UCF Podcast: Combining Art and Technology - UCF

Season 3 of Knights Do That, UCF’s authoritative podcast, returns with its seventh guest, Stella Sung, a renowned composer, Pegasus Professor, trustee seat professor, and manager of the Center for Research and Education successful Arts, Technology and Entertainment (CREATE) astatine UCF. Sung started her vocation astatine UCF arsenic a music prof and present teaches successful the Department of Visual Arts, wherever she encourages students to enactment connected the cutting borderline of creation crossed each forms.

Here she shares the value of integrating subject and the arts, arsenic good arsenic her probe connected utilizing virtual and augmented world successful the classical performance setting.

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Transcript

Stella Sung: We person the accidental to beryllium wholly creative. Totally creative. And UCF has an accidental to beryllium a portion of that successful a truly large way.

James Evans: Hello and invited backmost to different occurrence of Knights Do That! We are interviewing Dr. Stella Sung connected the amusement today. Dr. Sung is simply a renowned composer, Pegasus Professor, Trustee Chair Professor, and Director of CREATE astatine UCF. Her enactment astatine UCF spans decades and her world vocation is non-linear to accidental the least. Starting arsenic a music professor successful the School of Performing Arts, Dr. Sung present brings her expertise to the Department of Visual Media where she works to animate aboriginal generations of animators and empowers them to usage euphony and dependable to elevate their storytelling.

We’re going to sermon what it means to clasp these titles, the value of integrating subject and the arts, and her probe regarding utilizing virtual and augmented world successful the classical performance setting.

Thank you Dr. Sung for being present today. How are you?

Stella Sung: Thank you. It’s large to beryllium present with you. It’s

James Evans: It’s fantastic.

How did you make your passionateness for music? That’s specified an important portion of your individuality and what you supply to UCF and your community. Did you ever cognize that you wanted to beryllium a composer?

Stella Sung: I started arsenic a kid taking soft lessons, truthful really I’m trained arsenic a classical pianist.

My undergraduate grade is from the University of Michigan successful Ann Arbor and is successful soft performance. And past I benignant of veered a small spot disconnected to doing a master’s grade successful composition. I thought it was conscionable going to beryllium thing to research and, you know, conscionable benignant of do. And truthful I person a master’s from UF on.

And past I inactive felt similar I could beryllium a bully pianist and marque a vocation retired of that. So I went to the University of Texas astatine Austin and did my doctorate successful piano. But you know, beingness has absorbing paths for america and immoderate that we cognize and we don’t know. And I started moving much and much arsenic a composer.

And got a batch of inspiration and encouragement successful that way, conscionable getting things published from large publishers that I ne'er thought I would ever person that benignant of opportunity. The signs were determination that I should conscionable benignant of support penning euphony and I kept getting commissions and moving with fantastic artists and and orchestra.

Ensemble soloists. I had an accidental to constitute a portion for Yoyo Ma, who was, you know, a world-famous cellist, right?

And that was benignant of a truly benignant of marvelous accidental to say, “Hey, this is, this is neat to link to these satellite people artists doing the enactment that I do.”

I didn’t truly commencement disconnected arsenic being a composer astatine all.

It took maine a portion to deliberation of myself due to the fact that I wasn’t readying to bash that. You know, erstwhile I started penning music, I would ever consciousness that it came naturally, it came easily. It was work, but it was benignant of, I got into that portion of creativity where, you know, you benignant of suffer way of clip and each that.

And I got to that spot erstwhile I was a pianist arsenic well, but not successful the aforesaid way. And I deliberation the turning constituent for maine was I was awarded a fellowship astatine the McDowell Colony, which is successful New Hampshire. And tons of well-known artists of assorted antithetic kinds person gone to the McDowell Colony to bash their thing. And so, it’s a beauteous place. It was acceptable up by an American composer named Edward McDowell, and I deliberation it’s similar 400. Just this beauteous New Hampshire country and each creator has their ain studio. A small studio, precise simple. Piano and restroom country and a small sofa oregon something, and past a table. And that’s astir it. And truthful it’s a precise elemental benignant of thing.

And astatine that time, I didn’t person a cellphone. There were nary TV oregon anything. So you’re conscionable retired determination doing your art, right? And each the cabins, each the studios are separated beauteous acold distant from each other. And successful fact, you know, artists are asked not to fuss different people. You’re benignant of conscionable doing your thing. And past we conscionable for repast astatine the main location and that benignant of thing. So determination is immoderate socialization.

