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Spring 2017

Speaker Series: Harmonix Music Systems

Steve Pardo, Senior Sound Designer and Lead Composer at Harmonix Music Systems, discussed sound design and music systems for digital games and shared insights about the future of the industry as part of the MA in Sound Arts and Industries Speaker Series on May 18, 2017 in the Northwestern Soundstage. Students later had the opportunity to try out virtual reality games after the presentation.

Artist Talk: Annea Lockwood

Annea Lockwood gave the artist talk “Wild Energies” sponsored by the MA in Sound Arts and Industries on May 11, 2017 at the Northwestern Soundstage to discuss her site-dependent installations A Sound Map of the Danube and a recent collaboration with Bob Bielecki, Wild Energy. Lockwood is a world-renowned sound artist and composer, as well as a sound-art pioneer known for her explorations of the rich world of natural acoustic sounds and environments.

Career Trek: Shure, Inc.

MA in Sound Arts and Industries students visited Shure, Inc. in Niles, IL on May 5, 2017 for the final career trek of the 2016-17 academic year to learn about the company’s history and opportunities in the industry. Shure is a leading manufacturer of microphones and audio electronics.

Voiceover Masterclass and Mock Recording Session

Tish Hicks, accomplished voiceover artist and School of Communication alumna, led a voiceover masterclass followed by a mock recording session on April 28, 2017 in the Northwestern Soundstage. The event was sponsored by The Office of External Programs, Internships, & Career Services (EPICS) and treated School of Communication students to a hands-on voiceover experience right on campus.

Visiting Speaker: Juan Bello

Juan Bello, Associate Professor of Music Technology, and Electrical & Computer Engineering at New York University, visited campus April 20, 2017 to discuss environmental sound analysis, including the monitoring of urban noise and bird migrations. Bello’s efforts aim at finding technological solutions to noise pollution as part of the SONYC project.

New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival

Brad Robin’s (Class of ’18) fifteen-minute piece, Steam, was accepted for a summer performance at the New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival (NYCEMF) at the Abrons Art Center on June 19-25, 2017, and at National Sawdust on July 14-16, 2017. Steam is derived from many of the sound samples curated during Robin’s first quarter at Northwestern while simultaneously working with professors Calum Walter and Stephan Moore. It is the result of research on acousmatic music, incorporating topics on sound walks, reduced listening, and the effects of repetition.