Mark Irwin – Head of Higher Education Mark has over 18 years experience as a Freelance Sound Engineer and Producer, working across all areas of the discipline from live and broadcast audio to studio and post-production projects. He cut his teeth ’on the road’, firstly, as an audio engineer then later as a partner at Scan PA Hire Ltd. During this period he also worked as a freelance engineer on many worldwide concert tours. In the early 1990’s, Mark began a seven year stint as Managing Director of West London’s Straylight Studios, working with record companies such as Creation, Sony, Chrysalis, Polygram and EMI. Since 1998 Mark has been closely involved with the development and delivery of a BA (Hons) Music Technology, developed and led one of the first Foundation Degrees in Music/Multimedia Technology and more recently led the development and successful launch of an MA in Audio Technology for the London College of Music at Thames Valley University (TVU). Mark was selected as TVU’s ’Rising Star’ in the 2004 National Teaching Fellowship awards. Mark is an active researcher and was part of the team that developed the ’Art of Record Production’ international conference. He has also worked closely with the Centre for the History of Analysis of Recorded Music and in 2007 he was awarded the title of Visiting Research Fellow at the London College of Music.