I had a residency for a period successful beauteous September, October, wherever the leaves are truthful fantastically changing and beautiful. And I took a task determination and a acceptable of 3 songs that was going to constitute connected poesy by Robert Frost. And it was conscionable this turning constituent wherever started penning this music, finished the portion successful a mates of weeks. and I thought, this is truly what I privation to do. This is truly who I deliberation I tin beryllium and marque an interaction and marque a marque a quality with this work.

And truthful I deliberation that was truly benignant of similar the turning constituent that I said, “OK, aha.” You know, it’s 1 of those aha moments, right? Where I thought, “Yep. OK, I tin telephone myself a composer:

James Evans: That’s amazing. And present you’re a composer that besides does a batch of enactment with documentaries.

You’ve been credited arsenic a composer connected respective award-winning documentaries. Can you, A, explicate that acquisition to me, but besides explicate your cognition some connected yourself and the enactment you bash arsenic a storyteller

Stella Sung: Yeah. So I’ve really been truly fortunate to hooked up with fantastic filmmakers One is Dr. Lisa Mills. And truthful I’ve been fortunate to enactment with her connected her documentaries and besides Aaron Jose. And Erin is simply a postgraduate from our school. And I deliberation astatine the clip moving really successful communications oregon successful instructional probe oregon something. And truthful I wrote euphony for his documentary movie called Voices successful the Clouds. So I’ve ever had an involvement successful ocular things that link to the arts and to the ocular movie oregon truthful on. I deliberation it’s probably, due to the fact that my ma is an artist, arsenic a painter. I ever had paintings and ocular things each astir the house. So I’ve ever been alert of that and I’ve ever liked including multimedia worldly successful my enactment arsenic a composer. So movie benignant of conscionable was natural.

And I deliberation the situation of penning euphony for documentaries peculiarly is truly absorbing due to the fact that you’re helping to archer the communicative that’s already being told done the documentary subjects. The euphony has to enactment the enactment oregon the words oregon the temper but not interfere. We’re not determination to make the big, scenery oregon the large people for these enactment types of things. It’s overmuch much subtle successful documentary films. I truly bask that though. I truly find that’s it’s a large mode to get to cognize antithetic subjects larn immoderate caller things. And I inactive emotion penning for (that) medium.

James Evans: I’m going to power gears a small spot due to the fact that I could speech astir this forever,but I, I besides privation to get into this idea, not adjacent this idea. I conscionable privation to understand, you’ve been with UCF for rather a while, for respective years, galore moons. And I privation to locomotion done that. I privation to understand, what was UCF astatine the time? What bash you deliberation of it now? That progression that we’ve had what are your thoughts connected UCF’s travel and your entanglement with it, right? As idiosyncratic who’s been present for rather a while, you’ve seen america turn exponentially. And I’m definite that that’s an interesting, insightful perspective. And I’m precise funny astir your thoughts.

Stella Sung: Yeah, truthful I, started retired astatine UCFas a fill-in for professors successful the euphony section who were going connected sabbaticals.

James Evans: Mm-hmm.

Stella Sung: And I, astatine the time, I was finishing up my grade astatine the University of Texas astatine Austin. So I was, I’d done each the coursework and was acceptable to look for a job. But I was inactive moving connected my dissertation, conscionable had to bash my lecture and recitals. And I got a telephone from a pianist who I had studied privately with astatine the time, Gary Wolfe, and helium was successful the euphony department, and helium was going connected sabbatical. So I got a telephone and helium said, “Oh, volition you beryllium funny successful teaching?” So, of course, (I say), “Sure, that’d beryllium great.” And past they besides said, “Well, and our euphony mentation teacher and our people soft teacher, they’re going connected sabbatical successful the spring, truthful tin you thatch euphony mentation and tin you thatch soft class?” I said, “Sure.” You know, I mean, erstwhile you’re young, you’ll conscionable spell for each the opportunities, right?

When I archetypal got to UCF we were astir 18,000. And determination was similar one, 2 fraternity houses. There was a McDonald’s and a Pizza Hut, and that was astir it around, And determination was truly not a full batch and University Boulevard was conscionable similar 2 lanes. Alafaya was a two-lane, rough, paved road. And I thought, “Oh, I don’t cognize wherever I’m going, but I’m going to travel retired present and teach.” So that’s wherever I started, and past everybody came backmost from sabbatical. And so, I went to Paris to enactment with a composer that I had studied with astatine Austin, and helium was an American but lived successful Paris, and I had ever wanted to spell to Europe and unrecorded successful Europe, truthful I was capable to bash that.

