Assistant Professor of Digital Sound Design

Dakota State University

Tate Carson, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Digital Sound Design at Dakota State University (DSU), where he has been teaching since 2021. His research and creative practice center on participatory mobile music, web audio, and locative media. Carson's pedagogical approach emphasizes hands-on learning and interdisciplinary collaboration. His commitment to mentorship and curriculum development continues to prepare students for careers in the rapidly evolving field of digital sound design. At DSU, he leads the Digital Sound Design specialization within the Digital Arts and Design program, developing cutting-edge curricula, including AI music, game audio, and immersive sound design courses.

Research and Creative Practice

In addition to his academic pursuits, Carson has presented his research and music internationally at conferences, including the New Interfaces for Musical Expression Conference and the International Computer Music Conference. His compositions and interactive installations have been featured at venues and festivals worldwide, such as the Network Music Festival and the Web Audio Conference. His work has also been published in The Journal of Digital Media & Interaction.

Carson's recent project, Resonant Landscapes, integrates ambisonic field recordings with GPS technology to overlay soundscapes from South Dakota’s state parks onto physical locations at DSU, creating an immersive auditory experience for users. Supported by a Faculty Research Initiative Grant, this project has garnered international attention and was showcased at conferences such as the Audio Mostly 2024 conference in Milan, Italy.

Background and Influences

A native New Orleanian, Carson's academic and professional background as a jazz bassist informs his electroacoustic compositions and interactive sound designs, blending improvisational elements with digital media. He has written music for various ensembles, acousmatic fixed media, and interactive installations, focusing on integrating technology into artistic expression.

Education

Carson holds a PhD in Experimental Music and Digital Media from Louisiana State University, where he completed his dissertation titled Using Distributed Technology to Make Music in the Time of the Attention Economy. He also holds an MFA in Electronic Music and Recording Media from Mills College, where he completed And the water receded, a musical sonification of Hurricane Katrina using animated notation for three players and electronics. This work was part of his MFA thesis titled Musical Sonification of Hurricane Katrina and Its Aftermath, which explored the sonification of historical events. Carson also holds an MM in Jazz Studies from the University of New Orleans and a BM in Music Industry Studies from Loyola University New Orleans.