Walt Disney Sound Designer Hired to Lead New Program

A Walt Disney Imagineering sound designer who supervised audio for multimillion dollar attractions in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Paris will head UC Irvine's new master of fine arts program in sound design.

Led by Michael K. Hooker, the sound design program in the Department of Drama in the Claire Trevor School of the Arts will become one of just a handful of similar graduate programs offered at top institutions nationwide.

"With the leadership of Professor Hooker, we will have the opportunity to build one of the finest sound design programs in the country and perhaps the world," said Nohema Fernandez, dean of the arts school. "His wide range of experience will enhance our top-ranked drama department and serve as an important foundation for our sound design program today and in the future."

Sound design is the art of enhancing, controlling and even creating the sounds for a variety of venues, including a theater production, motion picture or amusement park attraction. Only recognized as a field in the last few decades, sound design today is a vital component of theatrical art, fully equivalent to the long-established areas of scenery, costumes and lighting.

Hooker, 40, comes to UCI after seven years with Walt Disney Imagineering, where he produced sound projects for five of its 11 theme parks. His projects included "Cinemagique," an interactive film show starring actor Martin Short at Walt Disney Studios Paris; the Mermaid Lagoon, an area featuring several underwater-themed attractions at Tokyo Disney Sea; and holiday overlays for the Haunted Mansion and It's a Small World attractions at Tokyo Disneyland.

"With sound design, you can transport an audience into a different world," Hooker said. "Sound can take you from one scene to another, convey emotion and heighten action. I find sound design very magical and rewarding, and I look forward to sharing it with my students."

According to Hooker, graduates of the sound design program will have the skills necessary to design audio for theater, television, film, museums, restaurants and even the Web. Classes in sound design will begin this fall.

Before joining Disney, Hooker created graduate and undergraduate sound design programs at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and California Institute of the Arts. He has designed sound for more than 100 productions since 1983 and is a classically trained pianist who has performed many times as a pit musician and conductor for musicals. Hooker holds a master's from the California Institute of the Arts and an interdisciplinary bachelor's degree in music, theatre and art from the University of Arizona.

In addition to Hooker, the university plans to hire a second sound design faculty member, build a sound design studio and teaching lab, and purchase portable audio equipment for use in the school's four producing theaters. These additions will enhance the sound experience for UCI's large audience of the performing arts.

The drama department's graduate program is ranked 12th nationally by U.S. News and World Report. The sound design program is part of UCI's "Programs of Excellence" initiative, which dedicates funding to elevate the university's most distinguished and influential programs.

About the University of California, Irvine: The University of California, Irvine is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Founded in 1965, UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California campuses, with more than 24,000 undergraduate and graduate students and about 1,400 faculty members. The second-largest employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $3.3 billion. For more UCI news, visit www.today.uci.edu.

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