Dave Soldier
Bio
Dave Soldier leads a double life as a musician and a neuroscientist. As David Sulzer, he is a neuroscientist and Professor at Columbia University in the Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology. Sulzer’s lab investigates the synapses of the cortex and basal ganglia including the dopamine system, in habit formation, planning, and decision making. His lab and collaborators have made major contributions to understanding the action of addictive drugs and causes of diseases including Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and autism. As composer, he cofounded (with conservationist Richard Lair) the Thai Elephant Orchestra, 14 elephants for whom he built giant instruments and who released 3 CDs, and projects with children, including rural Guatemala (Yol Ku: Mayan Mountain Music) and New York’s East Harlem (Da HipHop Raskalz). His Soldier String Quartet helped usher the use of hiphop, R&B, and punk rock into classical music in the 1980s, and his long-running Memphis/New York Delta punk band, the Kropotkins, is a cult favorite. He has worked with John Cale, Bo Diddley, Van Dyke Parks, David Byrne, and many jazz and avant garde acts, appearing on over 100 albums and films on violin, guitar, or as an arranger.