Category Archives: music

creative events, fine art, music, news

Award winning creative meditation CD from School of Music and Fine Art has National impact

An imaginative collaboration between the School of Music and Fine Art and the Student Learning Advice Service (SLAS), Wellbeing and Counselling team, which tackles the social stigma often surrounding mental health, has resulted in wide ranging impact and two award nominations.

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Cover Artwork by Nicole Vaughan, SMFA, 2015

Charlotte Harding, Event and Experience Design BA,  was instrumental in the project, coming 2nd in the 2015 Kent Student Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity. It was also nominated for the Barbara Morris student support prize.

As part of a campus-wide mental health awareness campaign, SMFA offered a popular weekly meditation session, which resulted in the production of a free meditation CD. Student support staff contributed a meditation, with SMFA music and art students creating soundscapes, original compositions, and cover artwork. The University funded 200 CDs, released to coincide with exams, and the tracks are free to students and staff to download via the university’s VLE: http://www.kent.ac.uk/smfa/currentstudents/meditationmix2015.html

“The CD generated discussions and awareness about mental wellbeing, and was discussed at the Medway mental health forum, reaching beyond the university into the local community, and to a national and international audience, with papers submitted to two major conferences.” says Louise Frith, SMFA Student Support Officer who initiated the project.

For further details contact Louise Frith, Student Support Officer, SMFA, Tel: 01634 888450 or Email: mfasupport@kent.ac.uk

music, news

The School of Music and Fine Art “Easter Gig 2015”

School of Music and Fine Art “Easter Gig 2015”

The School of Music and Fine Art now runs one or more gigs every term. These gigs offer a platform for the numerous and wonderful bands that have formed amongst SMFA students (mostly through the weekly Bands Forum sessions that is open to all students – Tuesday 5pm).

Easter gig 2015 FinalMFA

The first of these gigs is on Wed 1st April in Cargo, 8pm. The gig is headlined by Wondermoth and support bands are Beat the Devil’s Tattoo and The Outcome. This gig will be filmed and we’re expecting the majority of SMFA students, as well as a number of staff members, to be there. Why not join us!

music, news

Piano Recital: Karlheinz Stockhausen’s Mantra

Piano recital: Karlheinz Stockhausen’s Mantra

Date: Wednesday February 11th at 5pm (duration 1 hour)

Venue: The Galv, School of Music and Fine Art, University of Kent, Chatham Historic Dockyard, Chatham, Kent, ME4 4TZ

Free Admission

The University of Kent School of Music and Fine Art are delighted to announce a rare opportunity to hear Karlheinz Stockhausen’s masterpiece Mantra for two pianos performed by Joeseph Houston and Alex Wilson, with live electronics realised by University of Kent Associate Lecturer Peiman Khosravi

Though this is a free event you are welcome to either email Tom McCormick (T.McCormick@kent.ac.uk) or call 0134 888980 to reserve a ticket

Map and directions can be found online at http://www.kent.ac.uk/smfa/contact.html

Duncan News article

creative events, fine art, music, news, research

The School of Music and Fine Art achieves 1st in the UK for Research Power in REF 2014!

The School of Music and Fine Art achieves 1st in the UK for Research Power in REF 2014!

 

REF2014

The results of the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014) were released today and we are incredibly happy to announce that the School of Music and Fine Art has achieved 1st in the UK in our category of Music, Drama, Dance and Performing Arts with a total research power score of 121.60.

The REF is the new system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions and was conducted jointly by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) and the Department for Employment and Learning, Northern Ireland (DEL).

The primary purpose of REF 2014 was to assess the quality of research and produce outcomes for each submission made by institutions. The four higher education funding bodies will use the assessment outcomes to inform the selective allocation of their grant for research to the institutions which they fund, with effect from 2015-16.

We are absolutely delighted with these results as it truly celebrates the hard work and dedication put into our research at the School of Music and Fine Art. Congratulations to all!

music, news

SMFA Departmental Ensemble Concerts

Departmental Ensemble Concerts
::School of Music and Fine Art::

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   Please join us for some end of term live music!

Friday 12th December, 4pm GALV
Djembe drumming group, led by Stephen Hiscock.. joined by members of Contemporary Music Ensemble and Multi Keys Ensemble.

Monday 15th December, 6pm GALV
Carols with Chamber Choir, led by Sarah Dacey. All Welcome! 
Followed by Carols at Cargo, (around 7pm).

Wednesday 17th December, 5pm GALV
Jazz Improv Ensemble, led by Mick Foster and some special guests from Ensemble Module..

music, news

Kent composer showcases work at London festival

Composer and artist Dr Claudia Molitor, of the University of Kent’s School of Music and Fine Art, will see her latest work premiered at the Spitalfields Winter Music Festival 2014.

2437-fitandcrop-714x399                               Vast White Stillness

Titled Vast White Stillness, the words from a line in a poem by Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke, the work is part installation, part live performance. It will take place at the Toynbee studios (Commercial Street, E1 6AB) on Saturday 13 December and Sunday 14 December 2014.

Created in collaboration with director Dan Ayling, Vast White Stillness explores stillness, memory and ‘heimweh’, a sense of hovering between happiness and sadness.

Dr Molitor, who is a lecturer in Music and Audio Arts, is a composer and sound artist whose work draws on the traditions of contemporary music but extends to video, performance and fine art practice.

