You are currently not logged in. Please log in here.

10 years of Music & Sonic Media at LSBU

Last week, the Department of Arts and Media and LSBU Alumni Association hosted a special alumni reception to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the undergraduate provision of Sonic Media at london South Bank University. This was accompanied by a CDR (Create Define Release) event, led by Tony Nwachukwu, LSBU lecturer and the pioneer behind this DJ-based music-sharing platform that provides an opportunity for upcoming DJs and artists who bring in their music productions and remixes that are then played and heard during the event.

Alumni from across the years returned to campus and joined with current music students and staff members at the Venue Bar in the University’s Student Centre. Here they shared their own musical tracks, mixed by Tony Nwachukwu with brand new production work from the international CDR events that have recently taken place. 

BA Music and Sonic Media graduate Tomas Snarkskis marked the occasion by launching his online music distribution site, MyHouseMusic, a project that was supported by LSBU’s Enterprise Centre. Following Tony’s performance, members of the LSBU DJ Society performed to the crowd of students, staff and alumni as part of the end-of-term party. 

Offering a unique mix of digital music production, post-production sound design and reflective studies, BA Sonic Media made its debut in 2004 as a pathway at the University’s Arts & Media undergraduate programme, in order to fill a gap in contemporary music and sound studies, in 2008 it was revalidated as BA Music and Sonic Media, attracting both young and mature, local and international, creative talent. CDR’s Tony Nwachukwu is known as the producer and beat programmer of Attica Blues whose diverse production and remix credits include Macy Gray, The Cinematic Orchestra, Duran Duran and U.N.K.L.E. His lecturing and learning expertise have been utilised by companies and education establishments including LSBU, Red Bull Music Academy, Native Instruments, Ableton and LSBU. 

Course Director Dr Hillegonda Rietveld, Reader in Sonic Cultures, was partly inspired in setting up this innovative BA course by the production values of London-based new music events such as CDR:

"It was great for the teaching team and the alumni to have an opportunity to catch up and for the current students to feel inspired. In addition to the sonic alumni and current sonic students, also some of my Arts and Media MA alumni attended (one even travelled all the way from Poland), making it a wonderfully diverse event."

The next CDR event takes place on the 13th of April, at Plastic People on Curtain Road.