Workshops & Teaching
Seed studios - electroacoustic Workshops
A series of 5 workshops covering different aspects of electroacoustic composition with users of the Broomwood Wellbeing Centre & Seed Studios.
Over the course of 5 (3 hours each) workshops I aimed to approach electroacoustic composition from different angles, allowing for each workshop to be independent, while supporting a continuous progression for regular attendees. Although focusing on the electroacoustic medium, I ensured that the skills and techniques learnt could be applied to a variety of musical forms. The Broomwood members who attended the workshops were engaged with the tasks at hand and keen to try things out even if a lot of it was brand new. The lack of computers meant that all workshops had to be done with physical mediums, from field recording, to multichannel diffusion. All sounds created by these workshops have been sent to composer Danny Saul to create a new electroacoustic piece.
1: Listening and Field Recording.
Going through a condensed version of R. Murray Schafer's Ear cleaning exercises and applying them to field recording techniques. Learning to be conscious of the sounds around us, and ways to describe them. Participants then made field recordings while going through a list of exercises.
2: Audio Synthesis & Graphic scores
Looking at basics of synthesis using analogue equipment (available at Seed Studios) and creating electroacoustic gestures & textures. Learning about oscillators, filters, envelopes & modulation and how these can be applied to any sound. Once the basics were grasped, participants were asked to react to graphic scores before creating their own and swapping them with other participants.
3: Transformations / audio processing
Exploring ways to transform audio using effects and processing, taking them to the extreme for unusual results: reverb, delays, re-sampling, down-sampling & more. In this session participants also made impulse/responses of different rooms in the building to explore the idea of reverberation.
4: Live performance in electronic music
Exploring and discussing the idea of performing electronic music live, and the idea of ‘liveness’. Comparing methods used for this, and how each can be suitable for different purposes/outcomes.
5: Immersive audio & Surround sound
Audio with more that 2 channels and how that can be utilised for installation work, film mixing and sound diffusion (acousmoniums). We created a 10 channel system using all the guitar amps and speakers available, moving audio around and exploring the use of surround sound.
Sonic invention / university of manchester
Teaching the first year undergraduate course ‘sonic invention’ at the university of Manchester. This course includes a introduction to electroacoustic composition and ProTools (in later years Reaper) as a compositional tool. From the basics of properly saving a session and creating/editing audio clips, sound transformations and automation to use of gestures and textures in composition. The course outcome is a 3-4 minute electroacoustic piece, either stand alone or to a provided visual element. All students must use the same base starting sounds and demonstrate understanding of transformative tools and arrangement to create something unique.
3rd year tutoRing / University of manchester
Drop in sessions and tutoring for the music undergraduate 3rd year course at the University of Manchester.
These are put in place to help guide the students compositions as part of their final portfolio submission. Introducing them to new tools, music, research and approaches to further develop their ideas.
Guest lectures : Hull college
Series of Guest lectures at Hull college on Synthesizers and composition.
Burslem jubilee project
A series of workshops with the Burslem Jubilee Project, a community of refugees and asylum seekers in Stoke-On-Trent, leading up to Resonating Spaces
Workshops delivered with Joe Heartly and Helen Felcey.
The workshops included clay-making, sound walks & listening exercises, listening to re-hydrating clay and community driven activities.
photo - Kieran Hanson [Kenawa Films]
Modular Synth workshops
A series fortnightly of workshops on the Hordijk Modular at the University of Manchester. Covering the basics of the synthesiser, and individual modules / uses.
First session with special guest: Sam Weaver:
Diffusion Workshops
Diffusion workshops on the 48-channel MANTIS system, taking participants through the functionality of the system and ways to approach sound diffusion. The rest of the workshop is very hands on, giving pointers as we go along.
multichannel workshops
Editing and working with multichannel audio in the NOVARS studio1 (32-channel surround). Looking at useful plugins, how to approach the medium and different multichannel composition techniques.
Recording workshops
Recording workshop for Brighter Sound MCR as part of the young composers: Disruption x Emergent residency. The workshop consisted of using experimental microphones, speakers and extended techniques to generate unusual sounds out of a grand-piano for later arranging & processing.
1 on 1 tutoring : seed studios
1 on 1 tutoring for Seed Studios, working with volunteers and adults with difficulties realising their projects. This could involve recording, mixing, sound processing, DAW experience, live performance preparation, or various other avenues to bring participants ideas to fruition.