Full CV

TEACHING & ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
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Adjunct Faculty, Music — California State University San Marcos · Fall 2025 – Spring 2026
Adjunct Faculty, Music Technology — MiraCosta College · Fall 2025 – Spring 2026
Adjunct Faculty — San Diego Community College District · Fall 2022 – Spring 2026
Commercial Music (City College); Music / Audio Production & Engineering (Miramar College).
Adjunct Faculty, Communications Media – Film — John Paul the Great Catholic University · 2022 – 2024
Sound for Film: production sound and post-production workflows.
Adjunct Faculty, Digital Audio Engineering — Shoreline Community College, WA · 2016 – 2022
Audio production across in-person, hybrid, and fully online formats; primary academic advisor for an assigned cohort.
Adjunct Faculty — The Art Institute of Seattle, WA · 2012 – 2017
BS Audio Design Technology; AAA Audio Production.
Adjunct Faculty — Seattle Film Institute, Seattle, WA · 2017
Sound Design & Recording Arts and Filmmaking programs.
Adjunct Faculty — Cornish College of the Arts, School of Music, Seattle, WA · 2012 – 2013
Fundamentals of Electronic Music.
Academic Director, Audio Design Technology — The Art Institute of Seattle, WA · 2003 – 2012
Primary architect of the BS in Audio Design Technology. Developed associate and bachelor’s curriculum; hired, managed, and evaluated full- and part-time faculty; managed course and faculty scheduling; oversaw operating, leasehold, and capital budgets; assessed and implemented recording-studio technology.
Full-Time Faculty, Audio Production — The Art Institute of Seattle, WA · 1999 – 2003
Sound physics, microphone and signal-processing theory and practice, signal routing, mixing consoles, multitrack recording and mixing, digital audio editing, sound for video, and sound design.
Adjunct Faculty — Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL · 1999
Foundations of Computer Applications; Designing for the Web; Academic Computing workshops.
Adjunct Faculty — Robert Morris College, Chicago, IL · 1998 – 1999
Web Publishing with HTML; Multimedia for the Web; Multimedia I.

VISITING LECTURES & WORKSHOPS
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  • University of Washington — Guest Lecturer, ART 360C: Sound, Space and Interaction. Seattle, WA. (2012)
  • Open Spaces Gallery — field-recording workshop and Phonographers Union performance. Victoria, BC. (2010)
  • World Listening Day — soundwalk through Green Lake Park. Seattle, WA.
  • Polestar Music Gallery — Contact Microphone Workshop with Dave Knott, John Bain, Toby Paddock. Seattle, WA. (2003, 2004)
  • The Art Institute of Seattle — Guest Lecturer, Art Appreciation. Seattle, WA. (2002)
  • Experience Music Project — Demo Lab presentation of invented instruments, with Dave Knott. Seattle, WA. (2001)
  • School of the Art Institute of Chicago — Guest Lecturer, First Year Program. Chicago, IL. (1996, 1997)
  • School of the Art Institute of Chicago — Guest Lecturer, Performance: Theory and Practice. Chicago, IL. (1996)
  • School of the Art Institute of Chicago — Guest Lecturer, Performance and Installation. Chicago, IL. (1994)

PROFESSIONAL AUDIO EXPERIENCE
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Owner & Executive Director — Ragmatic Audio · 2016 – Present
Audio post-production for documentary and independent film — dialogue, SFX, and music editing, sound design, and mixing — plus studio consulting and acoustic-treatment installation. Selected clients: Let Media (Sarah Menzies), Non-Fiction Media (Amy Benson & Scott McQuire), Kantha Productions (Cathy Stevulak & Leonard Hill), Marissa Rae Niederhauser, The Art Institute of Seattle, Disney+, Vox Media, Tech Insider, California State Police, and Pinnacle Global Networks.
Studio Manager, Instructor & Engineer — Experimental Sound Studio, Chicago, IL · 1992 – 1999
Managed recording facilities and engineered sessions for audio art, radio, music, and sound design. Developed and taught workshops in recording technique, signal processing, sampling, sound for performance, and digital audio; integrated the digital audio workstation into the studio and curriculum. Coordinated BONES, a CD release of local sound artists (curation, remastering, packaging, and release event), and maintained the organization’s website.
Recording Engineer & Workshop Coordinator — Jack Straw Productions, Seattle, WA · 1999 – 2001
Engineered recording sessions; supported children’s education programs and media-gallery installations; developed and taught workshops in basic recording techniques and digital audio.
Administrative Assistant & Technician — School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Performance Dept. · 1995 – 1997
Managed the departmental office and budget; maintained audio, video, and lighting facilities; mentored students on sound and lighting setup in the performance studio.

