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Michael Ward

Course Director

Michael Ward is a Senior Lecturer and Course Leader for BSc (Hons) Music Technology. His specialist areas are sound reproduction, mastering and computational models for machine listening.

Following an undergraduate degree in computing, Michael spent many years working concurrently as a software engineer and sound engineer. Deciding to combine the two, he undertook a research degree into computational models for machine listening to percussion. Michael now draws on his practice as a Mastering Engineer to deliver modules in this area and uses his expertise and passion for sound reproduction to teach technical modules at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

In his role as Course Leader of two awards, Michael strives to build programmes of study that meet the needs of the professional audio industries while allowing students to explore and develop their own creativity.

Michael continues to work on projects as a Sound Engineer and Mastering Engineer. Michael has mastered and engineered work by artists with international distribution and works have been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 6 and Channel 4 as well as many international alternative radio stations. Michael masters work for release on CD and digital download but most works have been released on vinyl.

Current Teaching

Michael delivers modules on the following awards:

BSc Music Technology
BSc Audio Engineering
BA Music Production
MSc Audio Engineering.

Current module delivery:

Level 4 Acoustics and Critical Listening
Level 5 Mixing and Mastering
Level 6 Sound Reproduction Systems
Level 6 Music Technology Project
Level 6 Mastering
Level 7 Audio Software Engineering

Research Interests

Michael's research interests lie in what could be broadly described as ‘listening’. Michael has undertaken research projects in machine listening and in the development of critical listening skills within and educational environment.

Current and future research projects seek to look at other applications for machine listening and to develop research informed teaching with regard to critical listening, acoustics and the critical discourse around his practice of Mastering.