| Faculty
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Anthony Collins
Tony is a graduate of IAR and over the years has ‘been there, done that’ in pro audio. His first gig was at Firehouse Recording the small but important Hip Hop studio. His technical chops landed him work with Manhattan Audio and Audio Services in New York doing repair and equipment set up work for film and television projects. Not one to sit indoors all the time, Tony did work for companies that would send him out to the field to do live recording and installations of sound systems. This led to work for Hip Hop pioneers Curtis Blow, DJ AJ, and Grand Master Flash. He designed and built his first studio while at the same time managing the group Mean Machine, who had a hit with the remix of Grace Jones’ “Pull Up to the Bumper” on Sugar Hill Records. Over the years, Tony has designed, constructed and wired studios for such high profile clients as Papa Wu Studio (Wu Tang Studio), Powerhouse Studio (Ruff Ryder), Choice Records, Time Warp Records, Scorpio Studio, Latin Studio, No Interface Studios, Eddie Murphy, Teddy Riley, Jam Master Jay, Music For Your Life Radio Station, Ginnsu, Ashford and Simpson, and Frank Bartlett Productions (Freeport, Bahamas). He has done promotion and production work for Atlantic and Ruthless Records artists Junior M.A.F.I.A., Double X, Ray Luv, Mad Skillz, and Method Man (The Riddler, Batman Forever). Tony was featured in Black Enterprise magazine for his studio wiring, design and construction expertise and has written on the topic of studio security for the Tape-Op magazine. |
Robert Musso
Robert Musso began his engineering career at the Hit Factory recording studios and then Atlantic Records. He studied jazz guitar with Ted Dunbar (a student of Wes Montgomery) and played in the Livingston Jazz Ensemble. Utilizing both talents, Robert has played on or produced hundreds of CDs and DVDs. As an engineer he has recorded or mixed over 1500 records/CDs. His first solo CD, “Absolute Music” was voted “Best Downtown Album” by the New York Press in 1989, and National Public Radio (NPR) used “Surakarta” from the CD as their musical logo for several years. He has played on recordings by: Tom Waits, P.M. Dawn, Ginger Baker, Material, Machine Gun, Lunar Ensemble, etc. Robert’s skills have taken him to all parts of the globe. He has worked with artists in Japan, England, Holland, France, Australia, Morocco, Canada, Mexico, as well as the U.S. He has scored Hollywood films, created music for television and stage, has performed in off-Broadway shows and continues to play live concerts and compose new music. Some of the artists that Robert has worked with or for include: Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Herbie Hancock, Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, Al Green, Carlos Santana, George Clinton, Dave Matthews, Ornette Coleman, John Zorn, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Peter Gabriel, The Ramones, Iggy Pop, Blondie, Whitney Houston, Bob Marley, Sly & Robbie, Fine Young Cannibals, Pharaoh Sanders, William Burroughs, Julian Schnabel, Bootsy Collins, The Last Poets, Ozzy Osborne and The Dalai Lama. He is currently Chief Engineer for noted artist /producer Bill Laswell. Robert owns MuWorks Records, MuWorks Publishing (BMI) and the download company MussoMusic.com. He is a member of the Audio Engineering Society (AES), The Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE), and The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE). Robert is a graduate of Rutgers University with a double major (Economics and Recording Engineering). |
Chris Neuner
Chris has been teaching college level music and technology for over 12 years. He has designed degree and diploma programs in Music Production, Multimedia, and Broadcasting. Currently, a member of the Faculty at the Institute of Audio Research, NYC, he is developing coursework to teach music fundamentals to students with little to no formal training through the use of technology. When not teaching at IAR Chris writes and produces music in many different styles including musical theater, pop, rock and gospel. His musical Any Color You Like: The Henry Ford Story has enjoyed regional performances and Broadway recognition. His most recent theatrical work, Infertility: The Musical That's Hard to Conceive was performed at the 2004 New York International Fringe Festival and is slated for an Off-Broadway run in May 2005.