Vast White Stillness follows collaborative work by Claudia Molitor and Dan Aylgin called Remember Me: A Desk Opera, which was showcased at the Spitalfields Winter Festival in 2013.

The installation is supported by Ambache Charitable Trust and Arts Council England.

For more information, or to book tickets, visit: http://www.spitalfieldsmusic.org.uk/whats-on/winter-festival-2014/vast-white-stillness/

To hear an interview about Molitor’s work visit The BBC Composers’ Rooms 16: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02b0rgh

Alumni, creative events, fine art, music, news

50th Anniversary Medway RECREATE Bursary

We are happy to announce the awards of the first ever Recreate 50th Anniversary Bursary, to two School of Music and Fine Art graduates

The two awards, of £4,250 each, have gone to Claire Orme (Fine Art) and Drew York (Music) to fund the creation of new work for an eight week exhibition to be held at the Rochester Art Gallery from the17th January – 14th March 2015

The awards are part of our evolving partnership work with the local authority arts development through the Recreate project

As part of the bursary Rochester Art Gallery provides the following:

  • The gallery space for an 8 week show
  • Support and advice to develop your show and supporting activities/partnerships
  • A technician to install/take down
  • Preview evening event with free wine
  • All design and print for exhibition info/invite cards, posters
  • A gallery info wall panel
  • Insurance for the work
  • Transport by art courier to and from the gallery if required
  • A modest exhibitors fee (TBC)
  • Media/press liaison
  • Basic online web/facebook presence

We are delighted that our graduates are winners of this award.

For more information on RECREATE Medway, please see the website.

 

music, news, research

Globus Hystericus takes Electroacoustic Music and Video Art to Athens

Tim Howle and Nick Cope will be performing Globus Hystericus during the International Computer Music Conference (ICMC) in Greece this September.

Director of Recruitment, Admissions and Internationalisation at the School of Music and Fine Art, Tim Howle, and Nick Cope  of Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University are attending the special event in Athens, Greece from 14-20 September 2014.

Globus Hystericus combines Electroacoustic Music and Video Art and is a piece of audio-visual work that utilises the two media in an equitable way. The principles of acousmatic music are extended to incorporate parallel ideas found in video art.

By taking these ideas beyond simple underpinning or reinforcement, the sounds are imbued with multiple meanings. The piece exploits post-acousmatic possibilities and examines the creative relationships between visual and audio material in terms of hybridisation by establishing an equitable, collaborative, approach typified by Chion’s ‘audio-visual contract’

Further details of the conference are available on the ICMC website.

music, news

New ‘Platform Series’ music events return for 2014/5

School of Music and Fine Art are starting the new academic year with a swing and launching our new musical Platform Series for 2014/15

Kent Platform Series Poster

  • Autumn Term: 20th October to 15th December
    Mondays 4-5pm, Wednesdays 12-1pm
  • Spring Term: 9th February to 10th April

This year our programme expands to include two regular weekly live performance events, at the Medway Campus. There will be showcases from student performers across a wide spectrum of genres and material by student composers/songwriters, including both solo and ensemble and band sets. There will also be a number of invited performances by both invited guest artists and our own renowned and high profile instrumental and vocal Tutors.

Performances are open to the public and take place in the Galvanising Shop on the Dockyard.

If you are visiting from outside the Department, please contact MFAReception@kent.ac.uk for event information.

Download the Platform Series Poster

music, news, research

MAAST system sound diffusion at Farnborough

MAAST participates in the event Speed of Sound – Aerodynamics and experimental acoustics, part of the Wind Tunnel Project

The School of Music and Fine Art’s ‘Music and Audio Arts Sound Theatre’ (MAAST) system diffused a series of live electroacoustic,
acousmatic works and sound installations at Farnborough Wind Tunnels, on Sunday 6 July 2014.

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Speed of Sound interprets a history of aero-acoustic advancement through a half-day of talks and performances re-activiating the decommissioned space of Q121 and remarkable air return duct. Manipulation of acoustics plays an important role for twenty-first century developments in aviation and experimental music. Investigating ideas of noise and turbulence, and approaches to sensing and recording, this event converges findings in aerodynamics and experimental sound practices as invited artists and speakers engage with the physical uses of sound.

Programme:

Graham Rood (Sound & vibration research / wind tunnel engineer / FAST Museum)

An introduction to the history and practice of aeroacoustic research in the wind tunnels at Farnborough.

Aki Pasoulas & Paul Fretwell (SMFA, University of Kent)

Diffusing their acousmatic works Arborescences and King’s Cross. With special guest Peiman Khosravi and his 6-channel work Vertex. Testing the limits of Kent University’s full Genelec diffusion sound system installed throughout the event spaces.

Teleplasmiste (Mark Pilkington/ Strange Attractor with Michael J York)

Testing the space with an experimental demonstration of standing waves and resonant frequencies in the unique acoustic environment of the tunnels.

Sound as Terror (Royal College of Art)

A presentation of sonic research into the use of drones in contemporary conflict.

Cindytalk (Editions Mego) 

A set embodying the micro-events of wind flow and dynamics, found here in a push of elemental sources and synthesis.

Dalhous (Blackest Ever Black)

Finding a new soundtrack for the wind tunnel – a live set created to embody the space and its physics.

The Wind Tunnels at Farnborough have opened to the public for the first time, 50 years after they stopped operating.  Aircraft from Spitfires to Concorde were tested on the premises. http://www.airsciences.org.uk/windtunnels.html