Ben Sutherland performs on Howard Sandroff’s ‘sound sculpture’

Alumnus Ben Sutherland (A.M. ’97, Ph.D. ’01) is Assistant Professor of Audio Design & Production at Columbia College Chicago. He will perform with Howard Sandroff, composer and Director of the University of Chicago Computer Music Studio, on Monday, October 22 at 7 PM at Columbia College. See details

How do you feel UChicago prepared you for your career in music?

My work with the composition faculty helped refine and hone my compositional craft and process, informing micro-level decisions – such as contrapuntal, melodic, and rhythmic – as well as macro-level decisions – issues of large-scale harmony, rhythm, and form.  My experiences at the UC also helped shape my identity as a composer and artist, strengthening my confidence level and trust in my vision and intuition as a composer.

My specialization in computer music and audio technology, which is a central feature of my creative, scholarly, and teaching work today, blossomed in the UChicago Computer Music Studios, growing from my work as composer, researcher, and for three years, studio manager.  I was one of the first to complete the fledgling minor field component of the Ph.D. Composition program in Computer Music Research, and I continue to build today on that foundation.

Did you have an instructor that you primarily worked with at UChicago?

Naturally I worked most closely with the composition faculty, but within those ranks I divided my attentions, eager to learn the most from what each had to offer.  The majority of my composition study was with Shulamit Ran, with whom I began and who served as my dissertation advisor.  I worked closely with Howard Sandroff on my computer music research and composition.   In addition to these relationships, I also studied composition with John Eaton, Marta Ptaszynska, and Andrew Imbrie (visiting professor, 1997?).  I found all of these experiences unique and invaluable to my development as a composer. Continue reading →