IAR has begun a new series of seminars for its students by partnering with IK Multimedia, a leading music production software company. IK has an extensive catalog of innovative products amateur and professional musicians and producers use to create their art. On Thursday, March 26th, IK presented students and guests with their mastering software package, T-RackS. The powerful tool allows users to now master their own music without having to spend money and time on mastering houses. Northeast Manager, Tony Grund, showed off the features of the product and said, “Mastering houses are great if you want to send your final product and are ready to press a lot of CDs. But for single tracks or demos, that’s not effective and that’s where T-RackS comes in. It’s quick and affordable.” Tony showed students the full range of mastering techniques through T-RackS internal processors including Fairchild, Pultec EQ, Compressor, Phase EQ, and the Brickwall limiter. Tony showed how the processors could be aligned to create different sounds and related that Metallica’s new album, Death Magnetic, which has been criticized as being ‘too loud’ is a result of cranking up brickwall limiting in the mastering process.

Students were shown how to use T-RackS to compare their tracks to commercial tracks to emulate sounds or compare the mastered versions to the un-mastered and Tony remarked, “Have you ever recorded a track in Pro Tools, bounced it down and then played it for your friend in the stereo and it’s softer then everything else? That’s because it has not been mastered.” At the end of the seminar students were given demo copies of T-Racks and offered additional discounts on the full version. For those who were not at the seminar, anyone can download a free 10-day trial version from IK’s website, T-Racks.

On Tuesday, April 14th, IAR had the privilege of hosting a special event with the New York Chapter of the Audio Engineering Society (AES). AES is now in its 6th decade and is an international professional society dedicated to audio technology. AES Sections serve members in 47 geographic areas around the world and annual conventions are held in the U.S. and Europe to bring members together to network as well as introduce the latest in audio technology. Tuesday’s event was a panel discussion with industry experts about a topic extremely relevant in today’s economy; Making a Living with Audio. The guests were introduced by IAR’s Dean of Faculty, Noel Smith, as:

Moderator – Doron Schachter, Director, Sonic Arts Program at City College of NY
Speaker – Thomas Ray, Vice President/Corporate Director of Engineering, Buckley Radio, WOR News Talk Radio 710 HD
Speaker – Jeff Smith, Chief Engineer WWPR, Supervisor Broadcast/Studio Systems Clear Channel Radio NYC
Speaker – Jim Starzynski, Principal Engineer and Audio Architect, NBC Universal
Speaker – Colin Thibadeau, Owner, The Lodge
Speaker – Kirk Imamura, President, Avatar Recording Studios

IAR students and AES members were treated to a night of insight and advice from industry experts with decades of experience in their respective fields. Several statements were made for building a successful career in any industry as well as audio which were, “Have a passion for it and create strong relationships with as many people as possible,” “Keep yourself relevant by constantly learning new technology,” “Work hard and never act as if you know everything already.” The audience was encouraged to join organizations like AES and the Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE), and earn certifications which will introduce new opportunities. Kirk, studio owner, stressed the importance of learning your craft, “Get fast with ProTools and Logic and learn Melodyne for tuning, and do things to differentiate yourself from the masses.” The discussion was opened up to audience questions such as how to get an internship, resources for new technology research and development jobs, how the economy has affected large Broadway theater recordings, and many more. After the discussion ended, the panelists stayed to answer questions one on one and audience members networked with one another. For more information and how to join, please visit the Audio Engineering Society.

On Tuesday, April 7th, IAR hosted its 2009 Spring Audio for Picture (AFP) Awards Festival. In the fourth quarter of IAR’s program, students take a post production course. The course introduces students to the production of an audio soundtrack synchronized to video. Using the tools they learn in the classroom, students complete their own post production projects and can submit them to be judged in the AFP Awards Festival. Students can choose any video segment they wish from which they delete all audio content. Then using the techniques they have learned at IAR and in the post production course, students recreate every aspect of soundtrack including dialog, sound FX, sound design, and music score. Faculty member Lyell Loyd is a Senior Staff Engineer at WABC-TV and the A1 show mixer (senior audio engineer) for “Live! with Regis and Kelly”. He brings his professional experiences into the classroom as he teaches the post production course. He remarks about this season’s projects, “There was more animation this time and they are impressive pieces. On the first day of class I tell them to start thinking about what they want to work on for their final project.” The diversity in tastes, styles, and projects was represented by selections that included Terminator, the animated film Warriors of the Wind, The Soloist, and Dawn of War. Thank you to every one who submitted! The Spring 2009 AFP Winners are:

Best Overall Project, Luis Santovena, “War Hammer”
Best Music Editing, Brittany Keen, “2046”
Best Automated Dialog Replacement, George Flayer, “Sharktale”
Best Sound Editing, Javier Flores & Rafael Morales Jr., “Transformers”
Best Original Score, J.P. Palmerio & Dayva Segal, “City of Lost Children”

Muhammad Abdul-Sharif graduated IAR in August 2005 and then studied at St John’s University, where he received his BA in 2008. Under and agreement between the two schools, he was able to receive a full year’s academic credit from St. John’s in return for his having finished IAR successfully. Muhammad took full advantage of IAR’s location in the heart of New York City:

“It’s a cauldron of opportunity that countless others would love to be in. I spent a lot of time at Fat Beats Records and Among Friends Records.”

