John C.S. Keston

Where are you originally from? How did you hear about MCAD?

I'm originally from the United Kingdom and currently reside in Minneapolis. I heard about MCAD because I was a practicing musician and artist in the area and a lot of interesting work was coming out of MCAD. I was also intrigued by the mentorship model.

Who was your mentor?

Piotr Szyhalski was my mentor. These meetings were a critical and formative aspect of my graduate education. I feel that Piotr and I are quite like-minded artists. We collaborated on a number of projects within and outside of MCAD including In Habit: Life in Patterns with the Aniccha Arts dance company at Northern Spark in 2012.

You said earlier you still live in Minneapolis. How do you feel about the Twin Cities in general?

The Twin Cities is an excellent place to be. Art and music is happening all the time. You can't escape it and I don't want to escape it.

What did you enjoy most about your MFA experience?

Making friends, producing work, collaborating with faculty and classmates, and experiencing other peoples work were the most enjoyable parts of my MFA experience.

Any advice for current MCAD students?

Keep doing things. Say yes. Support your fellow artists. Go to their openings and concerts. Never stop making work, thinking about it, and sharing it with your community.

What do you currently do for work?

I'm a professor of creative multimedia at the University of St. Thomas.

Talk a little bit about your teaching philosophy.

During my career as a professor, I have developed and taught nearly twenty distinct courses at three different institutions. The topics I have taught range from advanced creative coding techniques to graphic design and audio production. I believe that students excel when they enjoy their learning experiences. To facilitate this I strive to reach students in groups and as individuals by sharing knowledge, techniques, and ideas during collaborative processes. When I sense that a genuine connection has been made in this way, the teaching process becomes more enjoyable. Creating an environment that excludes no one is essential. I believe that trust needs to be earned and connections need to be made in order for students to be willing to participate.

Describe the work that you make.

I compose music and produce interactive performances and installations. Lately, I have been using animated graphic scores, chance and generative techniques, analog and digital synthesis, experimental sound design, signal processing, and acoustic piano as composition and performance tools. I design and code applications that drive animated, generative scores, or algorithmic sound design processes. I work with visual artists, choreographers, dancers, performance artist, musicians, and coders while collaborating.

How do you network yourself and your art?

I say "yes" when people ask me to perform, compose, or collaborate. I also do all the expected emailing and social media things, but what's better than all of that is being there.

What inspires you?

I'm inspired in many ways by different phenomena and philosophies. I'm inspired by the work my current and former students produce. I'm inspired by environmental soundscapes and how they are evolving as technology and climate change take hold. I'm inspired by people who stand up against oppression. I'm inspired by nature, space, and technology. I'm inspired by scientists, software developers, chefs, architects, and tiny houses.

Lastly, is there anything you're currently obsessed with?

Vintage digital watches.