A couple of weeks ago I attended the International Student Association dinner at Wabash. One of the evening’s entertainers was Chris Dony, an international student from Belgium. Chris performed several songs that he composed and recorded in Wabash’s electronic music studio, under the guidance of Dr. Peter Hulen. He has a complex and fascinating sound, which you can hear yourself on Chris’s myspace site.
I asked Chris about his experience working in Wabash’s electronic music studio, which he describes below.
Chris Dony — During the fall semester, I took the class "Introduction to electronic music" with Pr Hulen.
We learned how to use digital programs for creating and arranging music. More specifically, we used Reason (by Propellerhead Software) for creating sounds with different kinds of synthesizers and used Digital Performer (by MOTU) for assembling and arranging musical data. Pr Hulen encouraged us to experiment with various effects and plug-ins to shape new sounds and enlarge our musical horizons.
When the semester ended, I really wanted to keep on working in the studio and use the skills I had developed in a more personal project. Pr Hulen accepted to work with me in an independent study when I told him I wanted to use the studio’s technology to work on a mini-album project. Since then, I’ve been composing five pieces (I hope two more will follow), recorded with instruments from the music department (guitar, bass, marimba), and collaborated with various music students. While they offered me a talent I did not have for an a specific instrument, I offered them a first experience in recording sessions.
Right now, I’m even developing producing skills by recording and arranging some student’s compositions.
Working in Wabash’s electronic music studio has been an enriching experience which has opened me the doors to the world of music industry. In this project, Pr Hulen has granted me with an invaluable help. He is a very encouraging professor always open to new kinds of music. I would really recommend students to take his class on electronic music and even maybe to develop a label for the Wabash Community in inviting music students or bands to record their creations professionally.
