Steeped in dark, thematic aesthetics, Monarch plays nostalgic-cinematic driven pop, coated with indulgent, sentimental vocals and a shiny synth veneer.

I have written for a variety of ensembles that include instruments as diverse as the marimba, the oboe, and the Theremin. I am conversant with harmony from the common practice period as well as with more modern developments.

Education

Educated as an electrical engineer, I received my BSEE in 1985 and have worked almost entirely for professional and consumer audio electronics manufacturers in the Boston area for thirty years, enabling me to combine my skill in circuit design with my love of music.

While I am a largely self-taught musician, I have taken composition lessons with Thomas Benjamin during my studies at Peabody Conservatory and am currently studying with composer Douglas Helvering. 

Film

My composition Road Side Reverie is featured as the soundtrack of a short film, Road Trip Through America, that is archived in the Moving Image Research Collection at the University of South Carolina. 

Performances

In September of 2014, at the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall in Salem, Massachusetts, at an event sponsored by the Theatre of Words & Music, my Sonatinas for Flute and Piano Nos. 6, 7, and 9 were performed by flautist Sandra McCahill and pianist Leonard Scoggin. 

Recordings

In January, 2015, at Wellspring Sound in Acton, Massachusetts, Sandra McCahill and Leonard Scoggin recorded my Sonatinas for Flute and Piano Nos. 6, 7, and 9.

James Robert Borey is a singer songwriter and worship leader.

John Mosley is following