SOUND & LIGHT WORKSHOPS
From my job as Secondary Program Lead for the Master’s Degree Program at Catalyst Institute for Creative Arts and Technology, to my Sound Portraits Lecture/Listening Series, to my various light and sound workshops – teaching and sharing knowledge has become an essential part of my practice. Below is a list of workshops and classes I have taught. For a comprehensive list with course descriptions – click here.
Mapping The Perceptual Landscape
In Mapping the Perceptual Landscape we take a hands on approach to visual and auditory phenomena, their perceptual effects, and the ways in which contemporary installation and performance artists have adopted these phenomena as tools for artistic production. Over the course of this class we will experiment with techniques and concepts relating to ganzfeld effect, sensory deprivation, otoacoustic emissions, infrasound and the paranormal, sonic weapons, cymatics, optical illusions, and more.
Within Earsight: Exploring the Audio-Visual Connection
Sound and light are invisible vibrations, yet together they work to define our reality and understanding of the physical world. Intrinsically connected, the symbiosis between these two mediums presents a powerful and fertile media for artistic production. In “Within Earsight” we take a hands on approach to exploring visual and auditory phenomena, audio-visual connections, and techniques for creating transcendental sound-light works.
Total Immersion: Techniques for Creating Light Art
Throughout time, artists have always been fascinated by light and it’s expressiveness, but it’s only in the last century that light itself has become a medium for art. Ephemeral, visceral, and abstract by nature, light possesses an incredible power to move us in ways that words and images cannot. In just the last few years, advances in LED technology and production techniques have led to a renaissance of new tools and techniques. Over the course of this class we will focus on exploring these new technologies, building custom equipment, and learning ‘analog’ techniques for sculpting immersive light environments. Each day will consist of teaching, examples, and hands on work, with a focus on building a solid foundation for creating one’s own light art works.
Introduction to Instrument Building in Reaktor
Are you interested in building your own computer synthesizers and effects? In this intensive daylong workshop, we’ll introduce you to Native Instruments’ Reaktor, a powerful virtual modular synthesis environment that allows you to build the synthesizers your dreams: from warm analog sounding synthesizers, to granular samplers, sound morphing effects, and generative drum machines. Recording audio, manipulating samples, and generating new sounds are all possible in Reaktor. Together, we’ll cover the basics of building instruments in Reaktor, providing a solid grounding and understanding of the Reaktor framework so that you can begin to build your own synthesizers, samplers, noise machines, and effects.
Introduction to Sound Synthesis
In this course we’ll take an in depth look the basics of sound design, from the fundamentals of sound waves, to synthesis techniques such as subtractive, wavetable, FM, and granular synthesis, and working with advanced effect chains.
Music Production and Performance Using Ableton Live
Ableton Live is one of the most popular softwares for electronic music production, used by everyone from sound artists to DJs, pop musicians, and classical composers. Unique in its seamless design as both a professional production tool and an expressive instrument for live electronic music performance, Ableton is known for it’s versatility just as much as it’s clear and intuitive approach. In this course, we will explore some of Ableton’s most powerful and useful functionality: MIDI programming, audio recording, warping and processing, looping editing, mixing, and performing. Meant to be a springboard for people new to Ableton Live, this intensive introductory course will provide you with a knowledge base for using Ableton to begin composing and performing your own music.
Spatial Sound & Light Environments Using Reaktor + Arena + DMX Lighting
In this weeklong workshop, we’ll explore the tools, technologies, and techniques available for sculpting immersive sound and light environments. We’ll be designing and building custom sound and light instruments using Reaktor: a modular programming software similar to Max/MSP, developing tools and techniques for video projections, as well as examining creative strategies for dealing with site specificity and the interaction between sound and light. Each day will consist of teaching, examples, and descriptions in order to provide a solid grounding in the technical framework necessary to build to powerful Reaktor instruments, an introduction to DMX lighting, and techniques to control sound and light using Ableton Live (or your DAW of choice), but will also include more theoretical discussions and critical reflections on aesthetic concepts in sound, light, and audio-visual art.
