Curriculum Vitae
Alex J. Kirt
1002 West Edwards Street Maryville, MO 64468
TEL: 618-534-9600
Email: kirt1974@gmail.com
Education:
•Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)
Mass Communication and Media Arts Southern Illinois University Carbondale May 2015
•Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Radio-Television
Southern Illinois University Carbondale August 2012
•Associate of Arts (A.A.) – with honors Shawnee Community College, Ullin, IL December 2011
Media Arts Teaching Experience:
Northwest Missouri State University Associate Professor of Audio Production Tenured May 2022
•Fall 2023/Spring 2024
MMED 20322 – Advanced Practicum in Radio MMED 20329 – Audio Tech & Recording
MMED 20224 – Introduction to Audio
MMED 20215 – Practicum in Radio
MMED 20370 – Live Sound Theory and Practice
MMED 20407 – Advanced Audio – Post
MMED 20409 – Media Business & Entrepreneurship
MMED 20415 – Music Business
•Summer 2023
MMED 20409 – Media Business & Entrepreneurship
•Fall 2022/Spring 2023
MMED 20322 – Advanced Practicum in Radio MMED 20329 – Audio Tech & Recording
MMED 20224 – Introduction to Audio
MMED 20215 – Practicum in Radio
MMED 20370 – Live Sound Theory and Practice
MMED 20406 – Advanced Audio – Music
MMED 20409 – Media Business & Entrepreneurship
MMED 20415 – Music Business
MMED 20429 – Advanced Audio – Independent Study
•Summer 2022
MMED 20409 – Media Business & Entrepreneurship
MMED 20452 – Summer Internship
•Fall 2021/Spring 2022 –
MMED 20322 – Advanced Practicum in Radio MMED 20329 – Audio Tech & Recording
MMED 20224 – Introduction to Audio
MMED 20215 – Practicum in Radio
MMED 20370 – Live Sound Theory and Practice
MMED 20407 – Advanced Audio - Post
MMED 20409 – Media Business & Entrepreneurship
MMED 20429 – Advanced Audio – Independent Study
•Summer 2021
MMED 20409 – Media Business & Entrepreneurship
MMED 20452 – Summer Internship
•Fall 2020/Spring 2021
MMED 20322 – Advanced Practicum in Radio MMED 20329 – Audio Tech & Recording
MMED 20224 – Introduction to Audio
MMED 20215 – Practicum in Radio
MMED 20370 – Live Sound Theory and Practice
MMED 20406 – Advanced Audio - Music
MMED 20409 – Media Business & Entrepreneurship
MMED 20429 – Advanced Audio – Independent Study
•Summer 2020
MMED 20409 – Media Business & Entrepreneurship
•Fall 2019/Spring 2020
MMED 20322 – Advanced Practicum in Radio MMED 20329 – Audio Tech & Recording
MMED 20224 – Introduction to Audio
MMED 20215 – Practicum in Radio
MMED 20370 – Live Sound Theory and Practice
MMED 20407 – Advanced Audio - Post
MMED 20409 – Media Business & Entrepreneurship
•Summer 2019
MMED 20215 – Practicum in Radio
MMED 20409 – Media Business & Entrepreneurship (Online)
•Fall 2018/Spring 2019
MMED 20322 – Advanced Practicum in Radio MMED 20329 – Audio Tech & Recording
MMED 20224 – Introduction to Audio
MMED 20215 – Practicum in Radio
MMED 20490 – Sound Design & Aesthetics MMED 20406 – Advanced Audio Music
MMED 20409 – Media Business & Entrepreneurship
•Summer 2018
MMED 20409 – Media Business & Entrepreneurship (Online)
MMED 20215 – Practicum in Radio
•Fall 2017/Spring 2018
MMED 20322 – Advanced Practicum in Radio MMED 20329 – Audio Tech & Recording
MMED 20224 – Introduction to Audio
MMED 20215 – Practicum in Radio
MMED 20490 – Sound Design & Aesthetics MMED 20407 – Advanced Audio Post
MMED 20409 – Media Business & Entrepreneurship
Southern Illinois University, Visiting Lecturer of Sound
•Fall 2016/Spring 2017
RTD361 - Sound Mix in Popular Culture RTD362i - Sound Art and Practice RTD363 - Radio & Audio Production
RTD389 – Analog Sound Recording History
Southern Illinois University, Instructor of Record
•Spring 2015
RTD362i - History of Sound Recording Technology
Southern Illinois University, Graduate Teaching Assistant
•Fall 2014
RTD361 - Radio and Audio Production
RTD496 - Sound and The Moving Image
•Summer 2014
SIU TV News Camp
•Spring 2014
RTD376 - Advanced Audio Engineering RTD475 - MIDI Production Studio
•Fall 2013
RTD375 - Introduction to Audio Engineering
Committees and Board Memberships
•2017 – Present – Student Media Scholarship Committee
•2017 – Present – Student Media Leadership Committee
•2019 – Present – University Museums Advisory Board
•2019 – 2020 – Faculty Grants Review Committee
•2020 – 2021 – Faculty Grants Review Committee
•2021 – 2022 – Curriculum & Degree Requirements Committee
•2022 – 2024 – Designated Curricular Matters Committee
Professional Memberships:
•2011- Present - Audio Engineering Society
•2014 – Present - Association for Recorded Sound Collections
•2015 – Present - Popular Culture Association
•2017 – Present – Missouri Broadcasting Educators Association
•2017 – Present – Broadcast Educators Association
•2017 – Present – College Broadcasters Inc.
•2017 – Present – National Association of Broadcasters
•2017 – Present – College Media Association
Audio Software/Hardware Proficiencies:
•Avid Pro Tools
•Ableton Live
•Adobe Creative Cloud
•Logic Pro
•Universal Audio Plugins & Hardware
•Waves Platinum Audio Plugins
•Megaseg Radio/DJ Automation Software
•iZotope RX Audio Restoration Suite
•iZotope Ozone Mastering Suite
•Analog and Digital Audio Processing Hardware
•Live Sound Reinforcement Equipment
Creative/Research Interests and Specializations:
•Audio Recording/ Engineering/ Mastering
•Music Production/ Songwriting/ Music Performance
•Regional Music Archiving
•Live Sound Reinforcement
•Live Concert Recording
•Sound Recording Preservation, Digital and Analog
•Sound for Film (Foley, ADR, Music Scoring, Sound Design, Sound Effects)
•Gramophone Disc Recording Lathes
•Phonograph Cylinder Recording
•History and Science of Sound Recording Technology
•Sound Art/ Sound Sculpture
•360 Video Recording and Editing
MFA Thesis:
•“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 Gatling-o-phone”, a hybrid sound art sculpture that is part Gatling Gun and part Gramophone Disc player.
•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 and historical preservation.
•Shintonarumori
A series of sound art sculptures featuring antique shoeshine boxes repurposed as artworks,
each fitted with its own internal sound generating devices.
The Shintonarumori series 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:
•2022 Tower Choir at Conception Abbey
Live recording of Tower Choir concert, pipe organ accompaniment by Br. Michael Marcotte, O.S.B.
Exhibit: June 2022
•2021 Live Music in VR
Series of eight live music performances in 360 VR Exhibit: July 2021
Online (YouTube VR)
•2020 Closed Mic Nights
Collaborative live-streaming house concerts series
Raised over $150,000 in donations to charitable organizations for COVID19 relief Exhibit: June 2020 – June 2021
Online Formats (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram)
•2019 Labor Day Arts Exhibition – Songs of Labor
A curated playlist of labor songs from the Southern Illinois Music Archive Exhibit: August 29th – September 27th, 2019
University Museum
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
•2019 The Gatlingophone Sound Art Performance Exhibit: June 8th, 2019 Hear Now! Audio Festival Kansas City, Missouri
•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
Occupy PCA Guerrilla Arts Performance - Punk Culture
PCA/ACA Conference Exhibit: April 1st - 4th, 2015 New Orleans, LA
•2014 New Deal Art Now: A Reframing Of The Artifacts Of Diversity
Digital Audio Recordings Exhibit
Exhibit: June 3rd through November 1st, 2014
University Museum, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale IL
•2014 Soundings: An Evening of Sound Art and Performance
Sound Art Performance
