UNews - Chris Morris

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ names 2019 President's Award winners

trevor.kenney — Wed, 01 May 2019 19:46:17 +0000

The President’s Award for Service Excellence is awarded annually to ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge employees in recognition of the provision of exceptional service to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and members of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community.

Typically, one award is given to an AUPE/ESS employee, one award is given to an APO/Executive Director employee and a third is given to a team or group that has distinguished itself. Award recipients are honoured at the annual Long Service Awards and Retirement Recognition Ceremony.

Following are the 2019 winners.

AUPE - Chris Morris

Chris Morris

In his role as technical specialist in the Department of Music, U of L alumnus Chris Morris has proven himself to be an indispensable asset to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge community. Over the years, Chris has seamlessly supported students, faculty, staff and visiting artists through his vast knowledge base combined with his natural interpersonal skills.

Chris’s responsibilities include managing all of the digital audio equipment and spaces, troubleshooting technical problems, providing studio training and repairing audio equipment. Despite having such an extensive list of responsibilities, he handles it all with a level head. His attention to detail and emphasis on organization allow him to problem-solve with a high degree of efficiency and care. When someone comes to Chris with a problem, they can be sure he’ll find a solution.

Juggling countless moving parts does not stop Chris from remaining a genuine and encouraging presence on campus. Anyone who encounters Chris is sure to remember his thoughtful approach to the work that he does. Further, our students are always top of mind for Chris, and he is always scoping out new, cutting-edge opportunities for students to expand their knowledge and skillsets. He is always willing to go above and beyond what is expected of him, even if it means putting in extra time or energy.

APO - Jon Oxley

Jon Oxley

Through his dedication to going above and beyond to complete a project, Jon Oxley epitomizes what it means to approach one’s work with their whole heart. Jon’s extensive expertise, friendly nature and willingness to go the extra mile sets him apart.

During his time at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Jon has championed a number of roles. His impressive history includes positions such as Students’ Union president, Art Gallery tech, Students’ Union manager and now, administrative manager of the Art Gallery. He is a familiar face on campus, and he treats his many interactions with positivity and generosity.

Jon consistently takes a leadership role in anything he does. Whether it is preparing for a new installation at the Art Gallery or ensuring projects are on track to be completed, Jon remains at the front lines. As an example, Jon was a central figure in the recent gift from Dr. Margaret (Marmie) Perkins Hess, taking on such responsibilities as corresponding between departments and managing the acquisition of more than 1,500 objects.

Whether he is trouble-shooting technical challenges or finding ways to bring the arts to the wider community, Jon maintains a steady composure to ensure that the job gets done. His generous spirit extends into his life outside of work, where he actively volunteers throughout the community. He is also likely not too far from a good cup of coffee.

Team - Institutional Analysis

The IA Team consisting of James Croil, Mandy Moser and Jon Kozub. Not pictured is Darlene Unrau.

When it comes to deciphering patterns in a setting as diverse as a university, nobody does it better than the Institutional Analysis team. Comprised of Mandy Moser, Darlene Unrau, Jon Kozub, and James Croil, this team of four U of L alumni are exemplars in transforming data into insight that informs the future of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Described as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s detectives, this team interprets data to find solutions, propose improvements and inform decision-making processes across our campuses. Thanks to their solution-driven approach, the discoveries they make are translated into strong steps forward.

Although they are a small group, their reach is wide — from departmental levels to executive decision-making and budget, to government reporting. Their ability to collaborate with diverse groups and work towards smart solutions further cements their position as leaders within our community. For instance, not only are they experts in their own roles, but they actively work to communicate their expertise so that others can grow their own confidence in data management.

Their work requires long hours and oftentimes they are faced with quick turnarounds. Yet, they always meet a challenge with the necessary vigor and innovationto complete a task well. The calibre of the work they do is consistently impressive, both in quantity and quality.

Work is play to Chris Morris

caroline.zentner — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 21:26:17 +0000

While many people groan at the thought of going to work, Chris Morris (BFA ‘07) gets excited at the prospect and can’t wait to get out the door.

“I always say I’ve gotten a full-time job in my hobby,” says Morris. “I’ve always had an odd, odd passion for audio electronics.”

