Eastman Announces New Associate Professor of Music and Technology

Eastman School of Music, of the University of Rochester, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dennis DeSantis ‘05E (DMA) to the newly created position of Associate Professor of Music and Technology.

An Eastman alumnus, DeSantis is a composer, percussionist, sound designer, author, and educator. Previously Head of Music Learning at Ableton, one of the world’s leading music software companies, he led the creation of the interactive websites Learning Music and Learning Synths. He also contributed to the design of Ableton products Live and Push and served as a curator and moderator for the Loop conference from 2015 to 2018. He is the author of Making Music: 74 Creative Strategies for Electronic Music Producers, a widely used resource in music production education.

Beginning in the fall 2025 semester, DeSantis will teach courses in music technology for current students at Eastman.  He will also play a key role in developing new programs and initiatives as part of the University of Rochester’s SoundSpace. This newly announced collaborative center will be anchored at Eastman as well as in Audio Music Engineering at the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. SoundSpace will be a hub for research, education, performance, and public engagement at the intersection of music, science, and engineering.

“Dennis’s deep work in many facets of the music industry, alongside his experience as a performer, composer, and educator, will be assets to our current and future students,” states Kate Sheeran, Joan and Martin Messinger Dean at Eastman. “We are thrilled to welcome Dennis back to Eastman to help launch SoundSpace with our colleagues at Hajim and throughout the University of Rochester.”

“I’m really excited to come back to Eastman,” shares DeSantis. “My time as an Eastman student gave me so many answers, but it also gave me the confidence to keep asking questions. I look forward to working with amazing colleagues and students to build this new program in a way that treats music technology not only as a means of production, but as a medium for imagination, collaboration, and discovery. I’m honored to be part of this incredible community again.”

DeSantis holds a DMA from Eastman and degrees from Yale and Western Michigan University.

For a full press release visit: https://www.esm.rochester.edu/news/

Interview are available upon request.