Cecil Decker

As a self-taught musician and producer living with ADHD and cPTSD, Cecil sees play, experimentation, and improvisation as fundamentals for learning and discovery. As a multi-disciplinary artist, they explore music like an audio collage, combining everything from ambient/noise and pop to chiptune and R&B — all grounded in the basics of sample-based hip-hop.

They discovered Ableton in 2010 and fell in love with how malleable and tactile sound feels in Live, allowing them to express their interests in synthesis and sampling with the feeling of physical collage. Cecil’s passion for sonic tactility led to years of experimentation with alternative controllers — from hacking video game controllers to building custom hardware — with a focus on making live-performance more fun and engaging for artists and audiences alike.

Cecil is especially interested in creating events and installations that challenge preconceptions about who certain technologies are “for.” Since 2014, they support creative placemaking in partnership with film & media festivals, public libraries, and other organizations that provide free & equitable access to media technology.

Cecil offers one-on-one and group lessons in-person or online, and leads workshops ranging from introductory to advanced concepts. You can find them via their email or website; on staff at Columbia SC’s Richland Library; or as an online instructor for the Ableton Certified Training Center, pointblank Los Angeles.