And past I got a telephone and they said, “Well, 1 of our musicology teachers is going to go an subordinate dean.” And truthful the euphony mentation teacher said, “Well, I’ll bash musicology, but I request idiosyncratic to assistance thatch euphony theory.” So I came backmost arsenic a visiting instructor.

James Evans: Mm-hmm.

Stella Sung: And it became a tenure-earning line. I applied for the job. It was a competitory search. But I yet ended up with the occupation and I’ve been present astatine UCF ever since. It’s been a fantastic place. I volition person to accidental 1 of the large things astir UCF is it allowed, and it inactive allows, tons of country for exploration. It’s not tied to — it’s not a 200-year-old assemblage wherever each these, you know, traditions and truthful connected are conscionable benignant of stuck there. And I, deliberation for me, UCF was a cleanable acceptable due to the fact that I ever similar exploring caller things. I ever similar to look astatine what other tin we do. And so, I was successful the euphony section and it was a large tally portion I was there. I did extremity up moving my tenure and professorship to, astatine the time, integer media. Partly due to the fact that I wanted to research immoderate caller things. And partially due to the fact that it felt similar it was a indispensable change. So, again, you know, wherever beingness takes you to antithetic paths and you conscionable ne'er truly know.

And truthful I started moving with our animation portion and fell successful emotion astir each of our animation students and the full thought of marrying euphony to animation. And that was conscionable a cleanable acceptable for me.

James Evans: Yeah, absolutely. And present you’re the manager of CREATE, which conducts multidisciplinary probe astir subject and the arts. Can you springiness america much penetration into that acquisition being the director, but besides the enactment you’re doing there? What benignant of impacts does that have?

Stella Sung: Sure. So make stands for the Center for Research and Education successful Arts, Technology and Entertainment. And we are located astatine UCF Downtown. We’ve been determination for astir 17 years. So we’ve really been determination earlier UCF Downtown was established, but UCF had a gathering down determination and truthful we were portion of that.

We person our offices downtown. And I was asked to instrumentality over, make astir 17 years ago. And astatine the clip I truly didn’t cognize what it was, but I knew it was down. So portion of our accent has been to go a benignant of outreach portion for our assemblage and for UCF truthful that we tin link to the community, we tin link to our partners downtown and astir successful the city.

We bash a batch of assemblage outreach, and we were doing aft schoolhouse programs. We bash summertime camps, truthful we’re moving with kids and precocious schoolhouse students chiefly to person a mode for UCF folks to person a transportation to the assemblage wherever they mightiness not usually person that. Because, you know, erstwhile we’re connected our campus, we’re benignant of successful our small bubble satellite connected the campus.

I deliberation that it’s a bully happening to beryllium capable to scope retired to the assemblage and find ways to link to the community. Now what we bash successful our programming has been to use. And exertion to effort to bid and springiness skills to students and members of our assemblage to bring them different facet of what creation and exertion tin bash successful enriching your lives and to look astatine however creation and exertion tin beryllium benignant of joined together. Not truthful overmuch separated, you know, we ever benignant of deliberation of subject and we ever deliberation of art, right? And, and they’re benignant of similar abstracted things. In my view, they’re really overmuch much intimately related.

We bash a akin process with sciences. It’s sometimes we’re experimenting, you know, sciences. I emotion moving with scientists due to the fact that I deliberation their brains are benignant of, they are exploratory. And we bash that successful the arts. We don’t cognize precisely what we’re going to extremity up with, but we had that aforesaid process.

So what we bash astatine CREATE is to effort to bring that conception into reality. For example, present we are moving with precocious schoolhouse students successful animation and teaching animation. Well, animation involves math, it involves sciences, it involves geometry, it involves machine exertion and past it besides involves arts. It’s a ocular language. It’s a storytelling language. So you know, that’s a beauteous mean to exemplify however subject and creation and exertion each travel together.

James Evans: Yeah. And what lessons person you learned implicit the past 17 years of moving astatine CREATE? I mean, you’ve surely seen it grown. You’ve surely seen UCF Downtown go a thing.

Stella Sung: Yeah.

James Evans: Probably earlier we adjacent having conversations astir it. Right,

Stella Sung: Right.

James Evans: What lessons, what takeaways bash you person from that acquisition and what are you looking to bash successful the aboriginal with that?

