Michael Musick, Ph.D., Interim Dean, College of the the Arts and Media ; Associate Professor (Sonic Art, Interactive Art)

Michael Musick is a sonic artist, interactive artist, composer, performer and improviser. His current practice and research explores interactive music systems, creative improvisation, installation art, soundscape / acoustic-ecology, and interactive theory. As a performer, he uses a computer as his instrument to understand, process, amplify, and play with any sounds occurring within the performance space. Much of Michael’s work is part of his larger Sonic Spaces Project, which explores the creation of ecosystems of sound and music. This work, including performances, installations, recordings, and lectures, has been presented throughout the US and internationally.

Michael is currently at the University of Montana as an Associate Professor of Media Arts. There he leads the Sonic Arts program and is also deeply involved within interactive art and the media art MFA program. The courses he teaches focus on preparing students to use sound as a medium, to consider how interaction is art, and to utilize technology as creative extensions for their own artistic voices and ideas.

Prior to Montana, Michael was at New York University, where he earned a PhD in Music Technology. There, he was part of the Computer Music Group within NYU’s Music and Audio Research Lab (MARL) and the Citygram research group. Prior to NYU, he earned an M.A. in Media Arts from the University of Michigan, where he began his work with performance systems while continuing his studies in creative improvisation and multi-media performance. Michael also has a background in tuba performance and recording arts; holding performance degrees from The University of Southern California (M.Mus ’09) and The University of Colorado, Boulder (B.Mus ’07). Originally from the Denver, Colorado area, Michael is a lover of the mountains, snow, and wandering among trees.

For more information please visit his personal site at michaelmusick.com.

Michael Musick is interim Co-Dean of the College of the Arts and Media and is not currently teaching. See the College of the Arts and Media website for more information.