Alex Kirt
Curriculum Vitae
Education:
May 2015 M.F.A., College of Mass Communication and Media Arts
Southern Illinois University
Carbondale, IL
August 2012
B.A. Radio and Television
Southern Illinois University
Carbondale, IL
December 2011
Associate of Arts – with honors
Shawnee Community College
Ullin, IL
Media Arts Teaching Experience:
Spring 2017: Visiting Lecturer of Sound, Southern Illinois University
Courses: a) Producing for Radio b) Sound Mix in Popular Culture
Fall 2016: Visiting Lecturer of Sound, Southern Illinois University
Courses: a) Sound Recording History, Theory, and Practice b) Sound Mix in Popular Culture
Spring 2015: Instructor of Record, Southern Illinois University
Course: Sound Recording History, Theory, and Practice
Fall 2014: Graduate Teaching Assistant, Southern Illinois University
Courses: a) Audio Documentary b) Sound and The Moving Image
Summer 2014: Graduate Teaching Assistant
Course: SIU TV News Camp
Spring 2014: Graduate Teaching Assistant
Courses: a) Advanced Audio Engineering b) MIDI Production Studio
Fall 2013: Graduate Teaching Assistant
Course: Introduction to Audio Engineering
Fall 2013: Graduate Research Assistant
Supervising Professor: Experimental Filmmaker Cade Bursell
Duties: Sound Designer, Stereo Mix, and 5.1 Surround Mix for the film "Waveland"
Academic Honors and Awards:
May 2012 
Outstanding Radio/Audio Production Student Award
Fall 2010 - Summer 2012
Dean’s List, SIU MCMA Department of Radio and Television
Memberships
2011 
Audio Engineering Society (AES)
2014
Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC)
2015 Popular Culture Association (PCA)
Software/ Hardware Proficiencies:
•
Pro Tools
•
Apple Logic Pro
•
Final Cut Pro
• iZotope RX 5
• iZotope Ozone 7
•
Adobe Creative Suite
•
Reason MIDI Software
•
Phonodisc Recording Lathes
•
Magnetic Tape Recording
•
Digital Video Camera Production
•
Analog and Digital Audio Processing Hardware
•
Tube amplifier circuits diagnosis and repair
•
Live Sound Reinforcement Equipment
Creative and Research Interests and Specializations:
•
Establishing Regional Music Archival Collections
•
Phono-Record Cutting Lathes
•
Audio Recording/ Engineering/ Mastering
•
Music Production/ Songwriting/ Music Performance
•
Sound For Film (Foley Arts, Music Scoring, and Sound Design)
•
Tube Amplifier Circuitry Building, Diagnosis, and Repair
•
History and Science of Sound Recording Technology
•
Sound Art/ Sound Sculpture
MFA Thesis Projects:
Thesis Title “Plowing Lacquer and Polishing Noise”
A history of protest music in three acts featuring the Future Primitives Skiffle Band
Experimental sound art sculptures "The Shintonarumori"
Special performance of "The Gatlingophone"
Southern Illinois Music Archive (SIMA)
A definitive collection of sound recordings, films, videos, photographs, and memorabilia documenting the rich and diverse musical heritage of Southern Illinois, created in the interest of cultural equity and historical preservation.
Shintonarumori
A series of sound art sculptures featuring antique shoeshine boxes repurposed as artworks, each fitted with it’s own internal sound generating devices. The Shintonarumori can be performed alone, or in combination with any of the other shine boxes. Each combination creates a unique blend of sonic textures that were unattainable without being performed in collaboration with one another. Shintonarumori provides an artistic metaphor for income inequality associated with globalized corporate capitalism and its effects on the working class people of the world. The work represents a call for unity among working class citizens.