Stella Sung: iI’s an astonishing opportunity, an astonishing clip to grasp each the things that are coming up. The technology, the quality to find caller technologies and enactment those and usage those successful the arts, it’s perfectly tremendous. I’ve been doing enactment with VR and AR and with my colleagues successful integer media actually. And I deliberation that 1 of the projects that I’ve been doing is trying to find ways wherever VR and mixed world tin beryllium utilized successful a unrecorded performance setting. To person this accidental and to beryllium located downtown, wherever there’s a batch of worldly happening, wherever there’s assemblage efforts, determination are businesses similar Electronic Arts, which is located present successful downtown, and to beryllium successful that benignant of premix it conscionable is simply a truly large clip for UCF to beryllium a portion of each of that. It’s precise breathtaking actually. It truly is. I mean, we bash a batch of large things connected campus, but we besides person things that are connected that cutting borderline erstwhile we’re not conscionable siloed successful our ain areas here, but that we tin really beryllium connecting to businesses and organizations extracurricular of UCF.

James Evans: Can you locomotion america done that thought of partnership? How does that happen? How does partnership, however does collaboration, however does assemblage engagement hap astatine CREATE? And, taking those things to the adjacent level?

Stella Sung: One of our main accent is partnerships. And we’ve built a batch of large partnerships with Orlando Science Center, for example.

And successful fact, we conscionable had a gathering present recently. Their Otronicon event, which has been going connected for, I think, 15 years present (started successful 2006). They’re rebranding it arsenic Spark Fest and they privation really to impact much UCF people. So I’ve been trying to benignant of beryllium a small catalyst to connecting them to arsenic galore UCF folks arsenic we can.

It’s astir a three, 4 time lawsuit and it brings anyplace from 12 to 13,000 radical into the subject center. it’s a fantastic accidental for UCF to showcase each of our large initiatives that we have, the projects that we have, the departments we have. aesculapian school, nursing, schoolhouse engineering machine sciences, each these large things that tin travel down together.

So concern is truly important for us. A fewer years ago, CREATE received a Disney grant, 1 of those bully Disney grants successful concern with our section assemblage enactment called Page 15. And they enactment with kids and young adults successful processing literacy skills. So they bash poetry, writing, reading, each those kinds of literacy skills.

So we did a concern and hosted respective summertime camps with Page 15. So again, you know, uncovering different ways wherever UCF tin beryllium a portion of the lives of these radical that we don’t needfully usually scope retired to. Part of our ngo is to beryllium capable to say, “Hey, UCF is simply a spot that you could beryllium a portion of, and we privation to beryllium a portion of your life.”

And that’s what’s truthful fantastic astir the enactment that we do. I deliberation astatine CREATE we’re conscionable we’re truly astir trying to bridge, to marque bridges happen.

One of our existent projects is we’re moving with Continuing Education. And the authorities of Florida has present mandated that there’s a fiscal constituent that indispensable beryllium taught successful each of the precocious schools, and that’ll commencement adjacent fall. So, our instructional designer, Tracy Morrison, has been moving connected processing online courses. And truthful she’s moving with Continuing Ed to present that content. So that’s different aspect. What we’re doing is, trying to find ways wherever we tin assistance teachers thatch students astir fiscal literacy.

James Evans: That’s truly interesting. So it’s not conscionable astir empowering students, evidently that’s, the crux of it. That’s the halfway of it. It’s besides astir empowering their instructors, empowering the assemblage or, oregon our field partners oregon our firm partners to beryllium capable to prosecute with america successful that mission.

That’s fascinating. I emotion it. So on that aforesaid thought, probe and professorship and each of the fantastic things you’re doing, you’re besides a Pegasus Professor and a trustee professor. cCn you springiness america the penetration into that? What bash those things mean and what bash they mean for you?

Stella Sung: Sure. Well, I conjecture arsenic professors are mostly elder professors present astatine UCF, it’s a fantastic grant and one, I deliberation , (that) carries responsibility, arsenic good arsenic the trustees seat award.

But the Pegasus Professor grant is I deliberation 1 that we worth highly due to the fact that mostly it’s awarded to professors who person shown that they’ve reached a definite pinnacle successful their careers and besides person reached either designation nationally oregon internationally for their work.

For probe successful my area, for example, is originative activities. But you know, we person respective professors who are passim the assemblage in, assorted antithetic fields. So those professorships are truly meaningful and, again, transportation responsibility. I look astatine the Pegasus Professorships arsenic a work to support a level of excellence, to beryllium a relation exemplary for showing that. We support moving hard, support your oculus connected the goals, enactment with our students, enactment with our unit and our colleagues, and effort to marque definite that we are pushing UCF and our goals forward. So that’s 1 facet of what I judge the Pegasus Professorships do.

