IAR News Feed

DJ Yonny on BET's "Master of the Mix"

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:35:00 GMT

Master of the Mix
IAR Alumni DJ Yonny is competing on BET's Master of the Mix Season 2. On Master of the Mix Season 2, BET brings together top notch DJs from across America to determine who’s number one! Show your support and VOTE VOTE VOTE FOR IAR'S OWN DJ YONNY on The Master of The Mix Fan Favorite Voting polls, Vote Here!!!!!

Alumni Makin Noise - Chris Orsi

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:07:00 GMT

Lipstick and Cigarettes
Chris Orsi is not only a 1999 IAR graduate but is also the front man for the 80’s infused pop/rock musical sensation, Lipstick and Cigarettes, hailing from New Jersey. Today, Chris is working for Tricore Interactive, an e-learning company located in Princeton, NJ. His role as Senior Graphic Designer involves all kinds of media. Chris’s duties include editing and correcting narration, mixing music loops, sound design, and creating sound effects. He has not only assisted a number of professional voice talents but has also performed voice-over work himself. Chris helped build the company’s in-house recording studio, which is primarily used for voice-over work. He also creates graphic designs for Tricore including book layouts, interactive animations, and websites. On top of all that, Chris has his own project studio where he recorded and mixed Lipstick and Cigarettes’ first EP, which is self-titled.

Lipstick and Cigarettes has been together since 2009 and consists of Chris Orsi on guitar and vocals, Sarah MacMillan on bass and Erik Cabral on drums. This talented trio has been compared to The Fixx and The Knack, with musical influences spanning from Bruce Springsteen and Blondie to Metallica and Muse. They released their self-titled, self-produced debut EP in November 2010. Since then they have been playing their way through Central Jersey’s local music scene at venues such as The Saint, William Paterson University, The Court Tavern, Brewster’s Pub, The Crossroads, and many more. Chris’s advice to anyone trying to break into the audio business is: “There are always opportunities out there that will allow you to do what you love The best way to get there is by networking and making new friends and contacts. It is also important to keep your skills sharp and learn from as many people as possible".

The band’s self-titled EP is available on iTunes and AmazonMP3. You can also request them on New Jersey Radio Station 88.7FM WPSC and 89.5 FM WSOU’s specialty show Campus Buzz. To hear their music, leave comments and support, check out lipstickandcigarettes.net or like them on Facebook at facebook.com/lipstickandcigarettes

Alumni James “Lord Phat” Catapano in XXL Mag

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:02:00 GMT

James “Lord Phat” Catapano hailing out of Brooklyn New York City graduated from IAR in 2009. James is a seasoned pop, hip hop and rock producer with a passion for sound design and post production. During his time here, James won best in overall production at IAR’s June 2009 AFP (Audio For Picture) Awards using the trailer for the 2009 Tim Burton animated film “9”. That was only the beginning of “LordPhat’s” winning streak. James landed a freelance engineering position at The Drum Factory Studios in Staten Island, NY right after graduating and fully establishing his own project studio in Brooklyn, NY. In 2011 James produced an upcoming artist album by the name of JR Da Future. The albums is called “Dark liquor on a Sunny Day” and is JR’s second release. Other artists featured on the album are rapper/ vocalist Mallory Knox and lyricist/ assistant Engineer L.A.V. When asked what advice they would give other artist trying to make it in the industry they said you must be involved in every aspect of your music and production. Keeping your focus, never burning bridges and surrounding yourself with positive people are very important things to remember. “Dark Liquor on a Sunny Day” was reviewed by www.checkmatenewyork.com and can be viewed on page 70 of the July/August 2011 edition of XXL Magazine. You can support James and JR Da Future by liking there facebook and downloading the album on ITunes.

Advance Media Program - Sold Out Start

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 14:19:00 GMT

On Monday April 25th the Institute of Audio Research kicked off its new Advanced Media Program, with a sold out class. This 300-hour Advanced Media Program will prepares students for a career in the exciting world of Post Production. IAR President Barry Puritz noted that: “Our new instructors bring a wealth of video knowledge to complement the school’s deep audio background, and the marriage of the two has been near-perfect thus far. Everyone is super excited by AMP.” The next AMP session will be offered on June 21 with a limited enrollment.

