AES Dublin 2019 Presenter or Author
Leslie Gaston-Bird
Primary Affiliation: Mix Messiah Productions - Brighton, UK
Secondary Affiliation: Institute of Contemporary Music Performance - London, UK
AES Member Type: Fellow
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In October 2016, Leslie began her term as AES Western Region Vice President (US & Canada). In January 2019, Leslie will begin a term as AES Governor-at-Large
Leslie is proud to be from Dayton, Ohio. She studied classical piano as a child. Many of her young years were spent in a Montessori setting. At Chaminade-Julienne High School, she played in Jazz Lab Band (piano and keys), Chorus (Piano Accompanist), Marching Band (Snare, Marimba), Symphonic Band (Percussion) and String Ensemble (Double Bass).
Leslie enrolled in Indiana University in 1987 to pursue an A.S. degree in Audio Technology and a B.A degree in Telecommunications. She recorded many operas at IU, including “Tales of Hoffman” and “The Barber of Seville”, and assisted Dr. David Pickett on Claude Baker's “Omaggie e Fantasie” work for double bass.
Shortly after graduating in 1991, Leslie was hired at National Public Radio in Washington, D.C. as a Broadcast / Recording Technician. She worked on many shows, such as “Morning Edition”, “All Things Considered”, “Talk of the Nation” and “Performance Today”.
In 1995 Leslie moved to Denver to work for Colorado Public Radio, putting together hundreds of weekly features during her 7-year career there. In 2002, along with Kelley Griffin and Dan Drayer, she earned the 2002 Radio and Television Digital News Association’s Edward R. Murrow Award for Large Market Documentary. In 1998, she began recording the Colorado Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Marin Alsop their performances from broadcast on CPR's "Colorado Spotlight" and NPR's "Performance Today".
In 2002, Leslie began working at Post Modern Company in Denver, Colorado, restoring soundtracks for classic Sony / Columbia films from as early as the 1930's. At the same time, she began work on her Master of Science in Recording Arts (MSRA) degree at the University of Colorado Denver (UCD).
She earned her MS degree in 2003 with a thesis titled, “Music Video Verite”, a pioneering work in recording mulititrack audio alongside performances filmed in multiple locations and edited together as one seamless performance.
Shortly afterwards, she accepted a tenure-track position at UCD and taught there as an Associate Professor of Recording Arts (tenured 2012). In 2011 she was granted a Fulbright award to research Blu-Ray audio at the University of York in York, England. In 2018, she relocated with her family to Brighton, England and now teaches part-time at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance in London.
Leslie has been involved in research with Dolby Laboratories in San Fransisco and Gates Planetarium in Denver. She has an impressive list of journal articles, presentations, and invited speaking engagements. She continues to do freelance work as Mix Messiah Productions, and is always exploring ways to improve the audio experience as a whole.
More Info: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesliegaston
Session List
Mar 21:
SE02: AES Diversity and Inclusion Committee Town Hall: Focus on Gender Equality (Panelist)