February 10, 2000
Vol . 17, No. 3
February 10, 2000 Vol . 17, No. 3
By Carol Thorbes
It wouldn't surprise SFU professor
Barry Truax (left) to hear his undergraduate students wondering
if they were in the right class. As a joint professor of acoustic
communication in the school of communication and of electroacoustic
(computer generated) composition in the school for the contemporary
arts at SFU, Truax is passionate about taking an interdisciplinary
approach to his graduate and undergraduate courses.
Students in any one of his classes or labs are likely to find
themselves discussing the technical aspects of digital sound synthesis;
evaluating the creativity of an electroacoustic composition; and
analysing the political and social implications of living in a
noisy environment and of the media's use of sound, in the space
of a few hours.
"The ability to look at sound from different viewpoints--
as a communicator, a political economist, a social scientist,
a computer engineer or an artist-- creates a yin-yang type of
energy that feeds creativity, innovation and tolerance of different
viewpoints," explains Truax, who is now in his 27th year
of teaching at SFU. "That kind of cross pollination of ideas
has inspired my work and led to innovations that I wouldn't have
otherwise conceived of." An electroacoustic composer with
seven internationally recognized recordings to his credit and
a published acoustic communication researcher who helped pioneer
the study of acoustic ecology in Canada, Truax tries to cultivate
the same interdisciplinary exploration of sound in his students.
"My aim is to help them become highly critical listeners
with factual knowledge and practical skills so that they can meet
the employment market's demand for multi-skilled workers, and
find their own paths as researchers and contemporary music composers."
Truax's approach to teaching has earned him a 1999 excellence
in teaching award. Several students who nominated him referred
repeatedly to his "exhaustive knowledge" of his subjects
and his unparalleled ability "to inspire his students."
Longtime colleagues, like school for the contemporary arts associate
professor of music Martin Gotfrit, agree that Truax is most deserving
of an excellence in teaching award. "He always exhibits both
patience and attentiveness," comments Gotfrit.
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