by Rees Shad | Jan 4, 2019 | Big Ideas, Miscellaneous Programs, Special Programs
In the Spring of 2012, I organized a small music conference at CUNY which involved a daylong event at Hostos in which music professionals came to campus and discussed the state of the music industry at that time, relevant trends in career development for artists, musicians, engineers, and producers, and the directions the industry might take. There was a discussion panel that I led which was followed up by Q&A with the student audience (CUNY students as well as local high school students), and the day ended with a pared down portfolio review where select music majors could present their production reels to guest speakers for feedback.
Students gather for a industry round table as part of the Next Note Music Conference
The idea here was to introduce students to the music industry as it was at that time and help them understand the directions it might move in so as to prepare them to be flexible and adaptable in their thinking about what a potential career in such an industry might look like.
by Rees Shad | Jan 2, 2019 | Special Programs
During the Fall of 2017, I was honored to design usability curriculum for the incredible folks at a Bronx Non-Profit called The Knowledge House. For those unfamiliar with the subject, usability is a gauge with which designers can assess how successful their designs are. It is a highly effective methodology for improving ease-of-use through iterative design. A professional ability that compliments any number of technical and design skillsets, certification in the discipline helps make designers and IT folks alike, far more hirable. Just as important, it is vital to the design of more usable technologies in a time when well thought out empathetic computer human interaction can make or break the market success of new products, applications, and software.
These folks are doing absolutely terrific work and could use your support. If you are looking for really enlightened and hardworking people to invest in and help change the world, look no further than The Knowledge House at http://www.theknowledgehouse.org