Chris was selected as one of ASCAP's top ten up and coming pop writers in 2003. His production and writing credits include Time Warner Cable, A&E, The Hallmark Channel, The Winans as well as national and regional jingles. Chris has B.A. in Music Education from the University of Wisconsin. |
Dan Gaydos
Dan has had a passion for sounds as early as he can remember. His modus operandi has been to share those passions and discoveries. His first audio recorder was a 3” reel-to-reel from Radio Shack. As Dan found more excitements and discoveries with sound, his pursuits took two paths: to continue to invent ways of showing off sound, and to share and teach methods of working with sound. Through this love, Dan has been: Studio owner of Axiom Studios, Pittsburgh, PA. (16 Track 2” facility)
Sound department manager of WRS Motion Picture and Video Labs, handling post production work for Sony, Turner, MGM, etc.Sound area supervisor and Professor at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Kan Bar Institute of Film and TV.
Audio archive and preservation and restoration account and production executive at Vidipax, in New York. Founder and developer of the Museum of Sound Recording, which celebrates sound recording by preserving its historic equipment and using it in educational and performance programs. Dan and the museum have conducted programs and projects with The Audio Engineering Society, The Recording Academy and The Society of Professional Audio Recording Services. |
Dan Grigsby
Dan is a member of that generation of music industry pros called producer/engineers. He started as an assistant with Kool and the Gang in the early 80's and is the recipient of 9 RIAA certified platinum records and has worked with many popular artists including Paula Abdul, Joe Cocker, Keith Richards, George Clinton, The Manhattans, Robert Gordon, Rickie Lee Jones, The Manhattan Transfer, David Ruffin and Eddie Kendrick, The Church, Marty Willson-Piper (Noctorum), South Side Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Mark Pender Band (the musicians from the Conan O’Brien Show), Lisa Bodnar and Jimmy Iovine’s Very Special Christmas LP with Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Sting, The Pretenders, The Eurythmics and Whitney Houston. Along with producing, engineering and mixing records for several major and independent labels, he has in the past been engaged by Scott Welch (Alanis Morissette's manager) to produce and develop new artists. As an independent producer/engineer Dan has produced musicians that have played with such artists as Peter Gabriel, Cheryl Crow, The Rolling Stones, Cracker, Cindy Lauper and Paul McCartney. Dan is a voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS) which produces the Grammy Awards and a member of the Annual Native American Indian Music Awards (NAMA). Dan’s musical works have received multiple nominations and he continues to pursue winning an award. |
Dana McCurdy
Dana has been professionally involved with electronic music and recording technology since the mid 1970’s. After studying analog synthesizer programming with composer John Watts, director of the Composers’ Theater Program at the New School, he began a teaching, consulting, and studio recording career that later evolved to include MIDI, digital synthesis, and computer-based recording.
Dana has worked in many capacities throughout his career. He has performed with the musical duo Ear Food and the experimental rock band None of the Above (mostly on the ARP 2600, an analog synthesizer). He has also done synth programming, production, engineering, mixing, and technical consulting for artists including: Mike Oldfield, Roberta Flack, and Laurie Anderson; jazz artists Dizzy Gillespie, Yusef Lateef, and Jane Ira Bloom; and film composer Howard Shore. In addition to his instructor duties at IAR, Dana runs the Electronic Music Studio at Vassar College and teaches MIDI/home recording technology at the New School. He also has an extensive consulting practice providing technical support to composers, songwriters, and musicians. When not involved in his electronic world, Dana plays hand-drums and is a frequent participant in and facilitator of drum circles in the New York/New Jersey area. |
Flavio Gaete
Flavio is an active classical and pop performer and has played both acoustic and electronic instruments with Richard Boulanger, Klaresque Ensemble, the Mendes Brothers (Cesaria Evora), Pharaoh’s Daughter, Juancho Herrera, and the Mexican American Symphony Orchestra, among others. His music-related works comprise DJ performances, sound installations, and music for film. In addition, Flavio has worked in music synthesis research, helping to proofread The Csound Book, published by M.I.T. Press. Flavio has also worked as a Product Specialist for Mark of the Unicorn and freelances as a technical consultant in New York City. Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Flavio has degrees from Boston University (M.M., Viola Performance) and Berklee College of Music (B.M., Music Synthesis). |
