Michael Santucci, RA Chair John Murray, and AES Students

Michael Santucci, President and owner of Sensaphonics, Inc. lectured to all first-year students of the Recording Arts Department at Flashpoint Academy this past Thursday October 22.

The event not only served as an excellent supplement to the foundational courses RA students are currently taking in the department, but also acted as a kick-off for the guest lecture series hosted by the newly formed Audio Engineering Society Student Chapter at the school. Michael spoke on hearing conservation, in-ear monitors, and the need for an overall awareness of living in an culture that more and more includes “personal listening devices” played back at dangerously loud sound pressure levels. During the demonstration portion of his lecture, Michael took ear canal impressions of Academic Dean Paula Froehle, which will become custom-molded ear plugs.

Kudos to all the officers of the AES Student Chapter for hosting a great first event.

John Murray, chair of the Flashpoint Academy Recording Arts Department, reflects on the 127th Audio Engineering Society Convention.

The students were terrific!

Elena Rubin, Bob Stephen, Austin Lutter, and Chase Francowiak ran the Education Fair like seasoned pros, made a number of incredible connections, received roaring applause in the Student Delegate Assembly acknowledging the establishment of a “very healthy” Flashpoint Academy Student Chapter, and experienced the entirety of the industry up close and personal. And even though he didn’t work the booth with us, first-year Brandon Jackson also attended the convention. Truly, both Bernie [Mack, (faculty, recording arts)] and I were so impressed with how they handled themselves in an overwhelming environment.

Here are some highlights:

FOURTH ANNUAL CENTRAL REGION STUDENT SUMMIT AT WEBSTER UNIVERSITY [ST LOUIS]

Elena and I spent a considerable amount of time talking with students, alums, and faculty of the Webster University Audio Program about their Student Summit in March 2010. The event is rapidly becoming a mini-AES attracting 400+ students in similar programs from all over the Midwest, 100+ industry professionals, and hundreds more in high school or those thinking about careers in audio. Guest speakers scheduled for next March include George Massenburg, Elliot Scheiner, Phil Ramone, and Frank Filipetti just to name a few. Unlike the National Convention, which equally includes exhibitors and vendors of pro audio equipment, the Central Region Student Summit focuses on workshops, tutorials, and career-oriented forums designed to help students transition into their professional lives.

ALEX CASE

Alex is an educator, author, engineer, and lecturer internationally known for his wonderful book Sound FX: Unlocking the Creative Potential of Recording Studio Effects. He is also this year’s Chair of the AES Tutorials and Workshops Committee. We had a long conversation and he was very impressed with how many students we have been able to attract to become AES members. His book is the main text for our year-two capstone course Signal Processing. In talking about lecturing around the country and his busy schedule, Alex mentioned that he is due to be in Chicago in November for unrelated reasons and would love to come to Flashpoint to lecture. This is a wonderful opportunity to tie-in concepts and methodologies they are learning in class from our instructors with the author of their text.

JOHN HARDY

John is the designer and manufacturer of professional microphone preamplifiers. We have one of his M1 two-channel devices installed in Music Control. World headquarters are in Evanston, IL. Bernie spent some time with him at the convention and he would like to come to Flashpoint and lecture to all of our Recording Arts students.

Wilmette composer’s work premieres in London
September 17, 2009
By J.T. MORAND

Miguel Kertsman saw his imagination come to life in London three weeks ago.

The Wilmette musician/composer’s opera “O Saci,” what he calls his children’s music play, was staged at St. Paul’s Church in London’s Covent Garden with Maurice Ravel’s opera, “L’ Enfant et les Sortileges” on Aug. 27-29.

The saci, a one-legged child who wears a magical red cap and has the power to cause great winds, launched himself from Brazil to the shores of England, where he met a Welsh water fairy capable of causing rain. The two worked together to put out a fire that was about to engulf a village. The saci, a prankster, is a Brazilian folklore with which Kertsman is quite familiar, having been born and raised in Brazil until he was 18.

“I’ve always been fascinated by that folklore since I was a kid,” he said. “I was never scared by this character.”

He was scared of other Brazilian legends, such as the bodiless, hairy leg that would attack children as they slept.

His fascination with the saci led him to write “O Saci” in record time after Alexander Medem, the director of Ravel’s opera, asked him to write an original musical theater piece that could be paired up with “L’ Enfant et les Sortileges.” Kertsman began writing in April and had to have the musical score delivered by mid-July.

“I wrote it very fast,” he chuckled.

At the same time, Kertsman was working on two movie soundtracks, an audio branding campaign, two concertos, two records and working full-time as a professor at Flashpoint Academy, where he’s on the recording arts faculty.

But, he added, he always wanted to write a musical theater piece for children and liked the idea of writing one where representatives from two different cultures worked together to achieve a positive goal.

“I was looking for a theme with universal appeal,” he said. “It’s a short piece for kids. It’s tender.”

“O Saci” is being referred to as an opera, but that’s a mistake, Kertsman said, because there are no sung words. The only words are spoken by a narrator between scenes. But, it’s not a traditional musical either. Medem wanted a pantomimed piece, Kertsman said.

Kertsman has worked with leading musicians in several genres and his classical works have been performed at major venues all over the world. His music has been released worldwide by Sony Classical and RCA Victor/BMG. But, unveiling “O Saci” in London is one of the most exciting events to happen, he said.

“I’ve never had anything premier in London before,” he said.

He’s hoping “O Saci” will come to the United States next year.

“I’m talking to people in Chicago right now,” he said.

Click here to go to the story on EvanstonReview.com.

Last week, high school students interested in Recording Arts from all over the Chicagoland area came to Flashpoint Academy to participate in Flashpoint’s first Summer Institute.  The five-day session was designed to give high school juniors a taste of the intense media arts programs offered and experience firsthand how Flashpoint’s immersive learning environment can lead to a deeper and more meaningful education.

Recording Arts students began the week with an overview of recording audio within a high-resolution networked multi-channel system and the complex signal flow inherent in recording facilities with multiple studios.  By Thursday, they were engaged in a tracking and overdub session with the local R & B act Sugar Pusher.  The week culminated in a final day of mixing and mastering to produce a bona-fide Redbook CD.

The students really seemed to have a great time — even by the end of the first day, the kids appeared to have made great friends with one another, laughing and joking as they left class together.  It was great to have them, and we can’t wait for many of them to return to campus in the fall as they begin their college search.

Flashpoint Academy’s Summer Institute: a terrific way to see [and hear] for yourself what our exciting media arts programs are all about.

Applications are now being accepted for the final 2009 Summer Institute. To register, CLICK HERE.