Live, direct-to-disc 78rpm phono disc recording Exhibit: May 3rd, 2014
Track One Gallery, Nashville TN
•2014 Southern Illinois Music Archive: Location Recordings
Digital and Analog Audio Recordings Exhibit SIUC Graduate Student Symposium and Exhibition Exhibit: April 24th – May 2nd, 2014
University Museum, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale IL
•2013 Audioscapes: The Cityscapes of Tube Circuits
Photographic Series Exhibit
SIUC MCMA Graduate Student Symposium and Exhibition Exhibit: April 25th – May 4th, 2013
University Museum, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale IL
•2012 Southern Illinois Music Archive: Curating Regional Archives
Essay Presentation
SIUC MCMA Graduate Student Symposium and Exhibition Presentation: April 27th, 2012
University Museum, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale IL
•2012 Dandelions – The Rural Kings
Documentary Film Screening
SIUC MCMA Graduate Student Symposium and Exhibition University Museum, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale IL Screening: April 27th, 2012
•2012 Scratching the Surface
Interactive Live Sound Art Performance SIUC MFA Student Media Arts Exhibition Exhibit: December 11th, 2012
College of Mass Communications and Media Arts Southern Illinois University, Carbondale IL
Published Works and Research:
•Kirt, Alex. “The Pelican on the Pier: A True Story” Springhouse Magazine. Vol 34, Number 1. Ed. Brian DeNeal. Marion, IL, 2020. 12-13. Print
•Kirt, Alex. “Review of The 78 Project Movie by filmmaker A. Steyermark.” Journal of Radio and Audio Media. Vol 22, Number 1. Ed. Dr. Phylis West, Ph.D. Philadelphia, PA: Routledge, 2015. 131-134. Print.
•Kirt, Alex. “Celtic Connections: A 25-year Retrospective With Host Bryan Kelso
Crow.” Journal of Radio & Audio Media. Vol 23, Number 1, Ed. Dr. Phylis West, Ph.D. Philadeliphia, PA: Routledge, 2016. 164-170. Print.
Sound For Film:
2013 Waveland
Dir. Cade Bursell Experimental Film
Credits: Alex Kirt – Sound Designer, Stereo Mix, and Surround Mix
Awards: Winner – Award of Merit (Best Experimental Film) 2014 UFVA Film and Video Festival
2013 Cowboy Christmas
Dir. H.D. Motyl Documentary Film
Credits: Alex Kirt – Original Music Score, Stereo Mix, and Surround Mix
Awards:
•Best Feature Documentary: 2013 Madrid International Film Festival
•Nominated Best Feature Documentary: 2014 Trail Dance Film Festival
•Best of Fest: Feature Documentary: 2014 BEA Festival of Media Arts
Screenings:
•2013 Louisville International Festival of Film
•2013 Madrid International Film Festival
•2014 Virginia Film Festival
•2014 Trail Dance Film Festival
•2014 Beloit International Film Festival
•2014 “Imagining Geographies” series, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
•2014 UFVA (University Film and Video Association) Film and Video Screening
•2015 Three Rivers Film Festival
•2015 Prescott Film Festival
•2016 Available on iTunes, Netflix, and Amazon Video
2010 Confidence Man
Dir. Robert Streit
Documentary Film
Credits: Alex Kirt – Original Music Score, Soundtrack
Screenings:
•2011 St Louis International Film Festival
•2012 Cedar City Film Festival
2003 The Legend of Charlie Birger
Dir. David Kidd Documentary Film
Credits: Alex Kirt/ The Woodbox Gang – Original Soundtrack
Screenings:
-National Broadcasts on PBS
Academic Conference Presentations:
•Upcoming:
2024 Voice Processing for Sound Recordings and Live Broadcasts
Alex Kirt – Presenter
Missouri Broadcasting Educators Association
Conference 2024 Warrensburg, MO
•2023 Best Practices for Microphone Selection
Alex Kirt – Presenter
Missouri Broadcasting Educators Association Conference 2023 Cape Girardeau, MO
•2023 College Radio Roundtable Panel
Alex Kirt – Moderator
College Media Association/MBEA Conference 2023 Cape Girardeau, MO
