The beats that induce shaking and voguing, the arpeggiated strums you hum alone in the shower and the slow falsetto notes that bring a tear to your eye all begin somewhere.
Whether birthed on a computer screen or dubbed onto a tape reel, audio engineers share the often under appreciated task of crafting the millennial whoops and 808 drops to create sonic delicacies for the masses. Still, it is a talent that typically lies in obscurity amongst even the most skilled musicians.
MuTe, the cleverly titled Music Technology club, is attempting to shed some light on the obscure and jargon filled world of audio engineering. Located in a corridor shared by the Music and Arts buildings, MuTe is a new organization seeking to educate Roadrunners on the nuances of the music “behind the scenes.”
The founder of MuTe is communications senior Josh Nava. Musicians, engineers and curious Roadrunners are encouraged to join the club headed by Dr. Bergmann from the music department. Those who accept this open invitation will have the opportunity to learn about mixing audio, live tracking, individual tracking, digital audio workstation tips, mastering audio and other useful musical tools.
Nava felt UTSA’s northside location made it difficult for UTSA students to immerse themselves in San Antonio’s thriving music scene which is based downtown. The hope is that in growing this organization, UTSA will become a more culturally connected campus by encouraging musicians and artists of all genres to collaborate and support each other.
Another objective for the group is to reach out to other networks and foster a community of musicians and engineers in a live and studio setting. Those with little to advanced experience behind mixing boards and digital audio workstations are invited to collaborate with the group, learn, create and network. This community-growing culture MuTe is fostering is an attempt to reach out to other organizations to collaborate on various audio engineering endeavors which would bring a live environment to the musical organization such as UTSA Underground, which hosts events in the auxiliary tunnels of UTSA. MuTe would also be able to help other organizations with the easily-butchered technical side of audio.
Be on the lookout for events and music produced by this ambitious new organization on campus. MuTe meets on Thursdays at 5 p.m. in room 3.01.30B of the Arts Building.