SELECTED POST-PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING CREDITS
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Film & Documentary
  • 60 Dates in 6 Months (feature) — MM Productions LLC; dir. Scott Leslie. Dialogue & music editing, Foley, mixing.
  • The Picture (short) — Viz89 Media; dir. Stephanie Heim. Dialogue & music editing; Foley; mixing.
  • Ranch: The Quest for Buttermilk Retribution (comedy short) — Kairo Productions; dir. Kareem Abulaban and Evan Olow. Dialogue editing, sound design, and mixing.
  • A Steelhead Quest (feature) — REI Presents / Let Media. Dialogue, music & SFX editing; mixing.
  • Threads (documentary) — Kantha Productions. Dialogue, music & SFX editing; sound design; mixing.
  • Reaching New Heights: Fazlur Rahman Khan and the Skyscraper (documentary, in progress) — Alif Studios. Dialogue, music & SFX editing; sound design; mixing.
  • Your Chevrolet (short) — dir. Marissa Rae Niederhauser. Sound editing; mixing.

Broadcast & Streaming
  • Kicking and Streaming (series) — Discovery+. Dialogue & music editing; mixing.
  • Community Stories: “Preserving Heritage,” “A Healing Act” (City Stream) — Seattle Channel / Laila Kazmi. Dialogue, music & SFX editing; sound design; mixing.
  • Immigration Reform: A Work in Progress (documentary short) — PBS. Voice-over recording; dialogue, music & SFX editing; mixing.
  • Tech Insider (streaming series) — Insider. Voice-over production; asset management; editing.
  • Epic Gardening (digital ad series) — Let Media. Dialogue editing; SFX; Foley; music editing; mixing.

Music
  • Tom Varner, Sound Vespers — Tom Varner Music. Nonet for brass, percussion, and electronics; performer (electronics / field recordings), mixing, mastering, and electronic processing. (2022)
  • José Iniguez (tenor), Encanto Arts — audio mastering. (2019)

TECHNOLOGY & APPROACH
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Over three decades of practice across the full range of audio production environments — studio, field, post-production, and live performance. Fluent with analog and digital signal chains, from classic mixing consoles and outboard processing to contemporary DAW-based workflows (Pro Tools, Adobe Audition), and equally at home with precision post-production tools and the improvised, exploratory approaches that characterize experimental sound work. Technology is a means rather than an end: the priority is always the sonic result, whether that calls for a purpose-built studio, a portable field rig, or an invented instrument. This orientation toward listening and adaptability — rather than allegiance to any one platform — has shaped both the work and the way I teach it.

CURATORIAL & ORGANIZATIONAL WORK
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Chair, San Diego section of the Audio Engineering Society – Produced and promoted events related to audio and education

Founder, Co-Producer & Co-Curator — In the Eye of the Ear: Sound Art Festival, Chicago, IL · 1995, 1996, 1998
Founded and led three sound art festivals presenting more than thirty local, national, and international artists who use sound as a primary medium. Authored grant proposals, managed the festival budget, served as press liaison, and designed promotional materials and the festival website.

