Tim is Professor of Contemporary Music in the department of Music & Audio and is also research co-ordinator for the School of Arts at Medway.

Tim Howle's first post was at University College Salford (1990-92) where he lectured in composition, 20th century music and sound recording. In 1992 he moved to Oxford Brookes University where he became Director of the Electronic Music Studios. From 2000–10 he taught at the University of Hull in Creative Music and took up his current post at Kent in 2010.

His academic career to date has focused on composing electroacoustic and acoustic music, and the relationship that these areas have with other arts subjects.

Tim is particularly interested in developing composition, primarily sonic art, acoustic music and music for experimental video, forging international links, enhancing music technology at the university.

In a previous life, Tim performed over 1,000 gigs in a post-punk experimental band, gained an independent recording contract and appeared on the John Peel Show.

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Reunion (2010) Collaborative Audio Visual work (DVD video/5.1 Sound) This will further investigate the 'post-acousmatic' working methods utilised in previous collaborations with Nick Cope. In addition to the techniques developed to date, the work will examine spatial relationships between audio and visual materials and the exploration of mapping techniques to develop an audio-visual syntax.

A new work for flute and live electronics for Jos Zwaanenburg who is based at Amsterdam Conservatoire. (photo: Jos)

A film score for Graham Ellard and Stephen Johnstone.  

Practice

Tim's primary research output is practice based. As such current compositional thinking informs much of his teaching. This is particularly the case with audio-visual work. The growing interest in the relationship between sonic art and video is evidenced by the increasing number of calls for AV work at conferences and festivals.

Calling Tunes (1994) flute, live electronics and tape - Composed as part of an Arts Council Electroacoustic Bursary for Jos Zwaanenburg. Premiered at the Gaudeamus Music Week. Subsequent performances at the Oxford Contemporary Music Festival, Utrecht Microtonal Festival, at Stemmingen en Toonsystemen in Rotterdam and Festival Callejoa del Ruido in Mexico.

One Minute Ago (1998) Video/music piece shown at the Royal Festival Hall at the South Bank – Video by Graham Ellard, Commissioned by SPNM as part of the 'State of the Nation' festival.

Open Circuits (2003) Multimedia work. Video by Nick Cope, premiered at SEA03 Hull University. Selected by/ performed at: The Society for Electroacoustic Music in the United States San Diego State University; GAGE at Hull Time Based Arts 2003; Sonic Arts Network Soundcircus Conference, Leicester, 2004; Sonorities Festival of Contemporary Music, Belfast – 2004; International Computer Music Conference, Miami 2004, SoundImageSound II University of the Pacific 04 Third Practice Festival, Richmond Virginia, 2004; UnBalanced Connection, University of Florida, 2005; ''Sound and Vision' Symposium University of Michigan, 2005; University of Huddersfield GEM3 – Sonic Explorations 2, 2006; Dislocate/Trampoline, Ginza Art Laboratory and Koiwa, Tokyo. 2006; Trampoline Event, Broadway Media Centre, Nottingham, UK, 2006; Audiograft, Oxford 2011.

 

Son et Lumières (2006) Multimedia work (video Nick Cope). University of Huddersfield GEM4 – Surreal Images1, 2006; SEAMUS, University of Oregon, 2006; Research Spaces 3: TOPOS, The Moving Image between Art and Architecture, The Slade School of Art, London, 2006; 16th Annual Florida Electroacoustic Music Festival, University of Florida, 2006; (with support from the Arts Council); Visual Music Marathon, North Eastern University, Boston, USA. 2007; Broadcast on Elektramusic, Canada 2007; WOCMAT, National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan 2007; 3rd Journal of Media Practice Symposium; University of Bristol, UK, 2007; Abstracta International Abstract Cinema Exhibition, Rome 2007; Sonoimagenes, Buenos Aries, Argentina 2007. Still from Son et Lumières See: http://vimeo.com/633826

In Eclipse (2007) Multimedia work. Video by Nick Cope. Surrounded Symposium Keele University/Royal Musical Association, UK 2007; 3rd Journal of Media Practice Symposium, University of Bristol, UK, 2007, Audiograft, Oxford, 2011.

Proposal for an Unmade Film (set in the future) (UK 2007, 16mm, 20 mins) Film: Graham Ellard and Stephen Johnstone, Central St Martins, London. 1st shown at the British Film Institute Southbank, London July 2007

In Girum (2007) (video is by Nick Cope) Multimedia work. A phenomenological approach to the combination of musical and video structures (exploiting Chion's 'audio-visual contract'). Premiered at The Electroacoustic Juke Joint Festival of Electronic Music and Art, Delta Music Institute, Delta State University Cleveland Mississippi, USA. 2007; University of Sunderland, Research Centre for Media and Culture, 2008; ElectroMediaWorks '08, Athens, 2008; Expo Brighton, Sonic Arts Network Annual Conference, 2008; Australasian Computer Music Conference, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Australia, 2008; Edinburgh International Film Festival, 2009; SeeingSound Conference, Bath Spa, 2009; SEAMUS, Illinois, USA, 2009.

Novelists make things up. 2008 (Flute and Live Electronics, Jos Zwaanenberg flute.) Release on FMR, summer 2010. Performed at Gaudeamus Music Week 2008;

Residency

Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana, Mexico City: ''Habitacion del Ruido/arte sonoro' Mexican Centre for Music and Sonic Arts (CMMAS), Morelia, Mexico, 2008.

Publications

Selected for publication in the Computer Music Journal (MIT Press), Vol. 29.4 2005, EVO2006 ArtPool Budapest and in the Journal of Media Practice 2006. Still from Open Circuits: see: http://vimeo.com/633346

Electroacoustic Movies – Towards an Electroacoustic Cinema. (Praxis as Research as evidenced through 'Open Circuits' and further works.) at Journal of Media Practice Symposium, University of Bristol, June 2007; Media, Communications & Cultural Studies Association. (MeCCSA), Cardiff January, 2008; Seeing Sound, Bath Spa, 2009; SEAMUS, Illinois, USA, 2009.

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Tim teaches composition/sonic art/instrumental music. He also enjoys working on collaborative modules with students from music, performance and digital media and believes that working with others is a great way of developing as a composer. Another interest is the intersection between left-field pop and sonic art. He teaches at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

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Tim's primary research output is practice based. As such current compositional thinking informs much of his teaching. This is particularly the case with audio-visual work. The growing interest in the relationship between sonic art and video is evidenced by the increasing number of calls for AV work at conferences and festivals.

An interest into the relationship between acoustic and electroacoustic forces has recently been augmented with the inclusion of video. Acousmatic music is a function of the recording process, however, video can be thought of in a similar way. Adding acousmatic music to experimental video offers an opportunity to re-evaluate the position of both art forms where ideas and technical means are hybridised.

Tim is currently working on several more pieces of sonic art/video work in collaboration with Nick Cope (University of Sunderland). This will then naturally lead on to further investigation, with other partners including Glasgow School of Art – and the creation of a network of 'visual music' practitioners in the UK.

Tim has received support for his work from The Arts Council of Great Britain, The Arts and Humanities Research Council, Gaudeamus, The RVW Trust, PRS and The Society for the Promotion of New Music.

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Tim Howle welcomes applications from research students interested in composition, Sonic Art and electroacoustic music with video.

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