Dr. Maura Mc Donnell
Assistant Professor Part-Time, Electronic & Elect. Engineering
Biography
Dr Maura McDonnell is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, delivering two modules on Visual Music for the M. Phil in Music and Media Technologies course and supervising Master's student thesis projects on topics that relate to visual music and audiovisual practice and research. Maura's primary degree is in Music and Mathematics that she completed in NUIM (Maynooth University) in 1985. She has two masters degrees, an M.Ed in Adult Education in Professional Development from Ulster University and an M.Phil in Music and Media Technologies from Trinity College, Dublin. Her skill level in music and media technology subjects consists of digital sound synthesis programming, digital signal processing, adventurous music composition, algorithmic music composition, multimedia systems, psychoacoustics, and audio and video production.
For twenty years, Maura engaged in independent arts practice research into the topic of visual music, approaching her research from the perspective of a practicing visual music artist. She was influenced by the field of Musique concrète in initiating her research and practice into visual music, and initially applied such methods, aesthetics and approaches from Musique concrète to dynamic moving image art processes. This research culminated in the completion of her PhD in 2019, titled: 'Finding Visual Music in its Twentieth Century History'. Maura is an active contributor to an international network of arts practice researchers in the field of audiovisual culture, synaesthesia and visual music in particular. She is involved at committee level in several symposiums and has been regularly invited as reviewer for selection committees both for research publication projects and for film screening programmes. Her academic writings have been published in chapters in books and have been presented at national and international conferences and symposia and in journals, exhibition and festival catalogues. Recent academic outputs include a chapter titled: 'Inventing Instruments: Colour-Tone Correspondence to Colour-Music Performance (pre-1900)' for the Routledge publication, 'Live Visuals' (July 2022) and a chapter titled: 'Visual Music Expression - Digital Technology Methods' along with a visual music video work published in 'MuVi6 International exhibition of videos on synesthesia and visual music' (November 2022).
Maura's visual music arts practice consists of crafting abstract moving and dynamic visuals for and with music, where both art forms are equal in terms of aesthetic result and intention. She works mainly with electroacoustic and computer music but also with acoustic music. Her work process is to work with digital manipulated video effects in digital video effects software, as well as using computer generative processes and programming to craft her visuals. She creates standalone visual music works and digital abstract films and also collaborates with artists, musicians and composers to create visuals for a variety of settings. Her visual music works have been screened, presented at music concerts and in art installations all over the world, such as Australia, Canada, China, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Russia, Spain, UK, US. Her visual music works have won several awards. A collaborative work with the composer Linda Buckley was awarded a Visual Music Award in Frankfurt. Her work with musician and producer Bebhinn McDonnell had an honorary mention in the annual MuVI contest in Spain/Italy. Recent collaborations have also been with composer and sonic artist Dr Cobi van Tonder, concert pianist Dr Svetlana Rudenko and the US based Ensemble Parallax.
Publications and Further Research Outputs
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Maura McDonnell, Composing Colours and Motion - Tension and Resolution, Conference 2024 UKSA / ASA SYNAESTHESIA CONFERENCE, 2024 UKSA / ASA SYNAESTHESIA CONFERENCE, SOMERVILLE COLLEGE OXFORD, 10/05/2024-12/05/202, edited by Carol Steen , 2024, pp10
Maura McDonnell, Master Class: Colouring the Tones: The Emergence of a Visual Music Art, Abstract Day, Visual Music & Science and Animation, Monstra International Animation Festival, Cinema São Jorge (Room 2), Lisbon, Portugal, 13/03/2024, edited by Invited by Punto Y Raya to present Masterclass at the Abstract Day " Visual Music & Science and Animation, International Monstra Animation Festival, Lisbon, Portugal , 2024
