Chris Brown began his music career as a classical pianist, but became increasingly influenced by American experimental and improvised music. These influences, combined with studies of Indonesian, Indian, and Cuban musics, led Brown further into free jazz. Since the late '70s, Brown has been building personal electronic instruments, using analog circuits to modify acoustic devices' sounds, and mixing these with concrete and synthetic sounds. He created an installation of networked rhythm machines, called Talking Drum, that made stops in San Francisco, Montreal, and Holland. Brown has received commissions from Abel-Steinberg-Winant Trio, Rova Saxophone Quartet, and the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra.