Informal Biographical Notes

for Gordon Monro

My original training was in science and mathematics: BSc (Hons) at Monash University, Melbourne, and PhD in mathematical logic at Bristol University, UK. I eventually became a Senior Lecturer in Mathematics at the University of Sydney; I retired from this position in 2006.

I started to become creatively involved in the arts when I attended a music technology camp in 1989. The camp had a focus on music composition. Previously I had sung in various choirs, including Sydney Philharmonia Big Choir.

In 1990 I met the electronic music composer Ian Fredericks, who was both a teacher and a technical officer in the then Department of Music at the University of Sydney. This began a connection with the Music Department which continued for 10 years or so. I also became involved with the watt concerts, directed by Martin Wesley-Smith (then at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music) and Ian Fredericks. These concerts had a strong multimedia focus, though my contributions were largely sound.

In 1996-7 I undertook a part-time Graduate Diploma in musical composition in the Music Department, having previously attended the Composition Workshop in the Department informally. This workshop was run by Peter Sculthorpe and Anne Boyd. My composition tutor for the Diploma was Dr Kirsty Beilharz. In 1997-9 I devised and taught undergraduate units in Computer Music Composition in the Music Department.

In 2002-7 I undertook a part-time MMus in composition at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, with Dr Anthony Hood as supervisor. This brought me back into contact with the multimedia tradition at the Conservatorium, and I started to work seriously on pieces that combined sound and images.

In late 2007 I moved to Ballarat in Victoria, and in 2008 I commenced a part-time PhD in the Faculty of Art and Design at Monash University in Melbourne, working in computer-generated art, with Dr Karen Burns as my supervisor. In 2009 Dr Troy Innocent became my associate supervisor. My current work has a visual focus, though I haven't abandoned sound altogether.

A constant thread through my artistic work has been the use of computer programs that I have written myself to generate part or all of a piece.