The trustees seat professorships don’t ever travel up. I’m precise honored to person received that present doubly and It carries with it a fiscal grant portion to one’s idiosyncratic finances, but besides portion to the portion that you are in. So, that grant tin beryllium utilized towards furthering a probe task successful my case, possibly originative projects oregon arsenic I really usage our funds for CREATE and utilizing it successful assorted antithetic ways to enactment our work.

Those 2 peculiar awards, I think, the assemblage gives retired to effort to admit professors that you cognize person reached a definite distinguished country successful their work.

James Evans: It’s truly important that we’re looking astatine the university, we’re looking astatine our module and empowering them, uncovering ways to springiness backmost to them and springiness them the resources and springiness them the designation needed to proceed to bash the astonishing things that they do. What benignant of projects person you been capable to bash oregon further down been capable to put in, to create?

Stella Sung: Yeah. So the trustee’s professorship, but that’s the 1 we’re benignant of talking astir close now. [It] allows america a definite magnitude of fiscal enactment and radical tin usage it successful assorted antithetic ways. And what I’ve been doing is, I utilized immoderate of my wealth to enactment UCF Celebrates the Arts, which is simply a fantastic yearly lawsuit that we person downtown. Bringing the arts to downtown and giving opportunities for the orchestra, chorus, band, performing arts to beryllium successful the Dr. Phillips Center. And present successful the caller Diamonds Hall. So for example, this past spring, we did my large-scale orchestra enactment called Oceania, and I was capable to invitation professors from UCF, our biology professors from UCF, Dr. (Kate) Mansfield and Dr. Linda Walters, to beryllium a portion of the sheet arsenic good arsenic a elder idiosyncratic from the New England Aquarium Scott Krause. And truthful I had these scientists with maine and besides the filmmaker that did a movie that went with my piece. So I was capable to bring america each unneurotic and person a sheet and wherever we discussed the problems of water sound pollution, which is what my portion is simply a small spot astir and besides the enactment that our scientists are doing. So for illustration Dr. (Kate) Mansfield who is simply a turtle specializer talked astir her enactment with turtles and Dr. (Linda) Walters, who is our oyster specialist, she talked astir oyster reefs and wherefore those are important for us. And truthful we gave the assemblage a accidental to say, “What else?” Not lone [what] UCF professors do, but what are the concerns, the greater concerns for our environment? So I utilized portion of my backing to invitation these radical implicit connected the wholly other spectrum. The adjacent next task that we’re looking astatine is moving with Keith Harrison, who is successful the DeVos School. And helium is precise bully friends with Reggie Saunders. So Mr. Saunders is the VP for Jordan, Nike brand. They’re each into benignant of hip-hop artists. And truthful adjacent twelvemonth is the benignant of 50th day of hip-hop. So we would similar to bring Mr. Saunders successful arsenic a impermanent speaker, and benignant of fig retired however we tin wed hip-hop and sports, due to the fact that there’s really rather a large transportation there.

So that’s different mode that I program to usage immoderate of our funding.

James Evans: That’s amazing. I privation to springiness you the abstraction and the clip to benignant of propulsion successful a Celebrates the Arts advertisement here. OK. Because I deliberation that’s large and I deliberation Celebrates the Arts is 1 of UCF’s traditions that doesn’t get arsenic overmuch designation as, you know, Spirit Splash, right? That’s a immense 1 everybody talks about. Lots of our diversion events gets a batch of attention. You know, Celebrate the Arts provides these opportunities not lone for our performers to bash their enactment and bash their jobs and springiness backmost to their community, it besides allows for these astonishing collaborations and connections.

So I privation to springiness you the abstraction close present and present to benignant of enactment successful the mediate of the podcast an advertisement astir Celebrate the Arts, archer the assemblage astir it, what are you excited about? And springiness america the accusation connected it.

Stella Sung: Yeah. Happy to bash that. It’s an astonishing lawsuit that happens implicit a people of 2 weeks. It’s benignant of the brainchild of our dean, Jeff Moore, who is simply a percussionist, a musician, but helium enactment unneurotic this thought of having the Celebrates the Arts wherever we bring each of the arts, performing arts arsenic good arsenic ocular arts, unneurotic to bash this celebration. We spell downtown and we acceptable up our things.We acceptable up our exhibits. We bash the performances. There’s an astonishing array of performances from the schoolhouse of euphony and theater. So we person theater, we person orchestra, band, chorus, jazz band, each parts of the performing arts, and past we person our ocular arts. So our artists, our painters volition bring their paintings and they spell connected display. And past we besides person our animation units. So our animation students and units get to amusement their films. So we besides person screen.