Maura McDonnell, 'Visual Music Animation from Trinity College', Universitary Monstra - Trinity College Dublin, Lisbon, Portugal, 2024, -
Inventing Instruments: Colour-Tone Correspondence to Colour-Music Performance (pre-1900) in, editor(s)Steve Gibson, Stefan Arisona, Donna Leishman, Atau Tanaka , Live Visuals History, Theory, Practice, London, Routledge, 2022, pp9 - 40, [Maura McDonnell]
Maura McDonnell, 'Punto Y Raya Festival 2021, Abstract Art in Motion', Digital Alchemy, Live Streaming, Spain, Barcelona, 2021, -
Maura McDonnell, The "art" of visual music, SECOND INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL CONFERENCE "THE ART OF SOUND AND LIGHT", Russian Institute for the History of the Arts, St Petersburg, Russia, 18-20 October 2021, edited by The Department of Organology , 2021
Maura McDonnell, 'Visual Dérive', Seeing Sound Symposium, Online, Bath Spa University, UK, 2020, -
McDonnell, M and Rudenko, S, Synesthesia: Cross-sensory Aspects of Cognition Across Science and Art, Proceedings of the IASAS Moscow Synaesthesia symposium, 2020
Constructing Visual Music Images with Electroacoustic Music Concepts in, Sound & Image: Audiovisual Practice and Aesthetics, Routledge, 2020, pp20 pages , [McDonnell, Maura]
The Question of Form in Visual Music in, editor(s)Hill, Andrew E. , Sound & Image: Audiovisual Practice and Aesthetics, Routledge, 2020, pp20 pages , [McDonnell, Maura]
Maura McDonnell, 'Digital Alchemy', SeenSound Livestream - Sound and Image: Aesthetics and Practices, Online, 2020, -
Maura McDonnell, Artists Write History - The Case for Visual Music, Seeing Sound Symposium, Online, 12/12/2020 - 13/12/2, 2020
Maura McDonnell and Cobi van Tonder, 'Digital Alchemy', klingt gut! symposium on sound , , 2018, The Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany, 2019, -
Maura McDonnell, Finding Visual Music in its Twentieth Century History, Trinity College Dublin, 2019
McDonnell, M. and Rudenko, S., Cognitive Musicology via Synaesthesia & Cross-modal Associations: Scriabin Sonata N5 op.53, Synaesthesia: Cross-Sensory Aspects of Cognition Across Science and Art, Moscow, Russia, 16 - 21 November 201, 2019
McDonnell, Maura, The expansion of a cinema concrete method towards the exploration of new techniques for manipulating imagery in the development of a visual music cinema, klingt gut! symposium on sound, 2018, The Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, 7th - 9th June, 2018, 2018
The visual music imagination: the sounding of images and the imaging of sounds in, editor(s)Dina Riccò María José de Córdoba , MuVi5: Video and moving image on synesthesia and visual music, Granada, Spain, Artecittà International Foundation, 2018, pp71 - 78, [McDonnell, Maura]
Maura McDonnell and Cobi van Tonder, 'Digital Alchemy', Electronic Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, 2018, -
Maura McDonnell and Cobi van Tonder, 'Digital Alchemy', Sound Image 2018, Greenwich University, UK, 2018, -
Maura McDonnell and Cobi van Tonder, 'Digital Alchemy', Seeing Sound 2018, Bath Spa University, UK, 2018, -
Maura McDonnell and Bebhinn McDonnell, 'Duel Tones', Videomusic Concert, Seia, Portugal, 2017, -
Maura McDonnell, A Music Technology Paradigm for Visual Music Cinema, SOUND/IMAGE: Exploring sonic and audio-visual practice, University of Greenwich, London, UK, 10-12 November 2017, 2017
Maura McDonnell and Bebhinn McDonnell, 'Duel Tones', Punto y Raya Festival 2016, Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie (ZKM), Centre for Culture and Media Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany, 2016, -
Maura McDonnell and Bebhinn McDonnell, 'Duel Tones', MMT 20 Concert, Beckett Theatre, Trinity College Dublin, 2016, -
Maura McDonnell and Bebhinn McDonnell, 'Duel Tones', Seeing Sound Symposium 2016, Bath Spa University, UK, 2016, -
Maura McDonnell and Bebhinn McDonnell, 'Duel Tones', ATRL, School of Drama, Film and Music, Trinity College Dublin, 2016, -
Maura McDonnell and Linda Buckley, 'Silk Chroma', Sound/ Image Colloquium 2015, University of Greenwich, UK, 2015, -
Maura McDonnell and Cignol/Sean Reed, 'Variegated Beat', Punto y Raya Festival Showcase: Melbourne International Animation Festival (MIAF) , Melbourne, Australia, 2015, -
Maura McDonnell and Linda Buckley, 'Silk Chroma', Music and Multimedia Concert, Solas Nua Capital Irish Film Festival, Goethe-Institute, Washington DC, US, 2015, -
Maura McDonnell and Linda Buckley, 'Silk Chroma', Klingt Gut! Symposium, Fakultät Design, Medien und Information (DMI), Hamburg, Germany, 2015, -
Maura McDonnell and Bebhinn McDonnell, 'Duel Tones', Videomusic Concert, Seia, Portugal, 2015, -
