2021 CMS Pre-Conference Workshop

Career opportunities and working roles of artists have changed over the last 30 years, dramatically so in 2020. Musicians must increasingly master significant skill sets in technology, both in the performance and creation of music and media and the ability to collaborate with experts in other domains. This represents a change in the entrepreneurial, business, and technology skills artists must develop.

While musicians often collaborate with technologists, this may not realize the full potential of technology in art/music production. Those with dual expertise in art and technology (artist/technologists or ATs) may fulfill that potential. The University of Rochester is exploring the skills needed by artist-technologists, with a focus on musicians and composers and how we can prepare students for these occupations, particularly in Augmented/Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence. This project, “Exploring Creative Design at the Human-Technology Frontier Through the Emerging ‘Artist-Technologist” Occupation” is funded by the National Science Foundation Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier program.

Future ATs’ may be self-employed creators of art that is integrated with relevant technologies, while others may operate within interdisciplinary groups, either media production teams (as filmmakers, composers, game designers, advertisers, etc.) or design teams in a variety of high-tech fields (medicine, education, communications, etc.). This session will include participants from the NSF planning grant, industry professionals and leaders in higher education, in an exploration of the skills sets needed and how we position students for success.

Schedule

1:00–1:30 pm:   
Registrant Check-In (Wolk Atrium, entrance to Hatch Recital Hall)

1:30 pm:   
Welcome and Framing Presentation

1:40 pm
NSF Panel: ‘Discussion Starter’ Activity Focus:
Emerging Technology Skill Sets Required for Professional Musicians / Artists; The A/t – a/T Concept
Moderator:
   Raffaella Borasi, Director, Center for Learning in the Digital Age, University of Rochester
Panelists:
   Ben Guerrero
   James Hall
   Blaire Koerner
   David Long

2:00 pm
Small Group Discussions
   Facilitated by NSF Team Members

2:30 pm
Share-Out

2:45 pm
Break

2:55 pm
CMS Panel: “Discuss Starter” Activity Focus:
Strategies to Prepare Music Students for Emerging Careers at the Intersection of Music and Technology
Moderator:
   Michael Millar, Co-chair, CMS Committee on Career Development and Entrepreneurship
Panelists:
   Mary Luehrsen
   Michael Harrington
   Larry Kaptain
   Rachel Roberts

3:15 PM
Small Group Discussions
   Facilitated by CMS Committee Members

3:45 pm
Share-Out

4:00 pm
Closing Remarks / Final Discussion
   Facilitated by Larry Kaptain

4:30 pm:   
Workshop Concludes