Doctor Noize

Who Is Doctor Noize?

Cory Cullinan was born on October 30, 1969 and spent his first 36 years in the San Francisco Bay Area. He had a happy childhood — the greatest gift anyone can give you — playing music indoors and sports outdoors in the California sun. In high school, his brother and father both died within a year’s span in a challenging series of events which inspired him to dedicate his life to bringing the type of friendship, creativity and humor to the world that his childhood and family had given to him.

Cullinan brought this passion to Stanford University, where he graduated with Distinction and Honors in 1992 in Music and Political Science. He ran the electronic music studio at Stanford and worked in music technology and publishing for several years before releasing a solo album, My Oyster, in 1996 to rave reviews. Featuring the studio work of over fifty of the Bay Area’s finest musicians from percussionists to string ensembles, and including a live bonus track of his marriage proposal to his wife Janette, My Oyster has the free spirit of an independent release but the production values of a major label release.

In 1998, Cullinan accepted an invitation to create a music program at Pinewood School, a private high school near his hometown that had no music courses, and he made an immediate and lasting impact on his students. When he stepped aside five years later, he was head of the Arts, Communication & Technology (ACT) Department; his popular Music History course had been made a requirement for all freshmen; his music composition and production class had released eight full length CD’s of original songs created in the school’s new recording studio; and he coached the boys’ Varsity soccer team, which had not won a league game in years, to an 8-4-2 record. In his final semester at Pinewood, he conducted his students in a fully staged, unabridged production of Sondheim’s Into The Woods to packed houses on multiple nights, and led his select choir to Anaheim, CA to win the Best Overall Choir award at Disneyland’s huge Music In The Parks competition. The group earned the only perfect score from the judges while competing against schools ten times Pinewood’s size.

Upon the birth of his first child in 2002, the extraordinary but extended hours of purposeful high school teaching were no longer a perfect fit. So starting in 2003, Cullinan spent half his time producing recordings and soundtracks in his home studio, and the rest of his time experiencing totally awesome stuff with his two action/adventure superhero daughters, Sidney Grace and Riley Max. He wrote music that appeared in several mainstream television shows and movies, including 2001’s Spy Game, and composed documentary soundtracks to films shown everywhere from the Sundance Film Festival and PBS to Air Force training sessions.

In 2006, the Cullinans built their dream home in the foothills of Colorado and moved there. Inspired by his daughters and their friends, Cullinan began working full time in pursuit of his new dream project: the creation of truly adventurous music, books and shows for families and kids to share together. In 2007 he released The Ballad Of Phineas McBoof, his first recording under the guise of his alter ego, Doctor Noize. Within two months, it had spawned a national #1 hit song — Banana — on XM Kids Radio. As word spread, the buzz spread from kids to parents to college music professors, and scored awards ranging from a Parents Choice Award to being named one of Dr. Toy’s Top 100 Toys Of The Year. January 2008 saw the completion of Doctor Noize’s first book, The Ballad Of Phineas McBoof, which features the illustrations of his favorite illustrator and childhood friend, Christian Lowe. Like the recording, the book tells the tale of the great monkey Phineas McBoof and his quest for the impossible perfect song with his band, The International Band Of Misunderstood Geniuses.

As a live performer, the Doc has inspired enthusiastic audiences from Colorado to California by engaging kids and adults alike with his totally innovative performance approach that always inspires his audiences to participate in the creative process. His stage shows feature him performing multiple instruments and arranging and recording songs live on the spot, inviting audience members to come onstage and contribute their own talents. Doctor Noize and his audience of Misunderstood Geniuses often compose and create a capella pieces on the spot. And his book readings always include a creative writing session where the audience becomes the author. All Doctor Noize live programz are administered to creative audiences with immeasurable doses of energy, goodwill and humor.

For fun and to stay connected to friends and fans wherever they are, Cullinan has jumped into the modern etopia to scribe two regular blogs. Scenes From Fatherhood chronicles the adventures and misadventures of an involved dad. Doctor Noize’s Blah Blah Blog brazenly details the triumphs and missteps of a family artist.

Future plans include many more showz in many more places; Doctor Noize’s second album and book, The Return Of Phineas McBoof (2009); a book version of Scenes From Fatherhood and an accompanying free download album of instrumental music (2010); and the release — finally — of the follow up album to My Oyster, The Bad News (2010).

So that’s that… Thanks for your interest in one man’s story. The best Deep Thought (only Deep Thought?) Cullinan has stumbled upon is this:

“Success is a direction, not a destination. Relish the pursuit, regardless of the end result, and pursue your interests purposefully and fearlessly. Now go make some waves of your own — I’ll see ya at the wave pool.”