Research Catalogue

I first started playing the guitar at the age of 15 while completing an Electronics Technician apprenticeship in the Royal Australian Air Force. Since that time, creative art and electronics have been an integral part of my creative being. I completed the BA (Music) with first-class Honours in 1998 and was awarded the Sydney Mechanics School of Arts Award in Theoretical Studies for Superior Achievement in Contemporary Arts.
I completed my PhD in 2006 at the University of Western Sydney. My thesis addressed issues encountered when developing embedded music controllers, including design techniques, programming interfaces for artists and composers, the knowledge bases and specialist expert skills that can be utilised to gain the required information to design and build such devices, and the low-cost development tools appropriate for such a task. Professor Marcelo Wanderley, in his comments regarding his examination of my thesis, stated:

the candidate demonstrates an unusual breadth of knowledge in various technological aspects of new interfaces, from software programming to hardware development using FPGAs. Not only the candidate's work is outstanding with respect to the integration of the various (multidisciplinary) aspects of this thesis but also the description of each of the iterations is extremely clear, detailing all aspects of the integration of a technology including the evolution of the choices available. This chapter [Chapter 3] is a must for all students interested in this area and I strongly suggest that it (and the whole thesis) be made widely available for the NIME community.

I have been designing and building electronic musical instruments and software for use within the arts community since 2000, providing engineering and artistic support for artists and universities on an international scale. Many artists and universities have used my electronics and services in museums and galleries, as well as supporting their Australia Council and State Government Arts grants projects. My work is mentioned in the Oxford Handbook of Computer Music, and four authors noted my contribution to Australian electronic and computer instrument design and building in Sounds Unlimited: building the instruments: Sounds Australian—Journal of the Australian Music Centre.
In addition to benefiting the arts community, my research is often used in commercial and industrial applications internationally.