Currently,Muhammad is the manager and booking agent for WrittenHouse, a hip-hop band based out of Philadelphia, PA. The band uses their production instruments on stage in combination with the emcee rather than the traditional practice of performing with pre-recorded background music. WrittenHouse’s credits include opening for Little Brother, Immortal Technique, Charles Hamilton, Masta Ace, Wu-Tang Clan, Das EFX, and Platinum Pied Pipers. WrittenHouse has also performed at the popular Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival and their latest release, “Sunshine Philadelphia, Volume 2.”  Muhammad feels strongly about the boost hegot from attending IAR:

“It equipped me with tools that allow me to offer more to potential employers. It prepped me to pay attention to detail and IAR’s Career Placement department is definitely a benefit. My advice to current students is to earnestly pay attention in classes and consistently practice your craft. Take advantage of New York
City and keep in touch with your classmates, they may have something to offer you.”

On Tuesday, November 18th, IAR hosted another popular Do It Yourself event. The seminar featured IAR faculty member Mario Salvati who discussed the topic
‘Building a Home Studio.’ Many IAR students were interested in building their
own studios for personal and commercial use and took advantage of the
opportunity to learn from a professional. IAR asked Mario to cover some of the
basics for those who were not able to attend.

IAR: What are some common misconceptions when building your own studio?

Mario: There are three. First is the cost. Many people attempting to build a studio don’t realize that isolating your space alone will take up 60-70% of the budget. Isolation is separating your work space from the rest of the world and involves room construction. 2^nd, everything must be perfect so you have to pay
attention to details. Finally, foam egg cartons are a myth. They are a waste of
money and actually make the room sound worse.

IAR: How do you build an acoustically correct mix environment?

Mario: You want a neutral acoustic room; not too live, not too dead. It should also be comfortable. If the room is not exactly right per isolation and acoustics, but it’s comfortable for the engineer and artist to work in, then it’s a good room.

IAR: How does volume and room size affect the studio?

Mario: Loudness and size will totally affect tuning and treating the space. If you want to get loud but the space is in an apartment building, you are going to spend more money on isolation. If it is really small or really big, you will spend a lot of money to make it work.

IAR: Does it matter what genre of music you’ll work with?

Mario: A good room works for any genre, sound is sound.

IAR: Any important resources?

Mario: Aurelex.com, Rane.com, and Electro-voice.com. Google the word ‘Acoustic Treatment’ and read the Master Handbook of Acoustics.

Jenny Mattey A.K.A. DJ JeNRG graduated IAR in November of 2008. She currently works for Star 69 Records in business relations and is training to be the Label Manager. Star 69 Records is a house music label based out of NYC run by Grammy Award winning DJ/Producer Peter Rauhofer, with over 250 album releases and over 100 Billboard number one hits. Jenny is also producing tracks and party mashes and works as a remixer for Star 69 Records, FlavaMusic Records, and Miswax Records. She will soon be compiling mash tracks for the online DJ resource Crooklyn Clan’s RatedH.net. JeNRG also DJ’s several nights every week and is working on a podcast radio show at myspace.com/krazytalkshow, which in just 3 weeks had over 12,000 hits.

Jenny was very active in the music scene while attending IAR, “The school gave me the opportunity to host my own radio show on IARadio and assisted me with an intern position with Sirius Radio on the “Martha Stuart Living” show. I also worked in IAR’s marketing department, which expanded my experience in the entertainment business by teaching me in how to source leads, send out bulk marketing e-mails, etc. I now apply all of that ‘extra’ IAR knowhow to my position at the label, which continues to impress them.” DJ JeNRG’s advice for current students is: “Get up and go as of now! Either you are constantly working on something and doing something to better your odds or you’re that poor soul who thinks that all you need to do is know a little bit and just be at the right place at the right time (this really does not exist). Don’t be afraid to talk and ask questions, but respect people’s time and expertise!” For more information on DJ JeNRG, visit myspace.com/jenrgmusic

IAR Faculty member Lisa Moyer performed in the inaugural parade for President Barack Obama. Out of a record number of 1,400 applicants for the parade, only 90 bands were selected. To demonstrate the popularity and size of Obama's parade, the 2005 inauguration for then President George W. Bush received 340 applications and invited 47 bands. Lisa Moyer has been a musician for over 20 years and plays multiple instruments, specializing in saxophone and piano. She graduated with honors from Lebanon Valley College with a Bachelors of Music with emphasis in Music Recording Technology. At IAR, she teaches the Basics of Digital Audio, Ear Training and Acoustics, and Audio Post Productions, among others, and is among the school’s most respected and popular faculty members. For the past 5 years, Lisa has been a member of the Big Apple Corps marching band and orchestra. The band delivers over a dozen performances each year. They have performed at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall, Paramount Theater, The Hollywood Bowl, and in the NYC Veteran's Day Parade. Big Apple Corps also performed for both of Bill Clinton's inaugurations, though not in the inaugural parade, and will have the great honor of playing at Carnegie Hall this February.

An elite group of experienced military musicians selected Lisa’s band to perform on January 20^th. Lisa had to be in Washington D.C. to check in at 5:00 am, "It was intense; instruments and bags were X-rayed and buses were checked for bombs," says Lisa. An estimated 1.8 million people attended this momentous inauguration. "It was emotional to be part of such an historical event," says Lisa. "It was great just to see thousands of musicians and the top bands in the country in the same place. There is nothing like it. We played John Philip Sousa's 'Washington Post March' for President Obama as we passed the reviewing stand. To march past Obama, see him waving and smiling, you can't describe that feeling of pride."