Kingdoms
Dark Florescence, Variations for Two Guitars and Orchestra
Orphic Memories
Choral works
Savage Altars, chamber choir, violin, viola, and tape