As the technical specialist in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Music Department, Morris maintains Studio One, the state-of-the-art recording studio on campus with all of its specialized equipment. For most of the year, his skills are invaluable to students in the Digital Audio Arts program but this summer one of his projects is to record the U of L’s 50th anniversary song written by John Wort Hannam.

Chris Morris, at right, and John Wort Hannam work at the recording console in Studio One.

Even someone who’s not a musician will notice the quality of sound when they enter Studio One. The studio was built so that surfaces aren’t parallel, eliminating the likelihood of standing waves and other sound anomalies. The room is constructed so that sound diffuses throughout the space.

“If you look around, everything is angles and curves,” says Morris.

Studio One features a 48-channel, large format recording console. The studio is equipped for 64 inputs and 64 outputs of analog audio with unlimited tracks in the digital realm. When Wort Hannam and his fellow musicians recently recorded Let It Shine On, Morris set up a dozen microphones for the drums, three for the guitar, three for the bass, and tracked the rhythm section together live.

“These individuals had never played the song together until they walked into this room. John had obviously sent them the demo so they had an idea of what they were going to do,” says Morris. “It all came down to us getting into one room, we listened to the demo again and talked about what we wanted to do. Then we put them in the rooms and let them jam it out for a bit to get a feeling for it and we went from there.”

While the drummer played in the main capture room, the bass player was in another isolation booth and Wort Hannam played guitar and sang in the hallway. These ‘scratch vocals’ won’t be used in the final cut; Wort Hannam will return to the studio to do the final vocals at a later date. Morris and Wort Hannam are also considering adding other instruments, maybe a dobro, slide guitar, piano or accordion. In total, he’ll have about 24 tracks to work with for the whole song. Once the tracks have been laid down, Morris edits each one before he starts the mixing process.

“It’s all about training your ear, that’s probably the most important part of the Digital Audio Arts program,” he says. “This program is tied to our traditional music program where students learn musicianship skills and music theory. It gives them a vocabulary to be able to work with musicians and it trains their ears to know what to listen for.”

At the end of the process, Morris will have a mixed song in a digital file that he’ll send off to Dave Horrocks at Infinite Wave in Calgary for mastering.

“Mastering engineers are supposed to have the golden ears, people who know exactly what they’re listening for. They have high-end, reference quality equipment and the ability to tweak the final product for distribution,” he says.

Although audio electronics was a longtime interest — he took his father’s reel-to-reel apart at age 10 — Morris left his home in Fort McMurray after graduating from high school to study management at the U of L. After one semester, he realized the program was not a good fit and he switched to New Media where he focused on web development and design.

“In New Media, my very first class was a Music 1000 course with Dr. Rolf Boon. He offhandedly mentioned they were going to build a recording studio,” says Morris.

Interest piqued, he asked if he could be involved and Boon signed him up to help with Studio Two, formerly called the Audio Research Lab. His passion for audio electronics once again came to the fore.

After graduating, Morris worked in freelance web design for two years until he was hired at the U of L to help with the startup of the Digital Audio Arts program. When the studio was being built, Morris acted as a liaison between the Music Department, the acoustician and architects.

“I designed the technical end of this room, choosing the equipment and the console, all of our outboard gear, how it works together and is wired together. The architects and acousticians came up with this beautiful space to work with. Ever since then, it’s basically been managing our labs, our studios and everything that goes along with it,” he says.

Morris met his wife, Kelly, who works in the Fine Arts Department, on campus when they were both first-year students at the U of L. He proposed to her on campus and now they work a floor away from each other. They’re definitely a U of L family.

“I love this place,” he says.

Major classical CD released out of Studio 1

trevor.kenney — Tue, 13 May 2014 21:12:37 +0000

The first major classical CD recorded in Studio 1 at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has just been released, and it features collaborative work from faculty, staff and students alike.

Rubbing Stone Ensemble: The Lethbridge Sessions was recorded in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Digital Audio Arts Studio 1 and funded by the Canada Council for the Arts and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. Production funding was provided in partnership with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary and New Works Calgary. The CD has been released on the Canadian Music Centre’s Centrediscs label with worldwide distribution by Naxos Canada.

