Arts and Sciences Perspectives: Pairing Music and Technology

Submitted by Joanne De Pue on
Students in "Recording Techniques," a UW School of Music course, work on a project in the Music Building's recording studio. Photo: Juan Rodriguez.

By Nancy Joseph
Arts and Sciences News

While a jazz ensemble performs in a rehearsal space in the sub-basement of the University of Washington Music Building, students in an adjacent room — visible through a large window in the wall — work with recording equipment to capture the music’s complexity.

It’s just another class session for students in Studio Recording Techniques, a three-course sequence offered through the School of Music’s new Music and Technology program. Introduced in fall 2024, the Music and Technology program is designed to provide a foundation in music recording.

“Making recordings is such a core part of our musical experience these days,” says Andrew Munsey, assistant professor of music, who heads the program. “If folks want to have a creative practice and perhaps a professional practice, understanding the practicalities of being a recording artist is part of that.”

In addition to hands-on technique courses, the Music and Technology Program offers an introductory lecture course on the fundamentals of sound recording. A course on the history of music recording will be added to the curriculum in the coming year.

Read the full article in the May 2026 Arts and Sciences Perspectives

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