Seven-time Academy Award winning sound designer Gary Rydstrom discusses his career, his recent work on Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Strange Magic, and his enthusiasm for the master’s program in sound at Northwestern.

Northwestern University held a conference called Sonic Boom: Sustaining Sound Studies, which brought together artists, scientists, storytellers, and scholars who share a focus on sound. Hear how the conference led to the creation of the unique master’s program in Sound Arts and Industries at Northwestern.