Media Arts Exhibitions
2015 Resilience Radio
Global Fusion Conference
Exhibit: October 24th, 2015
Rudder Tower, Texas A&M
Radio Art Performance with Mike Maxwell and Dr. Phylis Johnson
2015 Plowing Lacquer and Polishing Noise: A Mudsill's Methodology
MFA Thesis Exhibition
Exhibit: April 26th, 2015
The Old Feed Store, Cobden, IL
2015 The Gatlingophone
PCA/ACA Conference
Exhibit: April 1st - 4th, 2015
New Orleans, LA
Occupy PCA Guerrilla Arts Performance - Punk Culture
2014
New Deal Art Now: A Reframing Of The Artifacts Of Diversity
Curated by Jessica Allee
University Museum, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale IL
Exhibit: June 3 through November 1, 2014
Music Produced and Engineered by Alex Kirt
Digital Audio Recordings Exhibit
2014
Soundings: An Evening of Sound Art and Performance
Track One Gallery, Nashville TN
Exhibit: May 3rd, 2014
Alex Kirt: Plowing Lacqer – live, direct-to-disc 78rpm phonodisc recording
Sound Art Performance
2014
SIUC Graduate Student Symposium and Exhibition
University Museum, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale IL
Exhibit: April 24th – May 2nd, 2014
Alex Kirt: Southern Illinois Music Archive: location recordings
Digital and Analog Audio Recordings Exhibit
2013
SIUC MCMA Graduate Student Symposium and Exhibition
University Museum, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale IL
Exhibit: April 25th – May 4th 2013
Alex Kirt: Sound City: The Soundscapes of Tube Circuits
Photographic Series Exhibit
2012
SIUC MCMA Graduate Student Symposium and Exhibition
University Museum, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale IL
Presentation: April 27th 2014
Alex Kirt: Southern Illinois Music Archive: curating regional archives
Essay Presentation
2012
SIUC MCMA Graduate Student Symposium and Exhibition
University Museum, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale IL
Screening: April 27th 2014
Alex Kirt: Dandelions – The Rural Kings
Documentary Short (16 min.)
2012
Scratching The Surface
SIUC MFA Student Media Arts Exhibition
College of Mass Communications and Media Arts
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale IL
Exhibit: December 11th, 2012
Alex Kirt and Honna Veerkamp: MFA Train
Interactive Live Sound Art Performace
Published Essays
2015 Review of "The 78 Project Movie" by filmmaker A. Steyermark
Journal of Radio and Audio Media
Pages 131 - 134
Volume 22, Number 1, May 2015
ISSN: 1937-6529
Sound Design and Scoring For Film:
2013
Waveland directed by Cade Bursell. experimental film
Credits: Alex Kirt - Sound Designer, Stereo Mix, and Surround Mix
Winner - “Award of Merit” (Best Experimental Film)
2014 UFVA Film and Video Festival
2013
Cowboy Christmas directed by HD Motyl. documentary film
Credits: Alex Kirt - Original Music Score Composer/Performer and
Final Audio Mix
“Best Feature Documentary” 2013 Madrid International Film Festival
Nominated: “Best Feature Documetary” 2014 Trail Dance Film Festival
“Best of Fest: Faculty Documentary” 2014 BEA
(Broadcast Education Association) Festival of Media Arts
Screenings:
Louisville International Festival of Film
Madrid International Film Festival
Virginia Film Festival
Trail Dance Film Festival
Beloit International Film Festival
“Imagining Geographies” series, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
UFVA (University Film and Video Association) Film and Video Screening (in competition)
Three Rivers Film Festival
Prescott Film Festival
2010
Confidence Man directed by Robert Streit. documentary film
Credits: Alex Kirt - Soundtrack Composer, Performer, Engineer, Mixing, and Mastering.
Screenings:
2011 St Louis International Film Festival
2012 Cedar City Film Festival
2003
The Legend of Charlie Birger directed by David Kidd. documentary film
Credits: Alex Kirt - Soundtrack Composer/ Performer
Produced by WSIU
Screenings: Numerous Broadcasts on PBS
Academic Conference Presentations
2015 Global Fusion Conference 2015, College Station, TX
Resilience Radio
2015
Popular Culture Association/ American Culture Association
Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA
1)
Establishing the Southern Illinois Music Archive: Regional Music Archives in the Digital Age
2)
The Gatling-o-phone, Media Arts Performance
2014
Global Fusion Conference 2014, Austin, Texas
Noise in the Hive: History, Interpretation and the Arts in the Global Sound Archive
Audio Engineering Experience
2010 –
2014
Audio Engineer, Misunderstudio, Murphysboro, IL
2012 –
Present
