Bending Brains

Aaron Paolucci is an Associate Professor in the Creative Technologies Program at Illinois State University. He has been teaching at ISU since 1999, having taught over 120 full-length courses across a wide range of music and audio-related topics including sound design, speaker design and application, music mixing and mastering, surround sound engineering, microphone theory and application, sound reinforcement, sound for gaming and animation, and so on. He is passionate about designing and prototyping high-end professional and audiophile loudspeakers for live stage, studio, and home applications; always in pursuit of the purest possible reproduction of music and sound. Additionally, Aaron brings a wealth of experience as a theatre sound designer, a live audio engineer, and a mixing/mastering engineer, having worked on over 100 stage productions and recording projects over the last 30 years.

Julia Steiner is a singer/songwriter and performs in the band “Ratboys”. She is from Louisville, Kentucky and has been making music in the Chicago ‘DIY’ scene for 10 years. Ratboys: a 10-year songwriting partnership, an evolving live show, a D.I.Y. project, a web of friendships, and everything in between. Almost as soon as Julia Steiner and Dave Sagan met during their college orientation, they started playing music together. What came out of their dorm rooms was the 5-song RATBOY EP, uploaded to Bandcamp on April 1, 2011 to share with friends and family. Ratboys have put out: three full-length albums, multiple EP's, and multiple live recordings and continue to work on new music.

Chris Sullivan is a filmmaker and performance artist. Working in long form alternative narrative, his features include 'Consuming Spirits' and 'The Orbit of Minor Satellites'. He advises with an open mind to students' direction and desires, his goal being to help them make strong work that has unique vision. He works well with writing, visuals, sound design, animation, comics, sculpture, painting, and drawing. He focuses on the reception of the work to the viewer, audience, or reader and how to make what is important to you visible in complicated ways.

Chris is a Professor at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in Film, Video, New Media, and Animation (1989). BFA, 1983, Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Screenings: Film Forum, NY; Cinefamily, Los Angeles; Museum of Modern Art, NY; Whitney Biennial, NY; Boston Art Museum; Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus; Houston Fine Arts Museum; Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago. Film Festivals: Tribeca, NY; Annecy International Animated Film Festival, France; Zagreb Film Festival, Croatia; Festiwal Animator, Puznam Poland (1st Prize); Cork Film Festival, Ireland; Istanbul, Luxembourg City Film Festival; Fantoche International Animation Film Festival, Switzerland; Animatou, Geneva; Holland Animation Film Festival, Utrecht; Melbourne International Animation Festival, Australia. Awards: John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship; Rockefeller Media Arts Fellowship; Bush Foundation Fellowship; Illinois Arts Council; NEA Regional fellowships; Creative Capital Film Grant. I am presently in the final stages of my new feature film, The Orbit of Minor Satellites.

Singer-songwriter lyricism, hypnotic soundscapes, and a loud heart are what ring through Shi la Rosa's music. She experiments with both upbeat grooves to dance to and dreamy croons, beckoning you to look inward. Originally hailing from Cleveland, the 'Space Queen' singer found her artistic footing in Chicago. Within one year of releasing her debut EP, Sometimes I Think of You, she found herself playing at iconic Chicago venues, such as the Green Mill, Schuba’s Tavern, Subterranean, and Space in Evanston. La Rosa’s vocal tone has subtle nods to legends such as Lana Del Rey and Banks, but with an umph more comparable to Gwen Stefani. Each song taps into a different flavor of emotional saturation that only surfaces from prolonged introspection. Best defined as indie pop, the artist's soaring vocals will cut you and kiss you in one foul sweep.

Tim Strzechowski is a Chicagoland-based multi-media artist whose intuitive approach to artwork is propelled by the 1970s-era cartooning of his childhood, coupled with a surreal, psychedelic approach to his use of subject, color, and contour. Whether presenting portraits or dreamscapes, Tim’s work attempts to explore the interplay between spontaneity and structure, often employing rich detail in works meant to invite calm, mindful contemplation.

Tommy Lyons is 28 year old guy with a lot of love for his family and a child-like passion for skateboarding, running, kayaking, cleaning up the Forest Preserves, and spending time in the sun. Other hobbies include over-playing and singing Jason Mraz songs for his family and friends. He likes to sprinkle in 80s action movies whenever he gets the chance.

Soultru is a hip-hop/soul duo based out of the Quad Cities Iowa/Illinois. They're signed to Kansas City label The Record Machine. They sometimes travel with a full-band and other times as a duo or solo (Terrance Banks). They blend soul singing and hip hop verses to make relatable music for all. Drawing influence from gospel music artists like Fred Hammond and Smokie Norful. While later finding artists such as Gavin Degraw, Anthony Hamilton, John Legend as well Hip-Hop acts like Kanye West, Common and Anderson.Paak.

From Chicago’s southwest side, Jason Niehoff began his musical studies at the age of 11, on electric bass. Two years later he began learning the double bass. He attended DePaul University studying classical string bass, and spent a year at Saint Xavier University, studying harpsichord. He is a bassist with the Elgin, Kalamazoo and South Bend Symphonies, and a freelance artist in the Chicagoland area. Jason enjoys learning a few other instruments, which are: guitar, electric bass, cello, keyboards, sitar, and drums. His teachers are: Patricia Lee on harpsichord, Donn Desanto, Larry Gray, Robert Kassinger, and Joseph Guastafeste on double bass.