Jim Bonnefond
Jim Bonnefond’s career in the music industry spans 3 decades. His credits are diverse, including nearly 100 albums, and his successes run the gamut of musical styles from R&B to Country. Jim began his career as a recording engineer working with artists such as Meatloaf, Dr. Buzzards Original Savannah Band, and Robert Fripp (King Crimson), and then as a producer for Jimmy Cliff, John Oates (Hall and Oates), and Kool and the Gang, which yielded 6 gold and platinum albums including engineering their #1 hit, ‘Celebration’. Jim’s work with Kool and the Gang expanded to include song writing as well as engineering and producing many of their hit songs, including ‘Cherish’ and ‘Fresh.’ Jim won the BMI Song of The Year Award as co-writer of the hit song, ‘Joanna”. He has been awarded more than 20 Gold and Platinum RIAA certified records for his work as a producer and engineer. Jim also has a Masters Degree in teaching. He has lectured in Nashville, New York City, and Sydney, Australia. |
Joe Albano
Joe Albano got started in the music industry as a musician, playing a variety of instruments in bands while pursuing his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in music and composition at Columbia University. He started recording concerts and performances and worked at the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center, the oldest center for electronic and computer music research in the country. After graduating college, Joe continued to perform and freelance as an engineer in the traditional multitrack studio environment. He mastered emerging technologies such as sampling, MIDI, and computer-based digital workstations. He did project studio design and consulting and began teaching at the Institute of Audio Research in the early 1990’s. In 1995, Joe opened Rooftop Productions, a small digital production facility in midtown Manhattan. He and his partners took on a variety of musical projects ranging from recording and producing independent bands and developing artists, to dialog/voice-over work and music scoring for short films and video. |
Jonathan Appell
Bronx-born Jonathan Appell has had an unusually varied career (so far)…
He’s worked on recording projects with well-known artists like Carole King, Taylor Dayne, Pat DiNizio, and Bette Midler, music for major motion pictures like Coyote Ugly and First Wives Club, and TV shows like Ed and Lost, and literally hundreds of television and radio commercials. Over the course of his career Jonathan has engineered for world-renowned producers like Trevor Horn, Ric Wake, Arif Mardin, The Berman Brothers and Keith Diamond. The son of a pianist, Jonathan’s passion for music was apparent at an early age. He was given his first drum set at the age of ten, and was developing both keyboard and guitar skills by his mid-teens. In addition to his teaching duties at IAR, Jonathan balances an active schedule as a freelance engineer, producer and musician. |
Lisa Moyer
Lisa Moyer is an audio engineer, sound designer, and active musician. She started her engineering career at Creative Sound Studios where she was an audio editor for such shows as “Forensic Files” and “Medical Detectives.”She later became the Studio Manager and Head Engineer of World Wide Audio Inc, an audio post production house in New York City. There she worked on sound design and editing for feature films, documentaries, and several anime shows. She has also designed and built studios for various record labels and artists. Her clients have included Cady Huffman, Mobb Deep, The INC, Carmichael Films, The Source, Def Jam, and Liev Schreiber among others. Lisa graduated with honors from Lebanon Valley College with a Bachelors of Music with Emphasis in Music Recording Technology. |
Mario Salvati
Mario has been a recording engineer since 1973. He started his career doing mono tape recordings and moved up with the technology of the times from 4-track to 48-track analog and digital sessions. Not content to stay inside the cozy but hectic confines of the recording studio, he has also done live satellite broadcast engineering, live concert FOH mixing in clubs and arenas, and designs and consults on acoustic installations for studios. Mario’s extensive credit list includes work for Ruben Blades, Willie Colon, Celia Cruz, Bob Dylan, Fania All Stars, Danny Gatton, Debbie Gibson, Luna, New Edition, Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Sister Sledge, Patti Smith, Television, Tom Verlaine and, as they say, many others. |
Mesta Bish