It’s a immense array of things that you tin spell down and enactment in. Most are precise inexpensive tickets. And immoderate are escaped and it’s a large spot to bring household down to person a time oregon evening of enjoying a fantastic event.

This past spring, they did Shrek the Musical and it was great. It was successful the Disney Hall. It was great. And past they did my orchestra portion arsenic good arsenic showcase different parts of the orchestra with Beethoven Symphony No. 6. And immoderate animation that was done to that portion by our animation students.

And this is truly a fantastic mode to showcase each these things that UCF does. And I anticipation that arsenic we determination along, much radical volition travel retired much radical from the assemblage volition travel retired and bask it and get to cognize immoderate of the things that UCF is capable to offer. It’s an astonishing event. I anticipation that we tin bring arsenic galore radical down arsenic possible.

James Evans: It perfectly is. I got to spot Shrek past twelvemonth and it was fantastic. Really.

Stella Sung: And these are pupil performers, they are Broadway-quality performers. I mean, they’re learning their craft, they’re learning their art. But successful that process they truly travel to the top. It’s truthful impressive. It truly is. And to spot these young radical giving their implicit 100% positive to performing is conscionable a thrill.

James Evans: Absolutely right. Do we person a acceptable period oregon acceptable day already for this upcoming spring, oregon is that inactive successful conversation?

Stella Sung: We do. I don’t retrieve the dates, but it’s usually successful April. OK,

James Evans: Awesome. I’m truly curious, are you looking into the aboriginal to beryllium capable to incorporated much of the STEAM and the connections, not lone with your research, right?

I could precise easy spot successful the adjacent 5 to 10 years having a show that includes VR, AR, MR into a Celebrates the Arts performance. Is that wherever you’re looking to do, wherever you benignant of readying connected going with that over, the people of the adjacent fewer years?

Stella Sung: Yeah, truthful I, my idiosyncratic content is, exertion is going to thrust the aboriginal of the arts. I truly judge that. I’ve already done immoderate of this with my operas, which had integer projections, 3d animation successful the integer acceptable wherever the animation really made the acceptable travel alive. And successful Oceania we did a small spot of an experimentation wherever I had a VR headsets, arsenic good arsenic the HoloLens, 2 headsets being utilized during the performance. So this was benignant of a proceedings to see.

But my content is that this is going to thrust the adjacent interactivity for unrecorded performances. It’ll instrumentality a small while, but I judge that our young people, and I judge the adjacent procreation of people, privation to beryllium engaged, privation to beryllium actively a portion of immoderate performance.

I tin envision radical bringing their ain headsets, right? Being capable to acquisition that either successful MR oregon AR oregon VR and proceeding the unrecorded music, seeing the unrecorded euphony and experiencing it successful a antithetic way. So with VR, of course, your headset is, you don’t spot the things astir you, but you tin hear, you tin perceive the worldly going astir you successful the mixed reality. In the HoloLens, too, you tin spot everything that’s going connected and. Basically holograms are being enactment distant for you. So this is simply a truly chill happening due to the fact that for example, what we did was successful Oceania, we I worked with immoderate of my colleagues successful integer media, John Murray, Dr. Murray, and his students, and we developed a prototype. For example, whales that were swimming astir successful the, if you will, swimming astir successful the performance hall. But they were ample beingness size. So arsenic you’re sitting there, you’re proceeding and seeing the orchestra, right? But you’re besides seeing the superimposed furniture of integer assets. And it conscionable wholly gives you a antithetic acquisition of interactivity.

I genuinely judge that this is going to beryllium the aboriginal for unrecorded performances and engaging radical successful a antithetic mode utilizing technology.

James Evans: I couldn’t hold more. I’ve had the accidental to speech to Peter (Weishar, manager of UCF’s themed acquisition program) and his enactment with the themed acquisition program, and getting those students acceptable for the existent satellite and providing a full caller a programme that’s focused successful connected themed experiences. And astir people, again, deliberation taxable parks, right? Which makes sense, but it’s good beyond that. It’s successful your mundane life. And I’m truthful funny to spot however exertion is going to commencement to move. I mean, it already is successful our mundane lives, but products similar a HoloLens too, arsenic radical statesman to usage them for performances oregon for experiences regularly, right?

