David Darling (March 4, 1941 – January 8, 2021) was an American cellist and composer. In 2010, he won the Grammy Award for Best New Age Album. He performed and recorded with

Bobby McFerrin Robert Keith McFerrin Jr. (born March 11, 1950) is an American folk and jazz singer. He is known for his vocal techniques, such as singing fluidly but with quick and considerable jumps in pitch—for example, sustaining a melody while also rap ...

Paul Winter Consort The Paul Winter Consort is an American musical group. Bassist Eliot Wadopian has been a member. Discography Films *''Canyon Consort'' (1985) References External linksLiving Music- Paul Winter's record label {{Authority control American j ...

Ralph Towner Ralph Towner (born March 1, 1940) is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and bandleader. He plays the twelve-string guitar, classical guitar, piano, synthesizer, percussion, trumpet and French horn. Biography Towner was born i ...

and

Spyro Gyra Spyro Gyra is an American jazz fusion band that was formed in Buffalo, New York, in 1974. The band's music combines jazz, R&B, funk, and pop music. The band's name comes from ''Spirogyra'', a genus of green algae which founder Jay Beckenstein ...

and released many solo albums. Among these were 15 recordings for ECM.

Music career

Darling was born on March 4, 1941 in

Elkhart, Indiana Elkhart ( ) is a city in Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. The city is located east of South Bend, Indiana, east of Chicago, Illinois, and north of Indianapolis, Indiana. Elkhart has the larger population of the two principal cities of th ...

. He was interested in music from an early age, beginning piano when he was four, cello at ten, and string bass in high school. He studied classical cello at

Indiana State University Indiana State University (ISU) is a public university in Terre Haute, Indiana. It was founded in 1865 and offers over 100 undergraduate majors and more than 75 graduate and professional programs. Indiana State is classified among "D/PU: Doctor ...

and after graduating remained there another four years as a teacher. He worked as a

studio musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...

in Nashville, Tennessee and was a member of the

until 1978. During the following year, he was part of the

chamber jazz Chamber jazz is a genre of jazz involving small, acoustic-based ensembles where group interplay is important. It is influenced aesthetically by the small ensembles of chamber music in musical neoclassicism and is often influenced by classical f ...

group Gallery with

and released his first solo album, Journal October. Darling's performance and composition draw on a wide range of styles, including classical,

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

, Brazilian,

African African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** Ethn ...

, and

Indian music Owing to India's vastness and diversity, Indian music encompasses numerous genres in multiple varieties and forms which include classical music, folk (Bollywood), rock, and pop. It has a history spanning several millennia and developed ove ...

. He wrote and performed music for more than a dozen major motion pictures, the horror film '' Child's Play'' (1988), ''

Heat In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is al ...

'' (1995), and ''

Until the End of the World ''Until the End of the World'' (german: Bis ans Ende der Welt; french: Jusqu'au bout du monde) is a 1991 science fiction adventure drama film directed by German filmmaker Wim Wenders. Set at the turn of the millennium in the shadow of a world ...

'' (1991). He contributed music to ''

Nouvelle Vague French New Wave (french: La Nouvelle Vague) is a French art film movement that emerged in the late 1950s. The movement was characterized by its rejection of traditional filmmaking conventions in favor of experimentation and a spirit of iconocla ...

'' (1990), ''

Éloge de l'amour ''In Praise of Love'' (french: Éloge de l'amour) is a 2001 French film written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard. The black-and-white and color drama was shot by Julien Hirsch and Christophe Pollock. Godard has famously stated that "a film should h ...

'' (2001), and ''

Notre musique ''Notre musique'' (English: ''Our Music'') is a 2004 film directed by Jean-Luc Godard. The film reflects on violence, morality, and the representation of violence in film, and touches especially on past colonialism and the current Israeli–Pal ...

'' (2004). In 2000, he recorded a collaboration with the Wulu Bunun, a group of

Taiwanese aborigines Taiwanese may refer to: * Taiwanese language, another name for Taiwanese Hokkien * Something from or related to Taiwan ( Formosa) * Taiwanese aborigines, the indigenous people of Taiwan * Han Taiwanese, the Han people of Taiwan * Taiwanese people, ...

. In 2007 he recorded ''The Darling Conversations'', with Julie Weber discussing his music philosophy. It was issued by Manifest Spirit Records. In January 2009, Darling released the Grammy-winning ''Prayer for Compassion'', a follow-up of his earlier ''8-String Religion'', both on the Curve Blue label.

Other activities

In 1986, Darling joined Young Audiences, an organization that seeks to educate children about music and the arts through school programs. In the same year, he founded Music for People, which seeks to encourage self-expression through musical improvisation. His teaching methods are the subject of a book, ''Return to Child'' (2008). In May 2008, he became part of a collaboration of music teacher and performers offering a training program in holistic and intercultural approaches to healing with sound and music at the New York Open Center Sound and Music School. David Darling died in his sleep, January 8, 2021.

Awards and honors

* Grammy Award, Best New Age Album, ''Prayer for Compassion'', 2010

Discography

As leader

* ''

Journal October ''Journal October'' is the debut album by cellist David Darling recorded in 1979 and released on the ECM label.

