Whitney Jesse Slaten
Curriculum Vitae
Education:
Ph.D Ethnomusicology Columbia University New York, NY in progress
M.A. Ethnomusicology Columbia University New York, NY 5/2007
M.A. Thesis Entitled: "Sounding the World: The Live Sound Engineering of World Music in New York City."
B.Mus. Sound Engineering Arts/ William Paterson University Wayne, NJ 5/2005
Jazz Performance (Saxophone)
Bachelors Thesis Entitled: “The History, Design Criteria, and Application of Loudspeakers in the Context of Sound Reinforcement”
Publication:
Book Review Dub: Soundscapes and Shattered Songs in Jamaican Reggae Michael Veal
SOULS Journal Dr. Manning Marable Ed. Forthcoming 2008
Awards and Honors:
Columbia University Faculty Fellowship 2005
Society for Ethnomusicology Member 2005-present
Audio Engineering Society Member 2000-present
National Systems Contractors Association Member 2000-present
IAJE Outstanding Soloist Award at State Competition 2000
Congressional Appointment to West Point Military Academy 2000
Eagle Scout 2000
Work Experience:
Adjunct Professor of Music Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ 2008-present
Instructor for two sections of the “Music and Civilization” course that is required for undergraduate students
Studio Designer Center for Ethnomusicology, Columbia University NYC, NY 2007-present
Designed and converted two storage rooms into a project recording studio
Freelance Engineer Hear No Evil NYC, NY 2006-present
Hired to engineer various traditional world music artists for the World Music Institute throughout NYC
Audio/Video Technician Department of Music, Columbia University NYC, NY 2005-present
Installed and maintained audio playback and video projection systems in music department classrooms
Archivist Center for Ethnomusicology, Columbia University NYC, NY 2005-present
Responsible for converting analog sound recordings into digital formats
Live Sound Engineer Audio International Scotch Plains, NJ 1996-present
The occupation entails the installation, rentals, and operation of professional public address syste
Private Instructor Saxophone/jazz improvisation Scotch Plains, NJ 1996-present
Students learn the fundamentals of saxophone technique, music theory, and jazz history
Music Theory Tutor Hampton University Hampton, VA 2000-2001
Reviewed the basic concepts of music theory for freshmen music majors
Internship:
Studio Intern Daddy’s House Recording Studio, NYC, NY 2007
Gaining experiences in one of the music industry’s leading studios in Hip Hop production
Performances:
The Whitney Slaten Project Kavehaz, NYC 2002-present
(founder/leader) Satalla, NYC
Anansi Crossroads, Garwood, NJ 2005-present
(founder/leader) The Dancing Goat, South Orange, NJ
The Clark Terry Big Band Bern Jazz Festival (Switzerland) 2004-present
Birdland, NYC
Bluenote, NYC
Afro Jungle Funk Band Knitting Factory, NYC 2004-present
Sugar Bar, NYC
Annual Nigerian Day Parade, NYC
The Lab Addicts (R&B) NJPAC 2005-present
The Kindred Spirits (Gospel/Jazz) Newark/Paterson, NJ 2000-present
Babatunde Olatunji Sounds of Brazil, NYC 2001-2003
Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA
African Brothers Collective Sounds of Brazil, NYC 2003-2005
Satalla, NYC
Celebrate Brooklyn Music Festival
William Paterson Jazz Ensemble JVC Jazz Festival/BBC live world broadcast 2002-2003
WBGO Jazz in the Outdoors live broadcast
Private Study:
James Williams 2001-2005
Don Braden 2001-2005
Kenny Garrett 2002-2003
James Nesbit (classical) 2000-2001
Bruce Williams 1999-2000
Compositions:
Hope The New Jazz 2007
Obscurity The New Jazz 2007
The Arawak Sun The New Jazz 2006
Her Name is Music The New Jazz 2006
The Silver Sax The New Jazz 2002
Diwali The Afro-Caribbean Suite 2005
On The River Niger The Afro-Caribbean Suite 2004
Massive The Afro-Caribbean Suite 2004
Caipirinha The Afro-Caribbean Suite 2004
Maroon The Afro-Caribbean Suite 2004
