Georgia Tech's College of Architecture Dean's Symposium on the Changing Nature of Practice will focus on the emerging developments in music technology that promise to revolutionize musical performance, composition, analysis, and education.

"This symposium focuses on music technology, and the College of Architecture Music Department just introduced Tech's first degree program in music," said Dean Thomas Galloway, College of Architecture. "The symposium helps us roll out our master's degree in music technology and demonstrates to the arts community throughout Georgia and beyond that music is alive and well at Georgia Tech."

The symposium, which will be held March 3, 2007, will highlight three areas of interest in each session. The morning will begin with a session entitled 'Technology Meets Tradition: The Impact of Technology on Music Education'. The second session discusses 'Cognition and Analysis: The "Why" of Music'. The third session,'Making Music and Performance,' will follow lunch. The final session of the day will focus on the relationship between 'Music and Architecture'.

"The Dean's Symposium is a wonderful event with a number of substantive outcomes," said Frank Clark, director of the Music Department. "Each year the event brings hundreds of visitors to the Tech campus, produces meaningful scholarship, generates debate, adds to our visibility and credibility, and celebrates the diversity and richness of the Georgia Tech College of Architecture."

Organizers are expecting a wide array of attendees, including several from other Georgia universities. Presenters include Georgia Tech professors Parag Chordia, Athanassios Economou, Jason Freeman, Ronald Lewcock, Jerry Ulrich, Bruce Walker, Gil Weinberg, and Music Department Director Frank Clark. Other presenters include David Huron, The Ohio State University; George Lewis, Columbia University; Henry Panion III, University of Alabama-Birmingham; Thomas Rudolph, director of music at School District of Haverford Township (PA); Pierre Ruhe, music critic for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution; and Jessica Peek Sherwood, Sonic Generator (flutist).

These scholars and practitioners will discuss ideas and demonstrate developments in areas ranging from new interfaces for musical expression and algorithmic composition to music information retrieval, music networks, and machine musicianship.

The College of Architecture has a unique relationship with its Music Department, and together they are forging a new future for Georgia Tech and music. So what's the future of Tech's music program?

"That's a question we ask every day and there are so many answers: new degree programs, new classes, new ensembles, groundbreaking research, innovative instruments, new modes of expression, and new partnerships combining music, architecture, computing, engineering, science and math," said Clark. "The future of music at Tech is ours to write, and I sincerely hope that it will be an Institute-wide composition."

The symposium is jointly sponsored by the Georgia Tech College of Architecture and the College of Architecture Alumni Committee and is organized by the College and its Music Department.