Maura McDonnell and Cignol/ Sean Reed, 'Variegated Beat', SoundImageSound 10, International Festival of New Music and Visual Image, Conservatory of Music, University of the Pacific, USA, 2014, -
Maura McDonnell and Linda Buckley, 'Silk Chroma', Crash Ensemble - A little bit of Linda Buckley, The Courthouse Arts Centre, Tinahely, Co. Wicklow, 2014, -
Maura McDonnell, 'Visuals for Catalogue', Fractal Concert with Philip Lawson, ATRL, Trinity College Dublin, 2014, -
McDonnell, Maura, A Composition of the "Things Themselves" Visual Music in Practice, eContact, issue 15.4 Videomusic, Canadian Electroacoustic Community, 15, (4), 2014
Maura McDonnell, Visual Music, eContact! The electronic journal of electroacoustics, 15, (4), 2014
McDonnell, Maura, Seeing Sound Symposium 2013 Report, eContact, issue 15.4 Videomusic, Canadian Electroacoustic Community, 15, (4), 2014
Maura McDonnell and Linda Buckley, 'Silk Chroma', Audiovisual Installation, New Music Dublin Festival 2014, National Concert Hall, Dublin, Ireland, 2014, -
Maura McDonnell and Linda Buckley, 'Silk Chroma', Cork French Film Festival, Cork, Ireland, 2014, -
Maura McDonnell and Linda Buckley, 'Silk Chroma', Synthesis, Irish Film Institute, Dublin, 2013, -
Maura McDonnell, 'Visuals for Catalogue', Commissioned by Fractal, ATRL, Trinity College Dublin, 2013, -
McDonnell, Maura, Visual Music - The Colour Tone Analogy and Beyond, Seeing Sound Symposium 2013, Bath Spa University, Bath Spa, UK, 23-24/11/2013, 2013
McDonnell, Maura, Visual Music at the Crossroads of Performance Environments, VIMMA Project (Virtual, Intermedial and Mixed Reality Performance in Live Production and Creative Contexts), Reactive Residence Seminar, Centre for Practise as Research in Theatre, School of Communication, Media and Theatre, University of Tampere, Finland, 02/09/2013, 2013, VIMMA Project
Maura McDonnell and Linda Buckley, 'Silk Chroma', I Hear a New World, Exhibition, Luan Gallery, Athlone, Ireland, 2013, -
Maura McDonnell, Philip Lawson and Conal Ryan, 'Catalogue', Fractal on Tour with Philip Lawson, The Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, Fractal, 2013, -
Maura McDonnell, 'Towards One', Concert: International Symposium on Visual Music, School of Art, Design & Media (ADM), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore , 2012, -
Maura McDonnell, 'Installation', International Symposium on Visual Music, School of Art, Design & Media (ADM), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore , 2012, -
McDonnell, Maura, From painting, film, analogue video to contemporary digital video: remarks towards the development of visual music, International Symposium on Visual Music, School of Art, Design & Media (ADM), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore , Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 12-13 October 2012, 2012
Maura McDonnell, 'Silk Chroma - three screen installation', Expanded Abstraction: Animated Film and Digital Art Exhibition, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), US, 2012, -
McDonnell, Maura, Visual Music Research Topic', Symposium on Creative Technologies, Science Gallery, Trinity College, Dublin, 17 April 2012, 2012
Maura McDonnell and Linda Buckley, 'Silk Chroma', Video Art for All (VAFA), International Video Art Festival, Casa Garden and Art 21, Fundação Oriente, Macau, China, 2012, -
Maura McDonnell and Linda Buckley, 'Silk Chroma', SoundImageSound International Festival of New Music and Visual Image, Conservatory of Music, University of the Pacific, California, USA, 2011, -
Maura McDonnell and Linda Buckley, 'Silk Chroma', Sensorium, Project Arts Centre, Dublin, 2011, -
Maura McDonnell and Linda Buckley, 'Silk Chroma Installation', Sonic Pop Up Event, Dublin Contemporary 2011, National Concert Hall, Dublin, 2011, -
Maura McDonnell and Linda Buckley, 'Silk Chroma', Visual Music Show: Understanding Visual Music 2011, DB Clarke Theatre, Hexagram-Concordia Centre for Research Creation in Media Arts and Technologies in collaboration with the Department of Music, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada, 2011, -
Maura McDonnell and Linda Buckley, 'Silk Chroma', Award Ceremony: Visual Music Award 2011, Institute for New Media (INM) and Institute for Synaesthesia and Cocoonclub, Frankfurt, Germany, 2011, -
Maura McDonnell, Linda Buckley, Dermot Furlong, Gavin Kearney, ' 'Silk Chroma' - Spatial audio and video installation ', Innovation Dublin Festival, 2010, Printing House, Trinity College Dublin, 2010, -