'' ( ECM, 1979) * '' Cycles'' (ECM, 1981) * ''

Cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...

'' (ECM, 1992) * ''

Dark Wood ''Dark Wood'' is a solo album by cellist David Darling recorded in 1993 and released on the ECM label.Eight String Religion'', (Curve Blue,1993) * ''The Tao of Cello'' (Relaxation, 1993) * ''Musical Massage: Balance'' (Relaxation, 2000) * ''Cello Blue'', (Hearts of Space/Valley Entertainment, 2001) * ''Musical Massage: In Tune'' (Relaxation, 2001) * ''River Notes'', (Curve Blue, 2002) * ''Open Window'' (Relaxation, 2003) * ''Mudanin'' (Kata World Music Network/Riverboat, 2004) * ''Balance'' (Gaiam, 2006) * ''Musical Massage: Blissful Relaxation'' (Relaxation, 2007) * ''The Darling Conversations, Vol. 1'' (Manifest Spirit, 2007) * '' Prayer for Compassion'' (Curve Blue, 2009) * ''Where Did the Time Go'' (CD Baby, 2013) * ''Gratitude'' (Curve Blue, 2016) * ''Homage to Kindness'' (2019)

As sideman

With

Peter Kater Peter Kater (born 1958) is a German-born American pianist, composer and Grammy Award winner. When he was four, he moved with his family from Germany to New Jersey. He studied classical piano at an early age. In 1977 when he was eighteen, Peter mo ...

* ''Homage'', 1989 * ''Migration'', 1992 With

Ketil Bjørnstad Ketil Bjørnstad (born 25 April 1952) is a pianist, composer and author. Initially trained as a classical pianist, Bjørnstad discovered jazz at an early age and has embraced the emergence of "European jazz". Store Norske Leksikon (in Norwegian) ...

* '' The Sea'' (ECM, 1994) * '' The River'' (ECM, 1996) * '' The Sea II'' (ECM, 2000) * '' Epigraphs'' (ECM, 2000) With

Terje Rypdal Terje Rypdal (born 23 August 1947) is a Norwegian guitarist and composer. He has been an important member in the Norwegian jazz community, and has also given show concerts with guitarists Ronni Le Tekrø and Mads Eriksen as "N3". Career Rypdal ...

* ''

Eos In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Eos (; Ionic and Homeric Greek ''Ēṓs'', Attic ''Héōs'', "dawn", or ; Aeolic ''Aúōs'', Doric ''Āṓs'') is the goddess and personification of the dawn, who rose each morning from her home at ...

'' (ECM, 1984) * ''

Skywards The Emirates Group ( ar, مجموعة الإمارات) is a state-owned Dubai-based international aviation holding company headquartered in Garhoud, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, near Dubai International Airport. The Emirates Group comprises ...

'' (ECM, 1995) With Jacqueline Tschabold Bhuyan * ''Cello & Piano Meditations'' (Sounds True, 2012) * ''Improvisations for Cello & Piano'' (CD Baby, 2012) With others * ''Introducing Glen Moore'', Glen Moore (Elektra, 1979) * '' Old Friends, New Friends'',

(ECM, 1979) * ''Amber'', Michael Jones, 1987 * ''

'' 1991 * '' Window Steps'',

Pierre Favre Peter Faber (french: Pierre Lefevre or Favre, la, Petrus Faver) (13 April 1506 – 1 August 1546) was a Jesuit priest and theologian, who was also a co-founder of the Society of Jesus, along with Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier. Pope Fra ...

, With Kenny Wheeler, and Steve Swallow (ECM, 1996) * ''Pendulum'', with Kevin Keller, 1999 * ''96 Years'', with

Patrick Leonard Patrick Ray Leonard (born March 14, 1956) is an American songwriter, keyboardist, film composer, and music producer, best known for his longtime collaboration with Madonna. His work with Madonna includes her albums '' True Blue'' (1986), ''Who's ...

, 2000 * ''Refuge'', with

Terry Tempest Williams Terry Tempest Williams (born 8 September 1955), is an American writer, educator, conservationist, and activist. Williams' writing is rooted in the American West and has been significantly influenced by the arid landscape of Utah. Her work foc ...

, ( Curve Blue, 2002) * ''Into the Deep: America, Whaling & the World'', 2010) * ''Return of DeSire: Improvisations'', with Eve Kodiak (CD Baby, 2008) * ''Tympanum'', with Jane Buttars, 2013 * "Where Did The Time Go" with Neil Tatar 2013 * ''In Love and Longing'', with Silvia Nakkach, (Sounds True, 2014)

References

External links

Official site

The Darling Conversations, music philosophy

Musicolog
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Darling, David 1941 births 2021 deaths People from Elkhart, Indiana 20th-century classical composers 21st-century classical composers American classical cellists American male classical composers American classical composers ECM Records artists Indiana State University alumni Musicians from Indiana Western Kentucky University faculty 21st-century American composers 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians Paul Winter Consort members American jazz cellists 20th-century cellists 21st-century cellists