•2023 Best Practices in Audio Recording for Music Educators
Alex Kirt – Presenter
Missouri Music Educators Association Conference 2023 Osage Beach, MO
•2021 College Radio Station Use of Social Media
Alex Kirt, Dr. Robert Bergland, Ph.D., Dr. Kyle Miller, Ph.D. – Co-Author and Presenter Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Conference 2020
San Francisco, CA (held online due to COVID19)
•2020 Wasteland or Wonderland: Media in 2040
Alex Kirt, Dr. Jon Pluskota, Ph.D., Dr. Phylis West, Ph.D. – Co-Author and Presenter Broadcasting Educators Association Conference 2020
Las Vegas, NV
•2019 How Archiving Challenges of the Past can be used to Shape Future Approaches
Alex Kirt, Dr. Jon Pluskota – Panel Moderator / Presenter Association for Recorded Sound Collections 2019 Conference Portland, OR
•2017 Theory of Resistance
The Social Justice Artworks of Dr. Michael Faris Alex Kirt - Moderator of Discussion Panel
Northwest Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Northwest Missouri State University
•2015 Resilience Radio Global Fusion Conference College Station, TX
Live Radio Art Performance
•2015 Establishing the Southern Illinois Music Archive: Regional Archives in a Digital Age
Essay Presentation/Panel Discussion Popular Culture Association Conference New Orleans, LA
•2015 The Gatling-o-phone
Media Arts Performance
Popular Culture Association Conference New Orleans, LA
•2014 Noise in the Hive: History, Interpretation, and the Arts in the Global Sound Archive
Essay Presentation/Media Arts Performance/Panel Discussion Global Fusion Conference
Austin, TX
Grant Awarding Organizations
•2019 – 2021: Council of Library Information Resources (CLIR) Recordings at Risk (RAR)
Grants Reviewing Panel Member
Grants Awarded
•2020 Northwest Faculty Research Grant for 360 VR Live Event Recording
The grant funds were used to purchase equipment to build a VR studio. After my initial projects were completed, the studio became a learning lab for students interested in working with VR and 360 videos.
Academic Committees & Advising Positions
•2018 – Present: University Museums Advisory Board
Northwest Missouri State University
•2018 – 2022: University Research Committee
Northwest Missouri State University
•2017 – Present: Faculty Adviser / Chief Operator
KZLX-LP FM 106.7, Maryville
•2017 – Present: Student Media Advisement Committee
School of Communication & Media Arts Northwest Missouri State University Maryville, MO
•2016 – Present: Judge, Student and Faculty Audio Competition Broadcasting Educators Association (BEA) Festival of Media Arts
National Touring/ Live Performance/ Tour Management Experience:
•March 2005 – September 2009: Simon Says Booking, Orange, MA
Audio Engineering/ Mixing/ Mastering Projects:
•2007 “Drunk As Dragons” by The Woodbox Gang – Recording, Mix, & Mastering Engineer
•2008 "Misfits Masquerade" by The Woodbox Gang – Recording, Mix, & Mastering Engineer
•2009 “White Trash Voodoo” by The Woodbox Gang – Recording, Mix, & Mastering Engineer
•2010 “Confidence Man” by The Woodbox Gang – Recording, Mix, & Mastering Engineer
•2011 “Ol’ Moose” by Doug Anderson – Mix Engineer
•2012 “Glorious Scars” by The Woodbox Gang – Recording, Mix, & Mastering Engineer
•2012 “Bluegill Boogie” by Giant City Slickers – Recording & Mix Engineer
•2013 “Torch Ditties” by Jennifer Johnson – Recording, Mix, & Mastering Engineer
•2014 "Sound Stage Sessions" by The Mudsills – Recording, Mix, & Mastering Engineer
•2014 “Live at the Old Feed Store” by Chris Jones and The Nightdrivers – Recording Engineer
•2014 “Dreamhead” by The Flowers of Evil – Mastering Engineer
•2014 “One Way Ride” by We Killed The Lion – Recording & Mix
•2015 "Cold Blood" by Buzzzard – Recording, Mix, & Mastering Engineer
•2015 "Scifislands" by Scifislands – Mastering Engineer
