The Sonic Art Research Unit provides a forum for dialogue in the field of Sonic Art including acousmatic, collaborative, electroacoustic, experimental, interdisciplinary and site-specific practices alongside engagement with field recording, Sound Art, and soundscape studies.

Projects

At present SARU is involved in two projects that will be featured in the Sound and Music Cutting Edge Series 2009: WIRED is an ongoing project with harpsichordist Jane Chapman, the latest development of which is a series of works for harpsichord, dancer, electronics and video developed in collaboration with dancer Gregoire Meyer; whilst [rout] & Okeanos is a series of new works for Japanese traditional instruments, amplified ensemble and live electronics. Further Project include: LOST & FOUND which is an examination of the use of found materials in arts practice; and the Sound Diaries Project which explores everyday life in sound.

About Us

The Sonic Art Research Unit builds on established creative dialogue between the fields of Fine Art and Music at Oxford Brookes University. Key staff in the Unit include: Dr. Paul Dibley whose research interests include acousmatic and electroacoustic composition alongside live electronics; Ray Lee a sound artist specialising in kinetic sound works; and Dr. Paul Whitty who specialises in collaborative, experimental, interdisciplinary and site-specific compositional practices.

Postgraduate study:

There are opportunities for Postgraduate study via the MA Composition & Sonic Art, the MA Contemporary Arts & Music, the MA Music, and the practice-led PhD programme. If you would like to discuss any of these opportunities please contact Paul Whitty.

PhD projects currently being supervised include: The development of compositional method within the context of the Anglo-American experimental music tradition; The future is interdisciplinary? Creating, investigating and evaluating interdisciplinary art in electronic popular music and related art worlds; Touching the intangible: An investigation of the creative possibilities of the physiology of sound; The Domestic Soundscape; Music Composition as Interpretation of Natural Phenomena; Sounding Severn: landscape and music.