SELECTED PERFORMANCES
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  • The Stone, New York, NY — solo set with electronics and field recordings. (May 2011)
  • Three Duos, with Paul Kikuchi. The Chapel at the Good Shepherd Center, Seattle, WA. (Dec 2010)
  • Seattle Phonographers Union. The Chapel at the Good Shepherd Center, Seattle, WA. (Feb 2008)
  • Seattle Phonographers Union. Building 23, Magnuson Park, Seattle, WA. (Oct 2007)
  • Seattle Phonographers Union. Building 23, Magnuson Park, Seattle, WA. (Sep 2005)
  • Mimeograph CD Release Party, with Rebreather. Baltic Room, Seattle, WA. (Jun 2005)
  • Seattle Phonographers Union. Abbey Ballroom, Tacoma, WA. (Jan 2004)
  • Cog-Dis Series, with Dave Knott. Coffee Messiah, Seattle, WA. (Aug 2003)
  • Polestar Music Gallery, with Dave Knott; also Nathan Hubbard. Seattle, WA. (Mar 2003)
  • Seattle Phonographers Union. Polestar Music Gallery, Seattle, WA. (Oct 2002)
  • Cog-Dis Series, with Jon Tulchin. Coffee Messiah, Seattle, WA. (Apr 2002)
  • Seattle Phonographers Union 120402. Independent Media Center, Seattle, WA. (Apr 2002)
  • SoniCabal 2 CD Release Party — improvisation on invented instruments and objects, with Dave Knott. (Nov 2001)
  • University of Washington, with Jon Tulchin; also Rebreather and Francisco López. Seattle, WA. (Apr 2001)
  • SoniCabal, Patti Summers — group show of Seattle experimental sound and new music. (Sep 2000)
  • SIL2K, I-Spy, with Dave Knott — improvisation on invented instruments. Seattle, WA. (Jul 2000)
  • Hot House, with Chris Heenan — debut of new work developed with Chris Heenan. Chicago, IL.
  • School of the Art Institute of Chicago — Improv, MFA thesis presentation. Chicago, IL. (Apr 1998)
  • Hot House Grand Re-opening Ceremonies. Chicago, IL. (May 1998)
  • Steppenwolf Theater, Traffic Series — with Catherine Slade, Henry Threadgill, Eric Leonardson & Bill Close. Chicago, IL. (Nov 1997)
  • The Art Institute of Chicago, Fullerton Hall — A Tribute to Leon Forrest, with Catherine Slade.
  • Ongoing live improvisation at Seattle venues (The Mercury Room, I-Spy, the Habitat, Coffee Messiah) with Dave Knott, Jon Tulchin, Alex Keller, Chris DeLaurenti, and Ed Petry; and at Chicago venues (Urbus Orbis, Logan Beach Café, Xoinx Tea Room, Artemisia Gallery, The Nervous Center, Randolph Street Gallery, N.A.M.E. Gallery, Oskar Friedl Gallery) with Eric Leonardson, Carol Genetti, Chris Heenan, Tatsu Aoki, Gene Coleman, Jeremy Ruthrauf, Hal Rammel, Sheelah Murthy, Joseph Marchione, and others.

DISCOGRAPHY
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  • Building 27 WNP-5 — LP, Prefecture Records. Improvisation with unprocessed field recordings in unique acoustic spaces (aircraft hangar and nuclear power plant cooling tower). (2014)
  • Along These Lines — CD, Mimeomeme. Electro-acoustic improvisation and composition. (2010)
  • Seattle Phonographers Union — CD, and/OAR – Mimeomeme. Improvisation with unprocessed field recordings. (2010)
  • Rarebit — CD, Mimeomeme. Improvisation on invented instruments; duets with Eric Leonardson. (2008)
  • Say “tin-tah-pee-mick” — CD, Mimeograph. Two studio compositions and two live pieces. (2004)
  • Phonographers Union: Live on Sonarchy Radio — Accretions Records. (2004)
  • Grain — compilation (99 tracks), dotdotdot music. (2003)
  • Phonography 4 — Phonography.org. Unprocessed field recordings, fourth in the series. (2003)
  • Phonography 2 — Phonography.org. Unprocessed field recordings, second in the series. (2001)
  • SoniCabal 2 — compilation of Seattle experimental sound and music. (2001)
  • Kontacht — cassette. Electro-acoustic collages with studio processing. (1994)

