DMU gains ear of the Sorbonne

Musicians at De Montfort University are jubilant after signing a research and academic exchange agreement with the Sorbonne in Paris, writes Tony Tysome.

The link will bring together the prestigious French institution and DMU's Music, Technology and Innovation Research Group to delve into every sphere of electroacoustic music, the electronic creation and manipulation of sound.

News of the agreement came as the two institutions jointly staged an electroacoustic conference this week in Paris.

Leigh Landy, director of the DMU research group, described the link as "kind of sexy" for a new university. But he added that it represented a serious, long-term investment into music research.

He said: "DMU is taking some risks in getting heavily involved in research in areas like this. That gives us a responsibility to make progress. I am thrilled it has come to this so soon."

Professor Landy said it was his research group's electroacoustic resource site ( www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/ears ) that had first attracted the attention of researchers at the Sorbonne.