•2016 "Dying Day" by We Killed The Lion – Recording Engineer & Mix
•2016 “These Are My Neighbors” by Jenny Johnson Band – Recording, Mix, & Mastering
•2016 “Kelven” by Kelven – Mastering Engineer
•2016 “Blast Radius” by Blast Radius –Mastering Engineer
•2016 “Kelven 2” by Kelven – Mastering Engineer
•2016 “Beth Davis” by Beth Davis – Recording Engineer & Mastering Engineer
•2017 “Kelven 3” by Kelven – Mastering Engineer
•2017 “Ballads of Makanda” by Jenny Johnson – Mastering Engineer
•2018 “Kelven 4” by Kelven – Mastering Engineer
•2019 “Gas Station Sandwiches” by The People vs. Hugh DeNeal – Mastering Engineer
•2020 “Kelven 5” by Kelven – Mastering Engineer
•2020 “Buzzzard 2” by Buzzzard – Mixing and Mastering Engineer
•2020 “Folded Hands” by Ethan Stephenson Band – Mastering Engineer
•2020 “Santa’s Got The ‘Rona” by Whiteford Family Band – Mastering Engineer
•2021 “WKTL in VR” by We Killed The Lion – 360 Videography, Video Editor, Producer, Recording Engineer, Mixing Engineer, Mastering Engineer
•2021 “The Jewels in VR” by The Jewels – 360 Videography, Video Editor, Producer, Recording Engineer, Mixing Engineer, Mastering Engineer
•2021 “Buzzzard in VR” by Buzzzard – 360 Videography, Video Editor, Producer, Recording Engineer, Mixing Engineer, Mastering Engineer
•2021 “The Horror & The Heartbreak” – by Tim Whiteford – Mastering Engineer
•2023 “My Oldest Friend” – by Nobody’s Sweethearts – Mastering Engineer
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
•2014 “Let’s Go” by Big Larry Williams
•2014 “Stuck On You” by Soulglo
Sound Art/ Sound Sculptures:
•2019 Shoot the Immigrant Child. sound art sculpture with Dr. Michael Faris, PhD
•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.
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
Live Performance Art:
•2014 Plowing Lacquer.
Live direct to disc 78rpm sound recording performance
•2012 Scratching the Surface.
collaborative sound art performance with Honna Veerkamp
Musical Projects/ Live Performance:
•2000 – Present: The Woodbox Gang
•2014 - 2017: The Devil's Duo
•2012 – 2017: The Mudsills
•2009 – 2014: The Giant City Slickers
•2009 – 2012: The Django Billies
•2005 – 2012: The Soothsayers Jug Band
•1997 - 1998:Trouble Creek
•1993 – 1996: Soldog
Professional Discography as Musician/Songwriter:
•2015 Soundstage Session – The Mudsills
•2012 Glorious Scars – The Woodbox Gang
•2012 Bluegill Boogie – Giant City Slickers
•2010 Confidence Man (soundtrack) – The Woodbox Gang
•2009 Glorious Scars – The Woodbox Gang
•2008 Drunk As Dragons – The Woodbox Gang
•2006 The Soothsayers, Vol. 1 – The Soothsayers Jug Band
•2005 Live at Hangar 9 – The Woodbox Gang
•2003 I’ve Killed Men (soundtrack) – The Woodbox Gang
•2003 Born With A Tail – The Woodbox Gang
•2003 Showdown (live) – The Woodbox Gang
•2002 Wormwood – The Woodbox Gang
•2001 Trashcan Americana – The Woodbox Gang
•2000 A Caustic Acoustic Cacophony – The Woodbox Gang
•1999 4 Corners Cactus-Chewing Blues (The Colorado Tapes) – Alex Kirt
•1999 Set It For The Sun – Soldog
•1997 Blue Earth – Trouble Creek
•1995 Dawning – Soldog
•1994 Without A Name – Soldog
Notable Live Musical Performances:
•2023 Little Grassy Getdown, Touch of Nature, Makanda, IL
•2022 Little Grassy Getdown, Touch of Nature, Makanda, IL
•2019 Wander Down Festival, Touch of Nature, Makanda, IL
•2018 Carbondale Halloween on Main Street, Carbondale, IL
•2017 Carbondale Rocks Revival, Carbondale, IL
•2016 Carbondale Rocks Revival, Carbondale, IL
•2016 Murphysboro Riverside Blues Festival, Murphysboro, IL
•2016 Family Night, Carbondale, IL
•2015 Live On Main, Carbondale, IL
•2014 Shiner Spring Fest, Carbondale IL
•2013 The Historic Liberty Theater, Murphysboro, IL
•2013 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