About

Compulsive Music was founded in Boulder by Joe Lukasik. First and foremost, Joe is a musician who has been performing almost his whole life. Originally from New York, Joe studied composition, bassoon, saxophone and piano. His early studies were at the Manhattan School of Music Pre-College Division where he was the principal bassoonist of the Pre-College orchestra all his years there and concerto competition winner. He was the associate principal bassoonist and contrabassoonist of the New York Youth Symphony and principal bassoonist of the Westchester Conservatory Orchestra. He performed professionally in the New York metropolitan region and over the years has performed in Carnegie Hall and New York's Knitting Factory (on saxophone). His father was (and still is) a professional clarinetist. As a small child, Joe's dad would take his to the music studio where there was also a repair shop. Young Joe spent many hours watching the repair technicians who were eager to share every detail of what they were doing with an interested student. Even before highschool, Joe was fixing his friend's (and even teacher's) instruments and has been ever since. While at the Univeristy of Michigan, Joe was lucky to study bassoon with Lewis 'Hugh' Cooper who was also a renowned technician and woodwind acoustics specialist. Prof. Cooper spent many lesson hours pouring over repair techniques and intrument acoustics. 

Joe began experimenting with and building electronic instruments in his early teens. He attended the doctoral seminar for computer music as an undergraduate at the Eastman School of Music where he received his first technical grounding in acoustics. He was the first graduate teaching assistant in music technology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Later, he joined the music faculty at the University of Colorado, Boulder as the first Director of Music Technology and established the curriculum for CU’s Certificate Program in Music Technology. While at CU, he created the school’s first electronic music ensemble and wrote software for ear training, algorithmic music composition and interactive live improvisation for performer and computer. Joe has presented papers and had performances of his electronic and acoustic compositions internationally. In 1991, he won the Barlow composition prize. In Colorado, Joe has had performances of his music from the Boulder and Broomfield Symphonies and has performed as clarinet soloist with the Parker Symphony, the Confluence String Quartet, the Broomfield Symphony and as a jazz artist for the Boulder Symphony.

Currently, Joe directs research and development for Oleg Music, a woodwind company based out of Los Angeles where he is responsible for saxophone enhancements, instrument and neck optimization and mouthpiece design. Joe continues to create new electronic instruments combining hardware and software as well as combining visual elements with software and material visual arts.

Compulsive Music is an umbrella entity spanning areas of music education, creative and technical consulting, instrument design and enhancement as well as performance and music production with a deep commitment to enhancing musical experiences for musicians and listeners alike! Joe’s son, Adam Lukasik, based in New York, also serves as creative and technical consultant.

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