The BA in Recording Arts and Production is coordinated by two full-time faculty members.
David Sanders
Professor, School of Communication and Media
973-655-7974
sandersd@montclair.edu
Morehead Hall, 129
Bryan Powell
Assistant Professor Music Technology/Education, Cali School of Music
973-655-7279
powellb@montclair.edu
Chapin Hall, 348
Adjunct audio faculty in both the School of Communication and Media and the John. J. Cali School of Music also teach courses in this program. They are all working professionals with a vast amount of experience in their respective areas of audio and production. They provide invaluable connections to the industry, current and emerging professional practices, and technical resources for our students.
Phil Clifford
Production Manager, Cali School of Music
cliffordp@montclair.edu
Chapin Hall, 120
Shane Furst
Shane Furst is currently a professor in the School of Communications Audio Department. He is an alumni of the School of Communications Television Digital Media and Sound Design program. His audio experience spans engineering, recording, mixing, mastering, and producing. Alongside this he works events and shows doing live sound. He began his audio career during his undergraduate years as an assistant to Eric Bennett at Lakehouse Studios. Since then he has worked at Electric Lady, The Den, and Smacktone Studios. Now, he owns his own commercial studio located in Woodland Park, New Jersey called Cloud Factory Recording. In his free time he is a touring and recording musician with several bands such as Royal Blush, Savnt, The Burning Young, and Nolan. He enjoys collaborating with others to help bring their ideas to life whether it is engineering or acting as a session musician.
Bill Lacey
Bill Lacey is an award-winning sound designer • re-recording mixer • mastering engineer and composer. He has extensive experience in post-production sound mixing, sound design, mastering, and restoration for the film, television, radio, advertising, and record industries. He is a Wwise Certified Instructor. Bill has written for the esteemed British publications “Resolution” and “Sound On Sound”. Recent award-winning work includes a Gold Telly Award for “The First Lady”, a ProMax Silver Award for “Halo – First Look Trailer” and a Clio Gold Award for “Good Lord Bird”. He has mastered over 300 CDs, including the Grammy Award-winning “Heifetz Collection”, the Grammy-nominated “The Song Is You” and the twice Grammy-nominated “Toscanini Collection”. He is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music in Boston and has an MFA in Video Game Music and Audio from Chichester University, UK. He is currently a Senior Sound Designer • Re-Recording Mixer at Showtime Networks/Paramount+.
Nina Ossoff
Nina Ossoff is a multi-genre, multiplatinum songwriter. USA releases include songs recorded by Daughtry (#1 selling Grammy-nominated multi-platinum record), “Halestorm” (single “I Get Off” went to #9 on the rock charts), Theory of a Deadman, the Temptations (50th single on their 50th record), Patti Austin, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Irma Thomas, the Cheetah Girls, Hillary Duff, Lizzie Carter, Shinedown, the Maine, Emphatic. International releases include Judy Cheeks (#1 dance single UK), Kumi Koda (#10 single, largest-selling artist in Japan), Jonathan Butler (single was South Africa soccer anthem), Louise, Erire, Sondra Polop (single/Spain’s Idol winner). And Love to Infinity, Nina (Philippine Idol), Christian Bautista. Movie and television credits include the theme from the Powerpuff Girls movie, the Barbie Diaries, the Bratz, Miss Congeniality, Center Stage, Barbershop, the Hot Chick, Cadet Kelley, the Young and the Restless, all my children, MTV’s American Mall, Soulfood, Lizzie McGuire, NFL football, Legos, Entertainment Tonight. Bring It On 1 & 2. Recent releases include Through Fire, Citizen Soldier, Analiese, Plush (single on debut CD), Erich Bergen, Anthony Nunziata, Carolyn Miller, Kathy Kosins (single).
Rod Shepard
Rod Shepard, is a guitarist, songwriter, producer, audio engineer, and arranger. A certified ProTools Operator with Expert-level training, as the 25+year owner/operator of a hybrid 24-track analog-digital commercial-project recording studio. His expertise is in recording and music production, with ProTools as the central hub of the studio. The studio features digital recording and production, as well as various analog tape formats hosting types of projects that range from midi production to recording and arranging for bands of various configurations.
Shepard’s technical performance work experience includes live sound, live recording, wiring and installations, as well as audio production for studios, radio and television (ESPN, TLC Channels). Work also includes band production and arranging for stage and studio, 25 years as Music & Audio Technology instructor at High Tech High School, Secaucus, New Jersey, director of the instrumental ensemble program, jazz band director, and the school’s award-winning Musical Theater program’s music director.
Paul Vitolins
Paul Vitolins graduated Berklee College of Music with a Bachelors in Film Scoring and Music Production/Engineering. Since then, he has worked in both Los Angeles and New York as a re-recording mixer, sound editor, and sound designer for TV, film, and podcasts. He has also recorded and mixed hundreds of artists through his work on Spotify Sessions.
Teaching Audio Production, he brings his experience to the classroom, and provides perspective to students on what is expected as a modern audio professional. www.Audiography.com or www.paulvitolins.com
Matthew Wilson
Matthew, who earned his MFA in Production Design and Technology from Ohio University in 2013, joined the Department of Broadcast and Media Operations in 2019 following 4 years as an Adjunct Instructor of Audio for Film and Television in the School of Communication and Media. Matthew specializes in Audio and Lighting for entertainment and architecture carrying nearly 20 years of experience in the field. Prior to teaching at Montclair State Matthew served as the Technical and Facilities Manager for the National Opera Center in NYC, Technical Director for The Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater in NYC, and was an Engineer at the Peterson Sound Studio in Athens Ohio.