University of Guyana hosts Sound Engineering workshop

The University of Guyana, faculty of Communication, has embarked on a novel initiative that has the potential to create new jobs, boost local tourism and help members within the audio-visual fraternity realize enhanced commercial viability.
The Centre for Communication Studies at UG’s Turkeyen Campus, on Monday last, launched a five-day ‘Sound Engineering’ workshop that seeks to shape a deeper sense of awareness among sound and music engineers and audio visual technical experts of the impact “quality sound” can have on the branding and life cycle of artistic productions and their global potential as value-added products.
The Canadian High Commissioner, Mr. Francois Montour declared the workshop opened. In attendance were members of the media, music producers, sound engineers and audio/visual producers.
This initiative, while it seeks to raise awareness of the importance of sound, is unique in that it has the potential to influence new job creation in research and development and knowledge base institutions that are specifically aligned to this sector in an interest of fostering its comprehensive development.
The forward movements of the music and audio visual/performing arts industry, through sound enhancement, will have a profound impact on the diversification process of Guyana’s economy.
The mass production and distribution of quality music and visual arts products not only represents the increase disposable income that members of this fraternity can attract but it also represents the strategic positioning of Guyana on the world map through the transfer of enhance cultural products.
The belief among sound and music engineers and technical exports within the dramatic visual arts arena, are that the careful branding and promotion of Guyana’s image through these art forms will have a positive impact on how foreigners see this country as a tourist destination.
They also recognize that music, dramatic and visual arts are billion-dollar industries and if given the chance to grow they can have profound positive social consequences on the economics of this economy. The potential of these industries to enrich lives and raise the standards of living of many Guyanese through job creation were also pointed out.
Professor Eddie Ashworth from Ohio University is one of the key facilitators for this five-day workshop. His credentials, exposure and intimate involvement with these industries promise to inspire and create change among the key stakeholders in the fraternity.
The University of Guyana, Centre for Communication Studies, under the leadership of Dr. Paloma Mohamed must be given high praises for embarking on this initiative that can have far reaching consequences on the capacity building of our human resources and the enhanced viability of the sector. Recognition must also be given to the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) Media and Democracy Project for sponsoring this workshop.
Dr. Mohamed said participants of the workshop will be given a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’ to better understand the way things are done in society as it relates to sounds.
Dr. Mohamed used Carifesta 2008, hosted in Guyana, as an example to demonstrate the importance of sound as it relates to recording sounds and that of live venues.
She said the workshop will be covering such areas of sound broadcasting, field recordings, live recording and sound mixing in studio.
The importance of proper sound engineering has implications for broadcast media and several cultural industries including Guyana’s re-emerging music recording industry.
Against this backdrop, the Centre for Communication Studies was able to source funding from CIDA to support the workshop which concludes on Friday.

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