Dr. Arlan N. Schultz’s (music faculty) latest work Ikos: kun tu ‘bar ba for soprano, chamber ensemble and computer processed audio is on the album. The work features Lethbridge soprano Martha Renner and the Monks of the Drepung Gomang Monastery from South West India.

The CD was co-produced by Arlan N. Schultz and Thilo Schaller (Music), who also engineered and mixed the CD with production assistance by Chris Morris (Technical Specialized) and DAA student engineer Nicholas Goodman.

The CD has been released for sale on the CMC website at https://www.musiccentre.ca/node/75960 and worldwide on iTunes.

Fine Arts website garners accolades

trevor.kenney — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 17:53:17 +0000

The Faculty of Fine Arts recently took home first-place honours at Digital Alberta's mediaFresh Awards for its new video website, Experience Fine Arts:
www.lethbridgefinearts.ca

The mediaFresh awards are dedicated to recognizing Alberta digital media professionals and post-secondary students who have created outstanding projects and programs.

The U of L Fine Arts site won in the Non-Commercial Website category. Criteria the judges used in making their selection included: marketing goals and purpose; interactivity and user-friendliness; information design and navigation; visual design; and programming and technical aspects. The panel of judges consisted of recognized leaders and experts in the field of digital media.
Experience Fine Arts was developed with prospective art, music, drama and new media students in mind.

"We wanted to provide future students with a glimpse of what they can experience once they come to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and join our creative community," explains Desmond Rochfort, Faculty of Fine Arts dean.

The site includes videos featuring excerpts from classes, students talking about their experiences, special projects, general information about degree options and a complete list of fine arts events throughout the year.

The website was designed by Jesse Johnstone (BFA '10) during his internship placement in consultation with an advisory committee made up of Desmond Rochfort, Emily Luce, Chris Morris, Venkat Mahadevan and Katherine Wasiak.

The initial group of videos were shot and edited by former new media student Matt Babinec, with the idea being to continue adding and expanding the library of videos. The plan is to refresh the video site on a regular basis by adding between two and four new videos each year.

"It is exciting to have this new and interesting method of reaching prospective students, and to further see it acknowledged with this provincial award," says Rochfort.

Campus Kudos

trevor.kenney — Fri, 07 May 2010 17:51:13 +0000

Shelley Scott (Theatre & Dramatic Arts) is presenting a paper called Asian Canadian Women Playwrights: The Ties that Bind at the GENesis Asian-Canadian Theatre Conference, May 3-9 in Toronto. The conference is the first of its kind in Canada.

Three U of L alumni have made the long list (Prairies and North region) for the 2010 Sobey Art Award. Daniel Wong (BFA '03) and Mary-Anne McTrowe (BFA '98), as The Cedar Tavern Singers AKA Les Phonorealistes, and Robyn Moody (BFA '00) are all in the running for this prestigious award.

Deric Olsen (New Media) has been invited to be an artist/filmmaker-in-residence at the New Media Studio Laboratory (NMSL) at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Regina, July 5-9. While there he will work on high definition post-production and delivery methods, and present New Format, New Challenges: Exploring Techniques in High Definition Disc Authoring and Design.

Alumnus Zoran Rajcic (BMgt '94) won the Western Hockey League's 2009-10 Marketing/Public Relations Award. Rajcic is the director of business operations for the Everett Silvertips.

The Faculty of Fine Arts video site (www.lethbridgefinearts.ca) is a finalist in the Best Non-Commercial Website category of Digital Alberta's Media Fresh awards. The web designer was New Media major Jesse Johnston and the advisory committee included:
Dr. Desmond Rochfort, Emily Luce, Chris Morris, Venkat Mahadevan and Katherine Wasiak.

Dr. Ed Jurkowski (Music) presented a paper entitled, How Formal Function Theory can inform Nineteenth-Century Deformed Sonata Designs: A Case Study using Bruckner's Symphonies, at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Arizona (Tucson, Ariz.) during the annual joint meeting of the Rocky Mountain Societies for Music Theory and Musicology.

Dr. Arlan Schultz (Music) had his composition Ikos-kun tu 'bar ba premiered by The Rubbing Stone Ensemble at a concert at the Rozsa Centre in Calgary.

