390 RENOWNED FILM MUSIC ENGINEER IS SUNTRUST ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE

MTSU Visit Features Student ‘Master Classes,’ Public Lectures

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 17, 2006
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Dr. Bob Wood, 615-898-2532

(MURFREESBORO)—Famed movie recording and mixing engineer Shawn Murphy, the man behind the music of Oscar-winning films like “Schindler’s List,” “Braveheart” and “Saving Private Ryan,” will share his expertise and experiences with Middle Tennessee State University April 24-26 as the 2006 SunTrust Artist-In-Residence.
During his three-day visit to campus, Murphy, who won his own Oscar in 1994 for his sound work on “Jurassic Park” and whose credits read like the Internet Movie Database’s entire database, will present a series of free and open public lectures and “master classes” for students in MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry.
Murphy’s visit is made possible through the support of SunTrust Bank. His scheduled SunTrust lectures, all in Room 101 of the Bragg Mass Communication Building on campus, include:
• Monday, April 24, 7:30 p.m., “The Film Music Industry”;
• Tuesday, April 25, 9:40 a.m., “Surround Mixing for Film”;
• Wednesday, April 26, 9:20 a.m., “The Job Market: What to Expect in the Audio Industry.”
“Shawn has to be considered one of the top film music engineers in the world,” said Dr. Bob Wood, coordinator of production and technology for MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry. “The scope and quality of his work are remarkable. As I look through my list of favorite films of the last 20 years, Shawn recorded or mixed the music for almost all of them.
“We’ve wanted to have Mr. Murphy on our campus for several years, but his schedule is extremely busy,” Wood continued. “He usually moves immediately to a new project as soon as he finishes the current one. We were fortunate that he had a cancellation in his schedule that allowed him to make the trip.”
MTSU audio engineering professor John Hill noted that Murphy’s audio expertise doesn’t preclude him from sharing it with others.
“I first met Shawn during my tenure at the Aspen Music Festival,” Hill recalled. “As a favorite guest lecturer, Shawn demonstrated the uncanny ability to speak casually to a room of experienced audio professionals, grad students and audio novices and have everyone take away something new and valuable.
“His insights on how to break into the competitive world of professional audio should be in a book, but they aren't. That discussion falls under the category of ‘things-they-didn't-teach-you-in-recording-school,’ and it’s only available from a seasoned professional with a rich background in all things audio- and music-related.”
For more information about the visit, contact Wood at 615-898-2532.
MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry in the College of Mass Communication is one of the largest and best equipped in the nation. The Rolling Stone College Guide has called it “one of the preeminent music business programs in the country.”