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I was recently asked to provide some info for the Hostos Media Design Instagram account:

“How long have you been teaching at Hostos and what do you teach?”

I’ve been teaching at Hostos Community College since 2012.  I’ve taught the following courses:

  • DD111 Introduction to Sound Design
  • DM106 Introduction to Recording Techniques
  • DM205 Sound Design
  • DM206 Production 1
  • DM301 Sound Lab 2
  • DM310 Sound as Story
  • DM315 Sound Design in Context
  • DM316 Production 2

“What do you love about teaching at Hostos?”

  • I love when talented students go above and beyond to create professional sounding projects using the information presented in my classes, especially the more advanced, extra information that is not necessarily required.  When I see that level of commitment, I know the student will succeed in the future.

“If you have one piece of advice for students who are trying to enter the industry, what advice would you give them?”

  • I always quote my 8th-grade football coach who used to scream during practice: “Ya gotta wanna!!!”  This is essential.  If you don’t wanna, then do something else!  And if you do wanna, you really need to give it all you’ve got so that you will be competitive in the future.  Be serious about learning and master every important skill that you can so that you will be prepared for any professional situation that may suddenly appear.  Do all the assignments in your Digital Music classes to the best of your ability and then do more, especially in collaboration with other students.  Make the most of the excellent Hostos recording studio since you can only gain experience by doing.  Also, I highly recommend visiting with your professors (like me!) during office hours as much as possible to clarify information and discuss other topics you are interested in that may not be covered in class.
 Below are a few examples of my work that were recorded at or related to Hostos:
  • Tom Nazziola: I recorded a number of pieces from Tom’s Distant Places (2021) album at multiple recording studios in New York.  “Crossing The Line” was recorded at Hostos.
  • Rees Shad: Rees created the Digital Music program at Hostos and was who invited me to teach there in 2012.  I helped Rees arrange the music for his opera, The Watcher (2019).
  •  Victoria FaiellaA few years after producing Victoria’s Wild Butterfly (2011) album, I presented a masterclass at Hostos about my middle-eastern arrangement of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” from her album.  I also recorded Victoria’s band live in my Introduction to Recording Techniques class several times since 2014.  Some of those recordings will be featured on her new album, Between The Dirt, Roots & Roses, that we are working on right now.  One of the songs recorded at Hostos that will be included on the album is “C U Next Tuesday.”
  •  “Meditation on Roads Not Taken” by Audible Abstraction: In 2020, I wrote a detailed blog post about a 2018 recording in my Production 1 class at Hostos.
  •  “Rather Be With You” Featuring Samantha Kenny: In 2019, I wrote a detailed blog post about a 2019 recording in my Production 1 class at Hostos.
  • Production 2 Album: In 2015, my Production 2 class was asked to create songs in an EDM style (like Rihanna) to be played at the beginning of the Hostos Repertory Company performance of I Am and Emotional Creature.  This became part of a 14-song collaborative album.
 
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