Karen Mahar (dean's office) received a $3,000 scholarship from Alberta Advanced Education in recognition of her exceptional work in her first year as a graduate student. Mahar is now in her second year of an MA in English.

Deanna Oye (Music) and Peter Visentin (Music) presented recitals of solo and duo music at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba and Canadian Mennonite ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Winnipeg last month. They also conducted master's classes and lessons in the areas of collaborative piano and violin. Visentin gave a lecture on his research into musicians' injuries to the Medical Rehabilitation Faculty of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba, and Oye also played a solo recital in Brandon, Man. following a week as senior piano adjudicator at the Brandon Festival of the Arts.

Creating a space unlike any other

trevor.kenney — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:30:45 +0000

The tag line, "If you build it, they will come," doesn't exactly work for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Digital Audio Arts (DAA) program. They (as in the students) are already here, and they can't wait for it (the new Digital Audio Arts Studio) to be unveiled.

"It will definitely be the crowning jewel of the program," says Chris Morris, the technical specialist with digital audio arts. "It will be a state of the art recording facility as well as a critical listening and practice facility. It will be a collaborative environment for the Faculty of Fine Arts."

Digital audio arts is in just its second semester. With a full complement of 32 students and a healthy waiting list of applicants, the program is off to a rousing start. Dr. Rolf Boon and Dr. Arlan Schultz started the process six years ago. The program was created with an eye to the future, and students have definitely responded.

"Dr. Boon likes to say, 'We're preparing people for careers in music technology that may not even exist yet,'" says Morris. "Right now we're finding a lot of students are mostly interested in music production and working in a recording studio. But it's not just a music production program – it's defining audio research for the future.
"When you really open your mind, the sky's the limit in terms of what you can do. Media is everywhere and wherever there is media, there's audio, there's sound, so there will always be an opportunity with this kind of degree."

The studio is currently under construction and is scheduled to open in late March or early April. An entirely custom built facility, it has transformed what was once a static, drab, concrete-walled area into a dynamic teaching and recording space complete with hardwood floors, custom speakers and a top shelf audio console.

"Basically the whole place is custom except for the console itself," says Morris.

California-based studio designer Jay Kaufman, a specialist in working with odd spaces, was brought in to recreate the area. The result is a studio that will allow students the opportunity to learn in a professional setting, and similarly attract outside labels and recording artists.

"In terms of post-secondary education, nobody has what we'll have. We're definitely on the cutting edge of everything," says Morris. "It'll position us in a way where this is a showpiece that will attract a lot of attention."

Internally, the studio will benefit the entire faculty. Besides the hands-on learning opportunities for DAA students, new media students will be able to use it for audio work on film, the art department can utilize it for sonic art studies and music students will walk off campus and into the job market with professionally-mastered portfolios.

Externally, Morris says positioning a recording studio in an educational facility
allows recording labels to bring in artists for extended stays, housing them on campus to complete projects quickly. This opens up internship opportunities for DAA students.

"Labels always want to bring their own engineers in to work with their artists," says Morris. "To use the space, it will be mandatory that they take a few of our students as assistant engineers so that they can get experience in the studio with real engineers and real artists."

Already off to a flying start the new DAA studio promises to set the U of L apart from other music programs in the country.

"The first semester of the program was an absolute success," he says. "The feedback from the students has been great, and they love to be able to use the audio research lab we have. Once the new studio is on board, it will be that much better."

GET THE FACTS

• The DAA studio is described as a room within a room within a room. The centre room is pressure-fitted and the entire facility "floats" on neoprene pucks at all points within the concrete cavity of the space.

• The recording area is designed to be completely soundproof with lead-lined walls that are 18 inches deep and floors made of an extra-thick hardwood.

• All the walls, including the glass and the roof, are angled. "There are no parallel walls in the space," says Morris. "It's all about not having any standing waves that would be bouncing back and forth. They'll get scattered in all directions, and therefore create an acoustically sound space."

• The studio's console is the latest from Solid State Logic. The 48-channel Duality allows students to work with both analog and digital audio.

• The entire studio will be connected to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall via 16 channels of audio, a CCTV camera and LCD screens. This allows for the recording of concerts and performances or the use of the hall as a larger recording venue for larger groups of artists, such as orchestras.

UNews - Chris Morris

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