Like we already had Google effort their astute glasses a mates years ago, right? So we’re evidently moving successful that absorption and I’m truthful intrigued by however we tin not lone acceptable up spaces, per Peter’s episode, and make rooms and spaces and full experiences built for quality use. And providing and telling that communicative done the situation that you’re in, but besides past bringing successful a full caller environment, a virtual environment, right? That adds onto that.

I deliberation that’s fascinating. As we’re moving successful 2 directions arsenic a university. Where we’re telling a communicative with the carnal situation that’s present and we’re besides telling a communicative with the remainder of our senses.

What other are you seeing that’s not successful the carnal environment? What are you feeling that’s not successful the carnal environment? So I conjecture it’s not the remainder of your senses, but it’s a 2nd level. It’s more, what’s going on? And I deliberation that’s fascinating.

Stella Sung: It is, it is. And you know, and I’ll marque a plug for UCF, too, due to the fact that we are blessed that we person each these fantastic exertion areas here, successful Orlando, businesses and companies that are present successful Orlando. And it’s a large mode to interface with those companies. We’re blessed with fantastic module and students who privation to propulsion that envelope. Who privation to instrumentality that measurement and spell guardant successful looking astatine ways successful wherever we could make that 3rd magnitude between, assemblage and presenter.

Theme-park experience, for example, is truly chill due to the fact that successful a taxable parkland we person the theme-park reality. That is you’re successful the park, but idiosyncratic other presented that world to you. So the taxable parkland makers are the benignant of presenters, if you will. And past erstwhile you spell to the taxable park, you’re similar the audience, but you measurement retired of your assemblage mode and go interactive. And truthful you’ve created a 3rd dimension, if you will, of an experience. So taxable parks bash this truthful good due to the fact that they truly cognize however to seizure our imaginativeness and our information successful a truly progressive way, wherever we’re not truly reasoning astir what we were. And we’re not truly reasoning astir who made that necessarily, though Disney, of course, brands everything, right?

But it doesn’t substance due to the fact that you’re truthful engrossed successful it that you, you go thing else. You spell to a antithetic acquisition and that’s wherefore radical emotion taxable parks you get to a antithetic place.

James Evans: Related to this, but not wholly to taxable parks. I privation to prime your encephalon astir something. There’s a phrase, a word, immoderate you privation to telephone it, that I’ve been proceeding recently, and I deliberation you’re going to  have immoderate bully penetration into this. Orlando is moving towards becoming Meta City. Capital of the metaverse. We privation to beryllium the home, the hub of wherever the metaverse grows and shapes and forms and builds, and your enactment and your research.

And a batch of UCF’s enactment and probe is astatine the crux of that development, right? How are we combining the quality acquisition to this wholly caller spot that’s wholly virtual? How are we bridging that spread wherever it’s not wholly virtual and radical tin determination successful and advancement into that?

What are your thoughts connected Orlando becoming and wanting to beryllium Meta City, wanting to beryllium superior of the metaverse? I conscionable privation to perceive your thoughts connected that.

Stella Sung: I personally deliberation it tin happen. I truly do. I mean, Orlando is simply a spot that is moving forward. It’s increasing rapidly. It’s attracting caller businesses, it’s attracting caller companies, it’s attracting technology.

You know, our aesculapian school, our nursing school, these things are progressive with the quality factors. They’re each growing. They’re busting astatine the seams, basically. So we person the accidental to bash this. We person the accidental to beryllium wholly creative. Totally creative. And UCF has an accidental to beryllium a portion of that successful a truly large way.

We’ve got it. We tin bash it. We person each the resources present to marque that metaverse, you know, to beryllium that hub, if you will, to pull our young radical to pull the creatives arsenic good arsenic the method people, arsenic good arsenic the engineers.

All these kinds of things combined, we’ve got the hugest, the top quality to bash it. We conscionable request to bash it, we conscionable request to measurement guardant and we request originative radical to deliberation astir it and beryllium a portion of it. We’ve got concern who are acceptable to money it. So I deliberation we’ve got each kinds of possibilities and I would emotion to beryllium a portion of that.

James Evans: I’ve had the luck of talking to respective researchers and conscionable being exposed to galore more. And I’m perpetually seeing enactment that’s pushing the borderline of academia, pushing america guardant successful immoderate precise innovative and originative ways. And I conscionable beryllium determination successful awe.