FESTIVALS & RESIDENCIES
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  • Seattle Improvised Music Festival. Seattle, WA. (2017)
  • Artist Residency, Open Spaces Gallery, with the Seattle Phonographers Union. Victoria, BC. (2010)
  • Satsop Residency, Environmental Aesthetics. Elma, WA. (2009)
  • Earshot Jazz Series, Jazz: the 2nd Century, with the Seattle Phonographers Union. Seattle, WA. (2009)
  • Olympia Experimental Music Festival. Olympia, WA. (2009)
  • Chicago Calling Festival — two performances, with the Chicago Phonographers and with Eric Leonardson. Chicago, IL. (2008)
  • Das Klein Field Recording Festival, with the Seattle Phonographers Union. Berlin, Germany. (2007)
  • Arts and Nature Festival, with the Seattle Phonographers Union. Camp Long, Seattle, WA. (2007)
  • Decibel Festival, Phonographers Union. Broadway Performance Center, Seattle, WA. (2007)
  • Arts and Nature Festival, Phonographers Union. Camp Long, Seattle, WA. (2006)
  • Threshold of Pain — group show of minimalist electronic works at extreme volume. Polestar Music Gallery, Seattle, WA. (2003)
  • Threshold of Hearing — group show of minimalist electronic works. Polestar Music Gallery, Seattle, WA. (2002)
  • SST (Surround Sound Transmission). Polestar Music Gallery, Seattle, WA. (2002)
  • Arts and Nature Festival. Camp Long, Seattle, WA. (2002)
  • Thursday After Hours Series, Seattle Art Museum — solo improvisation with field recordings, amplified materials, and Springframe. Seattle, WA. (2000)
  • Open Spaces, Artemisia Gallery — site-specific installation and performance with Olivia Block. Chicago, IL. (1999)
  • Mixing: Women in Sound Art, Artemisia Gallery (for Sheelah Murthy). Chicago, IL. (1998)
  • Pacific-Midwest 7 — Tokyo–Chicago collaboration. The Note, Chicago, IL. (1997)
  • Projekto Observatrija (Observatory Project), with W.A.L.K. Vilnius, Lithuania. (1997)
  • In the Eye of the Ear Sound Art Festival, with Eric Leonardson. Blue Rider Theater, Chicago, IL. (1995, 1996)

RADIO BROADCASTS & TRANSMISSION
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  • Sonarchy, KEXP 90.3 FM — solo performance with field recordings and invented instruments. Prod. Doug Haire. (2010)
  • Missing in Action: Sounds of Silence, Interruption, and Displacement — online exhibition. (2008)
  • Das Klein Field Recording Festival, Radio Incorrect. Berlin, Germany. (2007)
  • Seattle Phonographers Union: Sonarchy Radio Hour, KEXP 90.3 FM. Prod./eng. Doug Haire. (2007)
  • Seattle Phonographers Union: Sonarchy Radio Hour, KEXP 90.3 FM. Prod./eng. Doug Haire. (2003)
  • Sonarchy, KEXP 90.3 FM, with Jon Tulchin. Prod. Doug Haire. (2001)
  • Sonarchy, KCMU 90.3 FM — solo performance. Prod. Doug Haire. (2000)
  • Something Else, WLUW 88.7 FM (Loyola University), host Philip von Zweck — live broadcasts with Eric Leonardson, Dan Burke, Tod Szewczyk, Fergus Kelly. Chicago, IL.
  • Alternating Currents, Milwaukee, WI, host Hal Rammel — performed with Eric Leonardson.
  • Radio Unbound radio festival. Canada. (1995)
  • Audio Artists Radio Transmission festival, Irish Museum of Modern Art. Dublin, Ireland. (1994)
  • WZRD 88.3 FM (Northeastern Illinois University) — live broadcast with Lou Mallozzi, Hal Rammel, Marie Shurkus. Chicago, IL. (1992)

