A research-enriched pedagogy to democratize audio knowledge

Résumé En

We have recently carried out four audio workshops whose program and pedagogy were built upon best practices with regards to equity, diversity, and inclusion to enhance access to professional audio training and engage the new generation of sound engineers in a critical dialog on music production cultures and digital audio technologies. These include two events in Western Africa, one at the University Gaston-Berger in Saint-Louis (Senegal) in June 2021, and one at Association Tadiazt in Bamako (Mali) in March 2022; and two events in Canada, namely the 2nd edition of the Audio+ research forum at the University of Victoria (BC) in November 2021, and one within the Women in the Studio Program hosted by Music Publishers Canada (MPC) in Toronto (ON) in September 2022. Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), French National Research Agency (ANR), and MPC, these events primarily aim to teach scientific knowledge to sound engineers and music producers who are systemically excluded from or do not have access to higher audio education. Our purpose is also to bridge culture gaps between academia and the industry.McNally and Pras who both teach in university programs will introduce the panel with their teaching philosophy that aims to increase the diversity of their student population through the relevance of their curriculum to the current context of music production and audio engineering. They draw upon feminist computer sciences and music education literature to deconstruct audio education’s patriarchal tradition and privileged lineage, and to develop integrated learning methods to democratize the technical knowledge of Tonmeisters, i.e., a title that they both hold, and that designates sound professionals who are trained in elitist music and sound recording programs that require a high level of scientific fluency and conservatory training. Then, Oubda who have mentored live engineers and studio professionals in Western Africa for many years will talk about his experience as an instructor during the Bamako workshop. We will highlight key moments of the workshops illustrated by video excerpts, to inspire the AES audio education community to de-gender and de-colonize their curriculum and pedagogy, in particular when it comes to teaching tacit and experiential knowledge. To show evidence of the teaching effectiveness of our audio education approach, Olivier and McKinnon will report on feedback from workshop attendees who participated in post-event surveys and semi-directed interviews. Then, Menon will highlight how his funded research experiences during his undergraduate studies have motivated him to pursue his Master’s at McGill and to intern in the R&D department of KLANG in Germany last summer. Furthermore, Olivier will explain how workshops like the one that she coordinated with Pras and Oubda in Bamako contributes to overcome the music industry patronage from North to Western Africa for the mixing and mastering stages of renowned Western African musicians’ productions. Finally, our research assistants McKinnon and Menon will share their perspective on the future of audio education in Canada.We will conclude with a Q&A, and a call for joining our team to extend the Audio+ concept to curate research and education events in different countries and audio communities, and to implement solutions to overcome political and social inequalities in access to higher audio education.