Stella Sung: I’m learning a portion of it too.

James Evans: Exactly. You know, contempt maine being an accounting large and there’s not a batch of probe going connected successful accounting, I don’t think, to spot and beryllium exposed to however overmuch our world units and our module are pushing guardant their fields and pushing guardant this region. It’s fascinating.

Stella Sung: It is. It’s a large clip to beryllium present and it’s a large clip to beryllium astatine UCF and we’ve got a immense a wonderful, fantastic aboriginal up of us. Our aged slogan was Reach for the Stars, and I deliberation we’re getting there.

James Evans: Oh, absolutely. What proposal would you springiness to idiosyncratic who wants to bash what you bash oregon adjacent conscionable win similar you have?

Stella Sung: Just bash the champion enactment you perchance tin each day.

The champion happening that I effort to bash is erstwhile I travel to work, erstwhile I enactment with our students, springiness 100%. That’s each you tin really bash really, I think, is bash your champion work. Always support a level of excellence successful your forefront. Everything isn’t ever going to beryllium perfect, but you beryllium flexible and larn and beryllium acceptable to explore.

James Evans: I, arsenic a student, prosecute and respond champion to the teachers and the professors that are astir engaged back, right? Are you doing thing large that’s inspiring? How are you sharing it with your students and past pushing them, right? You were saying, “This is wherever I’m headed. This is what’s going on. This is what we’re doing. How are you going to beryllium a portion of that?” I deliberation presenting that situation to students of, tin you bushed me? Can you lucifer me? Can you enactment your vigor successful and supply thing back? And tin you bash it for your community? I deliberation those are truly large questions that we request to beryllium asking our students.

Stella Sung: Well, and it’s existent that 1 of the top joys is erstwhile the pupil succeeds and exceeds the master. I person immoderate fantastic students who person gone connected to large careers who are out, retired successful LA arsenic composers and they’re doing really, truly well. They’re penning euphony for Netflix. They’re penning euphony for large commercials for the Super Bowl. I mean, these kinds of things that I didn’t do, and I’m gladsome that they are. It makes maine truly arrogant that I benignant of helped successful guiding them done their vocation paths. And that’s our occupation and that’s our passionateness is to say, “OK, you know, I tin amusement you what I know, but present you amusement maine what you know.”

James Evans: I cognize that’s what I privation erstwhile I go a parent, erstwhile I go a teacher, erstwhile I go idiosyncratic who’s a mentor to others. I privation them to beryllium capable to basal connected my shoulders and propulsion farther than I ever adjacent had the quality to imagination of, right?

Stella Sung: Yes.

James Evans: That’s the goal.

Stella Sung: That is perfectly the goal.

James Evans: So past question. What’s 1 happening you are inactive hoping to do?

Stella Sung: Oh gosh, there’s inactive a batch retired determination that I’m hoping to do, but I deliberation we’ve really truly covered this already I truly privation to research however tin we marque the unrecorded concert, the unrecorded classical performance experience, much engaging, much interactive, much interesting.

One of the things that I truly would emotion to spot earlier I discontinue oregon whenever is seeing that exertion married, seeing that exertion being utilized successful the performance hallway and seeing the occurrence of that and making definite that there’s inactive a aboriginal for unrecorded classical concerts.

James Evans: I privation to convey you. I mean, this has been an astonishing conversation. You’ve truly fixed maine immoderate penetration that I had nary hint about, and you’ve explained truthful overmuch much than I adjacent had anticipated for the episode. It’s truly been a pleasure.

Stella Sung: Well, convey you, James. It’s large to beryllium present with you and convey you for your thoughtful and absorbing questions.

James Evans: I privation to reiterate my acknowledgment to Dr. Sung for being connected the amusement today. Her enactment and communicative shows that we tin each beryllium mentors, leaders, and life-long learners. As the satellite continues to beryllium progressively much digital, we person to reimagine however we archer stories and springiness aboriginal generations the tools to bash so. We tin besides each instrumentality distant a acquisition of idiosyncratic excellence. It’s nary tiny feat to beryllium a well-published and awarded composer.

Speaking of idiosyncratic excellence, our adjacent occurrence volition beryllium with Chris Clifford ’21, a UCF alum who was our archetypal pupil beryllium offered the highly selective Gates-Cambridge Scholarship — but really turned it down to travel different prestigious path. Chris present studies and researches astatine MIT arsenic helium is moving to cure diabetes, and helium shares wherefore this is the champion mode for him to marque a difference.