Tim Canfer

Biography

I studied Electronics, Music and Media at Leeds Metropolitan University and graduated in 1998. I then spent several years portfolio working in music production, music performance and promotion of music events. I started teaching Music Technology FE in 2005 at Hull College and then Barnsley College and completed a Master's in Music Technology and Computer Music at Leeds University in 2010.

In 2014, I went on to lead the HE Music delivery at Barnsley College and joined Keele University as a Lecturer in Music Production in August 2023.

Research and scholarship

My main research area is exploring liveness in modern music performance. I continually develop the Reactive Backing series of plugins and work with several industry partners to create new music technologies.

I am also a music producer and research methods for record production, focusing on popular electronic music and rock music.

I am a series editor for the Perspectives on Education in Audio and Music Production POEM Routledge series of books. I am a co-organiser and chair of the Education in Podcasting conference EPOD and one of the Innovation in Music conference chairs. I am also a co-host and co-producer for the Podcast Sound Learnings.

I also co-develop HE pedagogy, particularly in E-learning, online teaching, asynchronous teaching, practice-led and bottom-up teaching models, and education 3.0 practices.

Teaching

I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and I teach the Music Production modules:

• MUS-10108 Audio Fundamentals and Recording Techniques
• MUS-10025 Sound for Moving Image
• MUS-10116 Introduction to Music Production
• MUS-20074 Live Sound and Studio Skills

I also contribute to the modules:

• FYO-00259 Foundations of Humanities 2
• ENG-20025 Work Placement

I created the PEESCA tool for academic writing, which I workshop and develop.

Publications

Canfer, T. (2023) Music Technology and Production in Live Performance: Tools, Techniques, and Interaction. Focal Press.

Canfer, T. (2019) ‘Visual agency and liveness in the performance of electronic music’, in R. Hepworth-Sawyer et al. (eds) Innovation In Music: performance, production, technology and business. Routledge (Perspectives on Music Production), pp. 100–112.

Canfer, T. (2016) ‘A System of Reactive Backing for Live Popular Music’, in R. Hepworth-Sawer et al. (eds) KES Transactions on Innovation in Music II, Future Technology Press, pp. 26–36.