The mark of a true teacher is that he or she is never content with idly standing in a classroom, mowing through PowerPoint presentations. The true professors are the ones who are actively experimenting in their fields and, in the process, passing those findings and experiences on to the students. Director of Electronic Media Michael Sanders is accomplishing just that with his recent release of the audio anthology “Magnetic Resonance.””Magnetic Resonance” is a unique composite of the soundtracks of live performances and media productions that Professor Sanders has worked on over the past thirty years.
The limited edition will contain six discs as well as a 24-page catalogue that, according to Sanders, “helps transform the boxed set into a portable retrospective exhibition.” The limited release is intended for distribution to museums and libraries as an effort to emphasize the artistic applications of sound.
There is also a two-disc, unlimited edition of the project available to general audiences, entitled “Selections from Magnetic Resonance.”
Bill Boyle, an instructor of Video Production and Presentation Technology and Systems, was the supervising engineer of the project. Engineer Boyle was very excited and pleased with the product that he and Professor Sanders developed: “Layers upon layers of noise, resonance, hum, echo, thuds, reverberation, crashes, jingles, swishes and clatter which, when they occur alone, are typically things we try to avoid. In this case, however, these clever mixes are incredibly deep and integrated, flowing together to create a blend of sounds that actually feel like they belong together.”
Professor Sanders described the collaboration as “.sharpening Bill and my skill sets. We really came together as a creative and technical team.”
Once the project was completed, Professor Sanders was pleased that he had “learned lessons that can be passed on to students in audio and video, and in the creative process as well.”
In addition to venturing into exotic technical realms, Professor Sanders was also engaged in the marketing of “Magnetic Resonance,” thus giving him an additional, and very imperative background that can be passed down to his students.
It takes many a sleepless night to ensure that a project such as this is truly successful.
Engineer Boyle added, “I quickly realized that this was, by no means, going to be a small undertaking, no simple audio CD project. This was going to be my life’s work for the next year.” The dedication and the commitment to this project yielded extensive payoff. Professor Sanders and Engineer Boyle have recently won the Silver Reel Award in Audio Sound Design from the Media Communications Association-International for the film “Myopia.” Professor Sanders largely attributes this award to the techniques that were honed during the production of “Magnetic Resonance.”
Regarding “Magnetic Resonance,” Professor Sanders offered this final bit of advice to the student body: “You should never give up on an idea that you fancy. While it may take a while to come into fruition, you should just keep picking away at it and the pieces will eventually fall together.”
For more information on “Magnetic Resonance,” visit www.photokinesis-media.com, e-mail hnortonn@yahoo.com, or write to the publisher at PO Box 429201, Cincinnati, OH 45242.