Focusrite Group recently hosted its second annual Focusrite EDU Summit, August 13–14 at Create-it Studios in Franklin, Tennessee. The event brought together approximately 20 educators and industry professionals representing a broad cross-section of educational institutions from across the Southeast, along with additional participants from the Nashville area and abroad.
Organized by Bryan Castle, Focusrite EDU Director, and John Merchant, Director of Partner Development, Focusrite Group Professional, the two-day summit provided a forum for thought leadership, collaboration and the exchange of ideas around the technologies, teaching methods and facility strategies shaping the next generation of music and audio professionals.
This year’s summit centered on two primary themes: teaching and creating immersive 3D audio experiences, and the ways network-centric system design can help educational institutions maximize the flexibility and adaptability of their studios and recording facilities.
This year’s expanded program included workshops and discussions on studio design, immersive audio tools, remote recording, networked audio and 3D audio production concepts and applications. Sessions explored both the creative and practical considerations surrounding immersive audio, including the growing accessibility and affordability of the technology for academic institutions, available creative tools, and approaches to integrating immersive production into existing curricula.
The network-centric portion of the Summit examined how technologies such as Dante® can allow schools to make more effective use of classrooms, studios and production spaces while creating systems that can evolve as institutional and student needs change.
Guest speakers included Michael Orlowski, who discussed the mission and vision behind Create-it Studios; Vince Lepore, presenting on maximizing classrooms and facilities through Dante; Nuno Fonseca, who led a Sound Particles session that included binaural listening demonstrations; Lasse Nipkow, who explored immersive music production pedagogy; and Brad Berridge, who addressed immersive audio applications spanning studio and live production.
Beyond the formal sessions, the Summit included dedicated time for informal networking and discussion, giving members of the Focusrite Group an opportunity to hear directly from educators about the opportunities and challenges they are encountering in their programs.
Among the most prominent topics was the growing role of artificial intelligence in education. Participants discussed how academic programs are approaching both assistive and generative AI, including questions surrounding how much of the technology should be incorporated into curricula and how educators can prepare students for its expanding presence in professional workflows.
Immersive audio was another significant area of discussion. While 3D audio has long been established in film and television post-production, its growing presence in music production and distribution is prompting more schools to consider adding immersive production to their programs. Discussions addressed not only the cost and technology required to build immersive facilities, but also the pedagogical challenges of incorporating immersive production into programs that may currently have limited or no surround-sound curriculum.
For more information, visit focusrite.com.