Mesta Bish is a freelance studio engineer/consultant and production programmer who got into the audio industry as an intern at the tender age of 12. Working his way up the ladder over the next 10 years, he has received countless engineering credits on independent releases as well as commercial releases from audio CDs to soundtrack scores for DVD. Mesta earned an A.S. degree in Recording Sciences from Full Sail . He joined forces with Vito and Nosha to make the production team known as "nVMe". |
Phil Painson
Phil Painson is a drummer, beat-programmer, recording engineer and producer. His career began as a recording engineer for the legendary New York studios Greene Street Recording and Avatar (formerly the Power Station). Since then, he has worked behind the console with such well known artists as Public Enemy, Tricky, Nas, Roy Ayers, Erikah Badu, Mos Def, Dave Matthews Band, Common, Pete Rock, Last Poets and many more. Phil has recorded and produced his own music in the band Market, released on Interscope Records, in the Dum Dum project with the album Export Quality, for Groovy Sounds, and High Life, a soundtrack on GP Music for the film High Life by Lila Yomtoob. Phil is also an active runner and a Sci-fi buff and holds a B.A. in Business with a minor in Electrical Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology and is a graduate of the Center for Media Arts in New York. |
Rich Blakin
Rich has been a freelance recording engineer/producer for more than 20 years. His motivation as an educator is having the opportunity to pass on to students the knowledge and techniques that he has acquired through his work in studios throughout the country and with the talented individuals with whom he has studied and worked. A partial list of Rich's credits include Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Stan Getz, The Paul Winter Consort, Rod Stewart, and Chuck Berry. |
Ron Ajemian
Ron has been teaching audio technology for over 20 years. He was employed with the Switched Services Department of Verizon for 32 years in New York City and recently took an early retirement. Ron is a graduate of the RCA Institute and the School of Electrical Engineering at Pratt Institute of Brooklyn, NY. He is an author, and contributed many articles in the field of audio electronics, telephony, and fiber optics. He is a member of many professional organizations, including the Audio Engineering Society (AES), the Telephone Pioneers of America, and the Optical Society of America to name a few. Ron is sometimes referred to as DR. FO (fiber optics), for his expertise in the field of fiber optics. He is a frequent guest lecturer at New York University and for the Audio Engineering Society. Ron is currently Chairman of the AES Standards working group on Fiber Optic Connections. He is owner and consultant of Owl Fiber Optics in New York, specializing in fiber optic technology for pro-audio and video. Ron’s hobbies and other interests are Solid State Physics, History of Mathematics, Tae Kwon Do, Jazz Guitar, teaching, programming, and Graphic Arts. |
Steve Eigner
After graduating from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, Steve began his career as a musician playing guitar and singing. After performing out on the road as a musician for some time, he worked as a studio musician and caught the recording bug that later became his passion. As an aspiring songwriter, Steve started recording his own demos and quickly graduated to recording demos for other artists. He moved to New York City and was hired as an assistant engineer at Unique Recording Studios. The position gave Steve the opportunity to learn from the best engineers and producers in the music business. Over the years, Steve excelled in the industry and became a successful engineer, recording many hit records and gaining Grammy nominations for many popular artists including Nelly, Justin Timberlake, Brian McKnight and Mary J. Blige. |
Vincent Leary
Vinnie has worked as a musician with more groups and individual artists than he could possibly list and has done hundreds of commercial jingles for advertising companies. He has been a staff engineer for Variety Sound, NYC, Electric Lady Studios NYC, Sound Ideas Studio NYC and Westrax Studio, NYC, a Chief Engineer for Basic Rock Productions, NYC and Zounds, NYC, and a Mastering Engineer for MediaForce, NYC. |
Zack Goldberg
Zack graduated from Berklee College of Music, where he studied Film Scoring and Music Synthesis. He is a writer and producer of music for feature films and commercials, and did all the writing and sound design for the soon to be released full length feature Canzo Empyrean. Zack has also created sound for commercials for GAP, Nike and others. Among his credits are a stint as studio manager of Riverway Studios in Connecticut and audio post production for Fornell Films. Zack owns Lotus Den Sound and Video Design, an audio post production studio in mid-Manhattan. |