A Creative Mix Session w/ Phil Painson

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 10:10:00 GMT

On April 20th, 2011 Phil Painson lead a mixing demonstration showing his own personal approach, attitude and methodology to mixing music in either the analog or digital domain. Phil is an accomplished recording engineer and producer with a B.A. in Business and a minor in Electrical Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology, and is a graduate of the Center for Media Arts. Phil has worked with a variety of artist such as Public Enemy, Tricky, Nas, Roy Ayers, Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Dave Matthews Band, Common, Pete Rock, Last Poets, and many more. His experience in mixing a variety of different genres of music truly pushed forward the belief that mixing is one part technical and three parts emotional. He started the event with a musical selection IAR’s library and encouraged students to try out their mixing skills on the same song at home to achieve the same professional sound. Phil gave some great advice about mixing environments and why you must know the room you are mixing in. The room may be dead or bass heavy so you must mix accordingly. He also reminded the students of the importance of listening to their work on different systems such as consumer stereos, in the car and on earphones to check the compatibility of the overall mix. Organizing your mix station and bringing out the essence of the music through gain riding without processing is the first key to a perfect mix! He then mixed the track right before the student’s eyes bringing it to life.

The Next Level 11

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 13:01:00 GMT

On April 5 IARecord’s Next Level 11 competition took place at Arlene’s Grocery in NYC. Eight different artists from IAR performed original Hip Hop, Rock and Pop. When the dust settled Holy City Zoo walked away as the favorite performer of the night. As winners of the Next Level, Holy City Zoo will record a 5 song EP at IAR with Platinum recording engineer Dan Grigsby.

Thanks to all who performed and came out to support IAR.

IC Entertainment - Corey Black and Bullet Brak

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 10:37:00 GMT

IAR Alumni Corey Black and Bullet Brak are making noise with their new company IC Entertainment. HipHop.org caught up with the two in between sessions to discuss the past, present and future of Hip Hop. Read the full article here.

AFP Awards Winter 2010

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 14:52:00 GMT

On Nov. 9th, IAR held its Winter Audio for Picture (AFP) Awards Festival, which showcases fourth quarter IAR student audio post-production projects. Over 60 projects were submitted ranging from movie trailers, television commercials, television scenes, movie scenes, videogame trailers, and animated short films. Students are responsible for sound effects, editing, music, dialogue replacement, mixing, and foley.

The AFP Awards Winter 2010 winners:

Best Original Music Score = Daniel Alvira - "The Owls"
3rd Place = Kenneth Ramirez - "Halo"
2nd Place = Frank Olivo & Joe Kachie - "V for Vendetta"
1st Place = PJ Meyers & Richard Morales - "Gangs of New York"
Thanks to all who submitted.

DIY @ IAR - Music Theory

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 15:10:00 GMT

On October 19th, IAR instructor Lisa Moyer gave a seminar on the importance of understanding music theory as a engineer and producer. With a packed class room, Lisa guided the attendees using a very informative written materials. And though not all of the attendees were musicians, Lisa ensured them that you don’t necessarily have to be a musician to understand some basic music theory concepts. Using just a keyboard, Lisa started by explaining the individual note values on the keyboard and their relationship to one another. She then explained the Major and Minor chords and scales associated with them. After everyone got a basic understanding of the chords it was time to get into Chord Progression Theory, which is the starting point of working out a song. Starting with a simple two chord song, Lisa moved on to a more complex six chord song which is more commonly used in Blues and Jazz. Lisa also played examples of various music styles for everyone to get a better understanding how it all works. Lisa, an instructor at IAR for 5 years, graduated with honors from Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania. She earned a Bachelor of Music with Emphasis in Music Recording Technology. She then launched her engineering career at Creative Sound Studios, where she was an audio editor for such television shows as "Forensic Files" and "Medical Detectives".

Alumni K Banger - Makin Noise in Paris

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 13:23:00 GMT

Keith graduated from IAR in January ’08. He is a songwriter and performer under stage name K Banger, dubbed from playing drums and percussion instruments, primarily in R&B, Reggae, and Calypso bands. Keith licenses his material to television networks through his own company The Dirt Department, Inc. In 2007, he competed in IARecords’ Next Level competition and his song “Hard Place” will be on the Next Level 4 Album released in the Spring of 2008. Keith decided to attend IAR to gain a solid foundation in audio engineering and production for his music and professional career, “IAR has given me more than just an education and experience. I now have more confidence in what I do more exposure as an artist, credits toward a degree, and most importantly, relationships with great industry and audio professionals that will last a lifetime.” K Banger’s motto is, “Don’t say it – play it. Master the art of starting small. It’s not who you know, it’s about what you’re doing! Do well and people want to get to know you. If you know people and you’re not doing anything, that doesn’t work.” K-Banger is currently signed to the French hip hop label 45 Scientific.