Earthdance The Afro-Caribbean Suite 2003
Una Reina The Afro-Caribbean Suite 2003
Allspice Grove The Afro-Caribbean Suite 2002
Eric The Afro-Caribbean Suite 2002
Discography:
Clark Terry and Louie Bellson Clark Terry Big Band Forthcoming
Live at The Dancing Goat Anansi Whitney Slaten 2007
That Holiday Feeling Ron Foster & Kindred Spirits RONFO Music 2006
Live at Salt and Pepper The Whitney Slaten Project Whitney Slaten 2006
Live at Trumpets Kelvin Quince Quintet CKR Records 2005
Earthdance The Whitney Slaten Project Whitney Slaten 2004
Live at Marians Clark Terry Big Band Chiaroscuro Records 2004
Accomplishments:
• 2007 - founded SlatenSound, a live sound engineering company that provides public address and recording services for a number of clients in the New York metropolitan area. SlatenSound represents a culmination of studies in sound engineering and live music production. Responsibilities as the owner and operator include the establishment of rental packages and recording fees, the development and maintenance of the company’s web presence, and the management of finances and a small part-time work force.
• 2006 - conducted ethnographic fieldwork among live sound engineers at World Music Institute events throughout New York City. The research explored the extent to which the intercultural encounter and negotiation between American sound engineers and musicians from a diverse set of traditional performance practices, and their different conceptions of sound, both drastically shape the technological mediation of musical sound and further make engineers aware of their responsibilities when amplifying less familiar sound sources for a given audience.
• 2005 - founded Anansi, a fusion ensemble that performs music from the jazz tradition with elements from West Africa, Anglophone Caribbean, and the southern United States. The group frequently performs throughout the tri state area.
• 2003 - led a student group at William Paterson University that met with the Dean of Arts and Sciences and the University’s Provost to expedite the construction of a state of the art recording studio for Sound Engineering Arts majors.
• 2002 - founded The Whitney Slaten Project, a jazz quintet that performed my compositions during my time studying under James Williams, Rich DeRosa, Armen Donellian, and Don Braden. The group maintained monthly performances at Kavehaz Jazz Club for 3 years.
Experienced with the following equipment:
Make Model Description
Pro Tools HD digital audio workstation (TDM)
Pro Tools LE digital audio workstation
MOTU Digital Performer digital audio workstation
PreSonus Cubase LE digital audio workstation
Bias Peak Pro 4 2 track digital audio editor software
Digidesign 192 I/O Interface for Pro Tools HD
Digidesign 96 I/O Interface for Pro Tools HD
Digidesign M Box 2 Interface for Pro Tools LE
MOTU 828mkII Interface for Digital Performer
Tascam DA-88 digital 8 track recorder
Otari MX-80 2” 24 track analog tape recorder
Otari MX-5050 ¼” 2 track analog tape recorder
Ampex 440B ¼” 2 track analog tape recorder
Teac 25-2 ¼” 2 track analog tape recorder
Tascam CD-RW700 CD (digital) 2 track recorder
Lexicon PCM60 reverb generator
Lexicon PCM42 reverb/delay generator
DBX 166x 2 channel gate/compressor/limiter
DBX 160x 1 channel gate/compressor/limiter
TC Electronics System 6000 reverb/full scale digital signal processor
Amek System 9098 compressor/limiter
Z Systems z-16.16 digital patchbay
Otari Elite + 32X8X2 digitally controlled analog mixing console
Allen & Heath GL2400 24X4X2 analog mixing console
Mackie 24*8 24X8X2 analog mixing console
Ramsa WR-S4424 24X4X2 analog mixing console
Ramsa WR-8118 18x4x2 analog mixing consloe
EV/Dynachord PSX1250 Powered Mixer 12x3 250/250/200w
EV/Dynachord PSX2200 Powered Mixer 22x2 350/350w |
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