McDonnell, Maura and Buckley, Linda, , 'Silk Chroma', Electronic Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, 2010, -
McDonnell, Maura, Visual Music - A Composition of the things themselves, Sounding Out 5 - "Soundworlds - Sonic Arts, Film and Radio", International Sound Symposium, Bournemouth University, UK, 8-10 September 2010, 2010
Maura McDonnell, 'Towards One', Visual Music Marathon, Visual Arts Theater, School of Visual Arts, New York, 2009, -
McDonnell, Maura, Visual Music - Integrated Composition, Seeing Sound Symposium 2009, Bath Spa University, UK, 8-10 September 2009, 2009
Maura McDonnell, 'Towards One', Visual Music Marathon, Egan Research Center, Northeastern University, Boston, 2007, -
Maura McDonnell, An Analysis of the Concept of Harmony in the Audiovisual Composition 'Towards One', Trinity College Dublin, 1999
Maura McDonnell, 'Towards One', Concert: Sounds Electric 2 Music and Image Festival, Queens University, Belfast, 1999, -
Maura McDonnell, 'Towards One', Darklight Digital Film Festival, Irish Film Institute (IFI), Dublin, 1999, -
Maura McDonnell, 'Edges', Darklight Digital Film Festival, Irish Film Institute (IFI), Dublin, 1999, -
Maura McDonnell, 'Towards One', Trinity College, Dublin, 1998, -
Maura McDonnell, 'Towards One', MMT Graduate Show, Beckett Theatre, Trinity College Dublin, 1998, -
Non-Peer-Reviewed Publications
Svetlana Rudenko, Maura McDonnell and Mads Haahr, 'Jack B. Yeats AR and other Art Music', National Concert Hall, Ireland, National Concert Hall, Ireland, 2022, -
McDonnell, Maura, My Research Topic: Visual Music - Dissertation and Arts Practice Research, DAH Open Evening, ATRL, Trinity College, Dublin , 2014
McDonnell, Maura, The Colour Tone Analogy - Towards a Visual Music, Postgraduate Research Seminar, School of Drama, Film and Music, Trinity College Dublin, 21 October 2013, 2013
McDonnell, Maura, Colour-Tone Analogy in Visual Music, DAH International Advisory Board, Trinity Long Room Hub, Trinity College Dublin, 10 December 2012, 2012, DAH structured PhD organising committee
McDonnell, Maura, Exploring Correspondences in Visual Music, DAH Institute Symposium, Huston Film School, NUI Galway, 2012
McDonnell, Maura, What is Visual Music?, DAH Seminar, Huston Film School, NUI Galway, Galway, 2012
McDonnell, Maura, Exploration of Musical Influences on the Visual in Visual Music, History and Theory of Digital Art Seminar, ATRL, Trinity College Dublin, 2012
McDonnell, Maura, My Research is Visual Music, Conceptual Introduction to Digital Humanities and Digital Arts Seminar, ATRL, Trinity College Dublin, 20 February 2012, 2012
Maura McDonnell and Linda Buckley, 'Silk Chroma', Seeing Sound Symposium 2011, Bath Spa University, UK, 2011, -
Research Expertise
Recognition
Representations
Member of Jury panel for the 23rd International Lisbon Animation Festival, Portugal Casa do Cinema | Rua da Rosa, 277 " 2º 1200-385 Lisbon, Portugal https://monstrafestival.com/en/highlights/monstra-2024-jury/ https://monstrafestival.com/en/previous_editions/2024-eng/
Curator of One Hour Student Experimental Audiovisual Screening Programme at the Internal Monstra Animation Festival, Lisbon Portugal. Of Experimental Animation Shorts from my Visual Music Module on the Music and Media Technologies Masters Course Invited by the Directors of the Festival. https://monstrafestival.com/en/films/filmdetails/?session_id=70&language=en&is_feature=0
Programme Committee: KLG 2020: klingt gut 2020 International Symposium on Sonic Art and Spatial Audio Arts and Media Campus, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences Hamburg, Germany, May 14-16, 2020
Paper reviewer: Second Workshop on Speech, Music and Mind: Detecting and Influencing Mental States with Audio, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria, September 14, 2019
Selection Committee: Seeing Sound Symposium 2016, Screening Programme, Bath Spa University, UK
Selection Committee: Video Music Category, International Computer Music Conference 2011 (ICMC), Huddersfield, UK
Peer Reviewer: Composing Motion: A visual music retrospective' Organised Sound Journal, Vol. 17, Issue 2, Cambridge University Press, 2012
Guest ATRL Research Observer: Motion capture theatre performance workshop, invited by the VIMMA project (Virtual, Intermedial and Mixed Reality Performance in Live Production and Creative Contexts), LUME, Helsinki, Finland
Awards and Honours
Honorable Mention for Creative Work - MuVi5 video and moving image on synaesthesia and visual music
Honorary Award - Visual Music Award (VMA)
Irish Realex Web Award for the design and development of a primary school website.