Seth Cluett, assistant director of the Computer Music Center (CMC) and lecturer in the Department, has teamed up with Hewlett-Packard to lower the barriers for students interested in electronic music.

In an interview with Columbia News, Cluett discussed his work in making studio design more inclusive and accessible. He works in close collaboration with the current Mellon postdoctoral teaching fellow in the Department, Suzanne Thorpe.

The specific project highlighted in the interview involves using the HP Omnicept, a virtual reality headset. Cluett and Thorpe use the bioanalytic capabilities of the headset to understand what makes students fearful when they enter a studio for the first time. With that knowledge, they can make spaces with high-end technology more inclusive and encourage students from all walks of life to engage with making electronic music.

HP made a video about Cluett's project, available here.

Cluett also discussed the effects of the pandemic on current operations of the CMC and his teaching schedule for the semester. If you wish to read about these topics, click here.

Congratulations Seth!