Freelance Audio Engineer (live and studio)
1993 –
Present
Chief Sound Technician for over 1000 live concert performances
Studio Engineering/ Mixing/ Mastering Projects:
2008 "Misfits Masquerade" by The Woodbox Gang
2009
“White Trash Voodoo” by The Woodbox Gang
2010
“Confidence Man” by The Woodbox Gang
2011
“Ol’ Moose” by Doug Anderson
2012
“Glorious Scars” by The Woodbox Gang
2012
“Bluegill Boogie” by Giant City Slickers
2013
“Torch Ditties” by Jennifer Johnson
2014 "Sound Stage Sessions" by The Mudsills
2014
“Live at the Old Feed Store” by Chris Jones and The Nightdrivers
2014
“Dreamhead” by The Flowers of Evil
2014
“One Way Ride” by We Killed The Lion
2015 "Volume One" by Buzzzard
2015 "Scifislands" by Scifislands
2015 "Dying Day" by We Killed The Lion
78rpm Lacquer Master Disc Recordings:
2014
“Lost, Lonesome, & Alone” by The Swamp Tigers
2014
“Brand New Cadillac” by The Swamp Tigers
2014
“All I Could Do Was Cry” by The Swamp Tigers
2014
“Bluebird” by Jenny Johnson
2014
“Evan, Jack, or Jim” by Jenny Johnson
2014
“Some of These Days” by Jenny and the Johnsons
2014
“Bluebird (rendition #2)” by Jenny and the Johnsons
2014
“Candy Green” by The Flowers Of Evil
2014
“Dreamhead” by The Flowers Of Evil
2014
“Green Candles” by The Flowers Of Evil
2014
“I Wish I’d Gone To College” by Randy Hill and Tyson Connor
2014
“Hold That Train” by the Well, Well, Wells
2014
“Oh Dear Mother” by the Well, Well, Wells
2014
“Keep On Dreaming” by The Whistle Pigs
2014
“Lighten Up” by The Whistle Pigs
2014
“Happens Every Day” by The Whistle Pigs
2014
“Hurricane” by The Whistle Pigs
Sound Art/ Sound Sculptures
2014
The Gatling-o-phone. sound art sculpture
2014
Shintonarumori. sound art sculpture series
2013 Silence Inside Sound. sound art audio recording
2012 Vinyl Mosaic. sound art sculpture/ performance art
Photography
2013
Audioscapes: The Cityscapes of Audio Circuits. digital photography series
2013
Cedar Bluffs: A Hike Through Time. digital photography series
Experimental Films
2012
G.R.U.B.S. dystopian narrative film short
2012
29 Projections. experimental film short
Documentary Films
2013
Opa Spitznamen: Grandpa’s Nicknames. documentary film short
2012
Dandelions: The Rural Kings. musical documentary film short
Live Performance Art
2014
Plowing Lacquer. Live direct to disc 78rpm sound recording performance
2012
MFA Train. collaborative sound art performance with Honna Veerkamp
Musical Projects/ Live Performance
2000 – Present: The Woodbox Gang
2014 - Present: The Devil's Duo
2012 – Present: The Mudsills
2012 – 2014: The Giant City Slickers
2009 – 2012: The Django Billies
2005 – 2012: The Soothsayers Jug Band
1997 - 1998: Trouble Creek
1993 – 1996: Soldog
Commercially Released Albums (discography):
1994
Without A Name – Soldog
1995
Dawning – Soldog
1997
Blue Earth – Trouble Creek
1999
Set It For The Sun – Soldog
1999
4 Corners Cactus-Chewing Blues (The Colorado Tapes) – Alex Kirt
2000
A Caustic Acoustic Cacophony – The Woodbox Gang
2001
Trashcan Americana – The Woodbox Gang

2002
Wormwood – The Woodbox Gang

2003
Showdown (live) – The Woodbox Gang

2003
Born With A Tail – The Woodbox Gang

2003
I’ve Killed Men (soundtrack)
– The Woodbox Gang
2005
Live at Hangar 9 – The Woodbox Gang
2006
The Soothsayers, Vol. 1 – The Soothsayers Jug Band
2008
Drunk As Dragons – The Woodbox Gang
2009
Glorious Scars – The Woodbox Gang
2010
Confidence Man (soundtrack) – The Woodbox Gang
2012
Bluegill Boogie – Giant City Slickers
2012
Glorious Scars – The Woodbox Gang
2014
Soundstage Session – The Mudsills (official release 2015)
Notable Live Musical Performances
2015 Live On Main, Carbondale, IL
2014
Shiner Spring Fest, Carbondale IL
2013
The Historic Liberty Theater, Murphysboro, IL
2013/ 12
Shryock Auditorium, Carbondale IL
2009
River Roots Live Music Festival, Davenport IA
2009
American Music Festival, Harrisburg PA
2009
Great Blue Heron Festival, Sherman NY
2008
The Fox Theater, Boulder CO
2008
The Aggie Theater, Fort Collins CO
2008
Groovefest, Cedar City, UT
2008
The Blue Note Theater, Columbia MO
2007
Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Nightgrass Concert Series, Telluride CO
2007
Trinity Tribal Stomp, Junction City CA
2007
Viva Downtown Redding, Redding CA
2007
Music On Main Street, Driggs ID
2007
Appalachian Uprising Festival, Scott Town OH
2007
Council Mountain Music Festival, Council ID
2007
Aurorafest, Polebridge MT
2007
The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington DC
2006
Wakarusa Music Festival, Lawrence KS