Since the arrival of Sam Pluta, Assistant Professor of Music Composition and Director of the CHIME Studio (Chicago Integrated Media Experimental Studio) in Fall 2016, there has been a dramatic increase of activity around electronic music on campus. Classes like “Composing with Sound” and “Computer Music Programming” have been overflowing with eager, creative students. The Women’s Board Grants fund was proud to support this program with a grant of $22,500 in 2018.

Since receiving their funding, Professor Pluta has been able to double the number of students they teach in a given school year, from just 36 students to 72. These courses have all been full, thus fulfilling an obvious need/desire of the student body. Studio B is a surround sound studio, allowing work that was not previously possible in Studio A. This has resulted in a number of projects realized during the school year, including a graduate student composition and installation that was performed/installed in Turkey, and a faculty work performed at Burning Man in California.

Check out this video to see how Professor Pluta is using technology funded by the University of Chicago Women’s Board Grants Fund to advance music!