Award-Winning Composer Shares Secrets of Sound at VIU March 25

Award-winning composer and sound engineer Doug Blackley will be at Vancouver Island University (VIU) Tuesday, March 25 to share a few secrets he’s learned in sound design and acoustic technology while working on major live theatre and television productions. His 7 pm presentation, titled “The Mix is in the Air” is free and open to the public at VIU’s Malaspina Theatre. “We’re excited to welcome Doug and learn about his work on the Syfy network’s Sanctuary series, and hear a demonstration of a new acoustic musical instrument he’s created called the ‘spectral piano’,” said Music Professor Patrick Carpenter, who is coordinating the event for VIU’s Music, Theatre and Media Arts departments. Blackley, who recently moved to the Ladysmith area, will share what he’s learned working with famed theatre director Robin Phillips, and demonstrate music tracks he composed and produced for the popular sci-fi hit series, Sanctuary. The audience will experience the sound technology involved in Blackley’s spectral piano, which involves custom built software that will be linked to VIU’s Steinway grand piano for the demonstration. “Doug tells us this will allow the Steinway to do things it’s never done before,” said Carpenter, “like holding notes continuously, pitch-bending, creating plucked sounds, and emitting ethereal shimmers -- all sounds acoustically emitted from the Steinway’s strings and soundboard.” After working in music and sound design in Edmonton, Blackley moved to Vancouver to focus on composing for other media, including television and film. He has taught music theory, composition and electronic synthesis at the Art Institute of Vancouver, and owns his own recording studio, Soundscore. Blackley received a Leo Award in 2001 for scoring Tokyo Girls, and was nominated for a 2001 West Coast Music Award for best overall film score. Blackley has worked in sound design and scoring for more than 100 film and television dramas. -30- Media ContactShari Bishop Bowes, Communications Officer, Vancouver Island University P:250.740.6443 C: 250.618.1535 E: Communications@viu.ca T: @viunews