SOUND DESIGN FOR FILM & PERFORMANCE
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  • Tracings (short film), dir. Marissa Niederhauser. Seattle, WA. (2009)
  • The White Paper (live performance), City Lit Theater Company. Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL. (1993)
  • Bread (live performance), written and directed by Mathew Wilson. Randolph Street Gallery, Chicago, IL. (1992)
  • Please Consider Me a Dream (live performance), by Mathew Wilson and Robin Orlin. Facets Multimedia, Chicago, IL. (1992)

INSTALLATION & SITE-SPECIFIC WORK
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  • Arts and Nature Festival — Camp Long, Seattle, WA (Cabin #11, 2004; Cabin #7, 2002).
  • W.A.L.K. Project #2 — Lincoln Park South Field Bath House, Chicago, IL. (1994)
  • W.A.L.K. Project #1 — The Lerner Building, 3217 N. Lincoln, Chicago, IL. (1993)
  • BFA Thesis Group Show, School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL. (1993)
  • Where Is Academy?, by Mathew Wilson — School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL. (1993)
  • “P-form” Halloween performance benefit — collaborative installation with Mathew Wilson. Randolph Street Gallery, Chicago, IL. (1992)

SELECTED PRESS
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  • Alysa Hullett, “Jack Straw Productions Celebrates 50 Years of Audio Art,” City Living Seattle, Jul 11, 2012, p. 6.
  • Nick Storring, “Eric Leonardson & Steve Barsotti – Rarebit,” Musicworks #109, Spring 2011, p. 54.
  • Nick Storring, “Seattle Phonographers Union,” Musicworks #109, Spring 2011, p. 54.
  • Amanda Farrell-Low, “Drowned in Found Sound,” Monday Magazine, Nov 4–10, 2010, p. 12.
  • Vivian Moreau, “Sounds of Victoria via Seattle Phonographers,” Victoria News, Nov 3, 2010, p. A17.
  • “The Sounds of Winter,” Weekday, KUOW, Seattle, Dec 10, 2010.
  • Doug Wallen, “Steve Barsotti – Along These Lines”, Cyclic Defrost, Dec 3, 2010.
  • Doug Wallen, “Steve Barsotti & Eric Leonardson – Rarebit”, Cyclic Defrost, Nov 11, 2010.
  • Derek Morton, “Four Releases from Mimeomeme,” Furthernoise, Aug 2010.
  • “The Sounds of Summer,” Weekday, KUOW, Seattle, Jul 16, 2010.
  • TJ Norris, “Steve Barsotti: Along These Lines”, Toneshift, Jul 3, 2010.
  • TJ Norris, “Hand-Tooled Soundscapes: Along These Lines,” EnzymePDX, Aug 13, 2010.
  • Richard Seven, “Aural Auteurs: The Sonic Artists of the Seattle Phonographers Union”, The Seattle Times, Sep 30, 2007.
  • TJ Norris, “Steve Barsotti – Say ‘tin-tah-pee-mick’,” Igloo Magazine, Apr 20, 2004.
  • Dan Warburton, “Steve Barsotti – Say ‘tin-tah-pee-mick’”, Paris Transatlantic, Jun 2004.

GRANTS, AWARDS & RECOGNITION
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  • Presented by Nonsequitur (Seattle, WA) — institution supporting adventurous music and sound art. (2011)
  • Finalist, Drunken Boat Panliterary Award (with the Seattle Phonographers Union). (2006)
  • Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs — Community Arts Assistance Program (CAAP) Grant. Funded completion of a collection of solo audio works (released on CD, 2004). (1999)

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
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Audio Engineering Society (Chair, San Diego Section) · World Forum for Acoustic Ecology · Women’s Audio Mission · San Diego Media Pros Group