Engineering his way to the top

by Danielle McCann

Following the competition of the winter 2007 residency, audio engineer Nathan Moore will leave The Banff Centre to start a three-month internship in Mol, Belgium. There, he will assist Ronald Prent, one of the foremost surround mixing engineers at Galaxy Studios, a technologically advanced studio on the leading edge of developing next-generation media. While at the Centre, Moore was awarded with a CARAS scholarship, and I was able to catch up with him to find out what this honour meant to him.

What brought you to The Banff Centre?

I graduated with a master of music from McGill University in June, 2006. I became interested in The Banff Centre because of its great facilities and equally great calibre of musicians. As a work study program, it also had the added benefit of allowing me to continue my education through classes with guest faculty and through further experimentation with recording and production techniques. I was accepted to the Centre's audio program in the position of senior audio associate, which involves recording concerts, demos, CDs, and editing prior Banff Centre projects.

Tell us about the CARAS scholarship you won.

CARAS is the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Its membership is made up of recording industry professionals and its goal is to promote Canadian artists and music largely through the Juno Awards. Theresa Leonard, director of Audio, nominated me for Outstanding Achievement in Music and Recording Arts and Sciences, for which I have received $1000, an honorary CARAS membership, and two tickets to the Junos.

What has this meant for your career?

The recording industry is currently going through a lot of changes, creating uncertainty as a result. At times this can be very discouraging for young engineers trying to find a place within it.  Such an award and acknowledgement serves as reassuring encouragement that my education, training, and experience thus far will not go unnoticed so long as I continue to focus on and put effort into my work.