Gez Ruggiero, Technical Instructor at the University of Derby, brings a diverse background in sound and music to our Entetainment Engineering subject area. Originating from Rhyl, North Wales, Gez’s journey encompassed music studies at The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, followed by engagements in electronic music performance, theatre, and live event engineering. Joining Derby in 2022, Gez’s role spans various programs, from BSc (Hons) Sound, Light, and Live Event Engineering to MSc Audio Engineering. Gez envisions the future of the field not necessarily in AI dominance, but in inclusive technologies, fostering immersive experiences for all. Beyond academia, Gez’s passions range from mountain biking and photography to curating electronic music festivals, embodying a harmonious blend of artistry and technical acumen.
Gez Ruggiero
What is your name?
Gez Ruggiero
What is your quest?
To leave knowing more than when I arrived.
What is your favourite colour?
Purple
What is your hometown?
Rhyl, North Wales
What did you do before coming to Derby?
I studied Music at The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, graduated in 2009. My first study was Creative Music Technologies and second study was Guitar. My degree covered composition, sound design and live electronic performance also surround sound mixing, classical studio and live recording.
Whilst I’ve practiced as a live performer and producer in the electronic music field over the years, touring and playing festivals etc… I’ve supplemented this with work in theatre and live event engineering. Worked as a Theatre Technician at the The Friary Theatre in Lichfield, as well as Audio Technician at Create Theatre in Mansfield. I also taught Live Sound Reinforcement and Studio Recording there for 5 years before coming to work for the University.
When did you start at Derby?
Halloween 2022. Says it all really 😉
Why did you choose to work at the University of Derby?
My work in Mansfield was scaled back massively with many creative opportunities there eroding away due to much of the funding to run the Create Theatre and Music programmes being cut. It was time to find new challenges and the role here in Derby seemed to fit. It was also an opportunity for me to level up in terms of working with live sound.
What is your current role?
Technical Instructor
What programme(s) do you teach on?
BSc (Hons) Sound, Light and Live Event Engineering
MSc Audio Engineering
MSc Applied Acoustics
EARLab Reasearch (PhD)
What are your areas of expertise?
Sound/Music predominantly, live sound especially but my experience of working in theatres has resulted in me knowing a lot about the rigging and programming of lights and projection.
What has been your most memorable experience from your time working at Derby?
It was really great fun getting to go down to see the building of a recent Prodigy show at the Utility in Birmingham.
What do you think is the next “big thing” in your field?
The easy answer here is AI, but I don’t think it’s going to be as exciting/integrated as a lot people are suggesting. This industry revolves around creative thinking, an AI can only work with the information it’s given and how it perceives that information. You’re still going to need people bouncing ideas around to get the best results in any creative endeavour, no one person can be attributed with changing the world, it’s always a team effort.
I think the real frontier in this industry is accessibility. Immersive and haptic technologies being tightly integrated into live events to make them enjoyable to people of all abilities. Combine this with making more live venues accessible (long overdue here in the UK) to a wider range of people.
What’s a hobby or interest you have outside of your university work?
I’m obviously a Musician, so am often working on Music outside of work but I also enjoy Mountain Biking, Photography, Hiking and playing ridiculously hard board games.
What is your favourite museum?
I love the Natural History Museum in London as well as Tate Britain.
Is there a work-related project you’re particularly excited about?
We’re about to tech a day-long electronic music festival at DEDA in town soon. Our second year students have designed the rig for the show and it’s looking to be a great one.