Associate Professor Dr Tom Pierard

Associate Professor Dr Tom Pierard

  • Associate Professor and Program Leader
  • for Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Contemporary Music (Audio Technology)
Department of Film and Performing Arts
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Biography

Tom is a performer, academic and commercial composer. Prior to working at Sunway University he taught extensively in the tertiary sector lecturing in music technology, contemporary performance and music pedagogy. His drumming and production have featured on several notable albums and multimedia collaborations, and he regularly performs in a range of styles from jazz to heavy metal. Recently, his research focus has mainly been on exploring new student centred pedagogies for music technology, exploring the impact of AI generated music on identity development, and agents of change in mainstream drumming and percussion. 

Academic & Professional Qualifications

  • PhD in Music, University of Auckland, New Zealand (NZ) (2023)
  • Master of Music (Composition, 1st class hons., The University of Auckland, New Zealand, awarded 2017)
  • Bachelor of Music Performance (Jazz Drumset, Massey University, New Zealand, awarded 2005)
  • Diploma of Tertiary Learning and Teaching (Eastern Institute of Technology, New Zealand, awarded 2014)

Research Interests

  • Digitial Audio Workstation pedagogies
  • AI music generation and impact
  • Transdisciplinarity in creative arts education
  • Music technology ethics

Teaching Areas

  • Music production
  • Music education
  • Sound design
  • Music performance

Courses Taught

  • Applied Sound Design
  • Composition and Arrangement
  • Research Project

Notable Publications

  1. Pierard, T. & Morreale, F. (2023, December). Promoting technological discernment as ethical creative arts education. Paper to be presented at the Philosophy of Education Society Australasia (PESA) conference, Auckland, New Zealand: The University of Auckland, December 18-23.
  2. Pierard, T. (2023, August). Exploring an Identity Pedagogy for Digital Audio Workstations in Aotearoa [PhD Dissertation]. University of Auckland.
  3. Pierard, T. (Score and Sound Design), (2023). Walk of Wonders. [Light and Fire exhibition]. Napier, New Zealand: Black Barn Vineyards, September 14-24.
  4. Pierard, T. (2023, April). Finding Teachable moments in Creative Practice. Paper presented at the Impact Creative Research Symposium, Hamilton: Te Pukenga Wintec.
  5. Pierard, T., Pipe, J. (2023). School of Audio Engineering (SAE) Aotearoa Tamaki Makaurau Sonic Assets [Composition]. Global: Bandolier.
  6. Pierard, T. & Lines, D. (2022, March). A constructivist approach to music education with DAWS. Teachers and Curriculum, 22(2), 135–145.
  7. Pierard. T. (2020, August). The Divergence of Drumset Function in Popular Music, and how DAWs can Bridge the Divide Between Drummers and Beatmakers. International Journal of Music, Science, Technology and Art (IJMSTA). 2020 Aug 18; 2 (2): 1-7.
  8. Pierard, T. (2020, July). Exploring integration of DAW Processes for Effective Instrumental Practise. Paper presented (Online Presentation) at the Australasian Computer Music Conference, Melbourne, Australia: July 6.
  9. Pierard, T. (2020, June). War of the Beatmakers: How Non-Drummers Redefined the Function of Drums in Popular Music. Paper presented (online presentation) at the International Conference of New Music Concepts, Treviso, Italy: June 14..
  10. Pierard, T. (2018). Around the backbeat; Exploring the influence of Jazz drumming in popular music. Presented at the “Playing Along”: Music, Participation, and Everyday Life, IASPM-ANZ Conference, Hamilton: Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec), December 4. 

Professional Associations

  • Member of the International Society for Music Education (ISME)
  • Member of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music (IASPM) 
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