Scott Smallwood, BA (Seattle Pacific), MMus (Miami University), MMus (Peabody Conservatory), PhD (Princeton)

Area of Study / Keywords

music composition improvisation electroacoustic music sound art audio gaming

About

Scott Smallwood is a sound artist, composer, and sound performer who creates works inspired by discovered textures and forms, through a practice of listening, field recording, and sonic improvisation. He designs experimental electronic instruments and software, as well as sound installations and site-specific performance scenarios. Important to his process is exploring the subtleties of sonic texture through gradual transformations of timbre, particularly with sounds that may have originated from specific recordings of objects or spaces. His compositional and improvisational work makes use of space explicitly, and often involves multiple channel environments, found sounds, and non-conventional instrumentation. He works in a variety of sound and music genres, including instrumental concert and chamber music, electroacoustic music, sound art and installation, improvisatory performance, and more recently, audio game development. His work has been presented worldwide, including recent presentations at SARC in Belfast, the Issue Project Room in NYC, the Burning Man Festival in Black Rock City, Nevada, the The Hong Kong Arts Centre, and Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts in Katonah, NY. His recorded work has been released on Autumn Records, Deep Listening, Wowcool, Simple Logic, Static Caravan, and Dead Definition Records.

In addition to his artistic work and research, Smallwood has been an educator in music composition and technology in the US and Canada for over 25 years. He holds music degrees from Seattle Pacific University, Miami University, Peabody Conservatory, and Princeton University, where he also held postdoctoral research associate position, working with the legendary Princeton Laptop Orchestra (PLOrk). From 1997 until 2003, he worked as a studio engineer, faculty member, and technical director in the electronic arts program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he developed a continuing interest in collaboration with artists in other media. He is currently the Director of the Sound Studies Institute at the University of Alberta, where he serves as a Professor of music composition and technology.

Websites

Artist Website (scott-smallwood.com)

Evidence

Audio Games Lab

Solarsonics

Sound Studies Institute

SPARC2

Research

Areas of Research & Interest:

Sound Art / Installation

Field Recording

Acoustic Ecology

Phonography

Solarsonics

Interactive Technologies & Games

Teaching

Areas of Instruction:

Composition

Music Technology

Improvisation

Electroacoustic Music

Sound Art

Acoustic Ecology

Ensemble Instruction:

XiMe (Experimental Improvisation Ensemble

MUSIC 545 - Interactive Sounds and Systems

Seminar in the design and application of interactive musical systems using media languages such as Max/MSP or equivalent. Prerequisites: Music 445 or equivalent or consent of Department.

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