Tech Topics - Summer 2008 - (Page 32) Burdell&Friends STAR SEARCH for the Internet Jarrell Pair fine-tunes ‘intersection of entertainment and technology’ By Leslie Overman ROB FELT T words to get a large audience across the country or across the world,” Pair he old way of doing business in said. the music industry is becoming as “By building a very powerful dated as disco. Alumnus Jarrell Pair marketing-distribution platform based wants to put today’s struggling on the Internet and working directly singer-songwriters in tune with the with artists, we’re going to give them music market of the future. the capabilities not just to have their As more and more music lovers music on MySpace and sell a few go online to search for new tunes, it’s downloads here and there. We’re not just record shops that are hard-hit going to help them book gigs around by declining CD sales. Major record the country — around the world labels also are feeling the effects and depending on how popular they are are cutting fewer deals with new — and help them get publishing talent, said Pair, CmpE 97, agreements. IntA 97, MS HCI 99. “Basically all of this sort Pair is the chief of stuff used to be done by The problem is it’s now hardtechnology officer and a cothe big four recording er than ever for artists to break founder of myAWOL.com, companies — EMI, Universal, out — in other words to get a devoted to helping starving all of those guys — but the musical artists find an problem is now, because no large audience across the audience. With the launch of one is buying CDs, they’re country or across the world. a beta version of the Web site not cutting deals with bands. in late August, artists It’s not really advantageous without labels, hence the for them. They don’t get a lot “AWOL” in the site’s name, will be out of it, and the artists don’t a variety of Los Angeles-area charity able to sign up at no cost and submit activities. The alum also plays his part necessarily get a lot out of it.” songs. Company representatives will Pair himself has a musical in helping the Institute attract review the artists’ work and promote background as a keyboard and horns tomorrow’s technology leaders by those with promise by helping them player but is no longer a “practicing attending college fairs as recruiting land gigs and licensing. musician,” he said. “I am a music chair for the Greater Los Angeles Prior to joining the music lover. It’s always been a passion of Georgia Tech Club. industry, Pair worked as a computer mine. I feel fortunate to get paid to do As chief technology officer of scientist with the Institute for Creative myAWOL.com, Pair is responsible for something, to work in the music Technologies at the University of business.” developing the company’s entire Southern California, where he The Augusta, Ga., native enrolled Internet platform. He works out of the founded a mixed-reality research and London-based startup’s Santa Monica, at Tech “because it’s a fine development group. Pair’s projects engineering school” but refused to be Calif., office. included a virtual-reality system to pigeonholed. As a student, Pair “Right now if you’re a musician treat Iraq War veterans suffering from helped start the music department’s you can, on your own, find tools posttraumatic stress disorder. The audio lab and expand its music where you can make and distribute system was based on a similar project technology course offerings with then your music online. That’s great, but for Vietnam War veterans he had composer in residence James Oliverio, the problem is it’s now harder than worked on with professors as a ever for artists to break out — in other music department director Bucky graduate student at Georgia Tech. It was for his commitment to public service, and his work on the project for Iraq War veterans in particular, that a committee of Ivan Allen College members recently selected Pair as the 2008 alumni recipient of an Ivan Allen Legacy Award. He returned to campus in March to accept the award at the college’s annual Founder’s Day luncheon. Pair is a member of Kenosis, a church-affiliated group that supports Jarrell Pair returned to campus in March to accept an Ivan Allen Legacy Award. “ Johnson and professor Ron Mendola. He also obtained certificates in music and drama and film in addition to his three degrees. “Georgia Tech allowed me to develop multidisciplinary skills, which have been very helpful in my career. The area I work in kind of sits at the intersection of entertainment and technology, and that marketplace is international. It’s very dynamic, meaning things change fast. The diverse educational background that I was able to come out of in my seven years at Tech has really allowed me to adapt, and in many cases thrive, in that type of environment,” Pair said. “A lot of people say, ‘In my dayto-day job, I don’t use any of the things I learned when I was in school.’ For me, I’m the exact opposite. Every day, every hour, I draw upon my Georgia Tech education. Whether that be an electrical engineering course, the music technology courses I helped get going, all the books we had to read in international affairs classes, I’m constantly drawing on all of that stuff.” Harris, BC 97, announce the birth of a son, Dalton Hugh, on Aug. 29. Dalton joins sister Emma Grace, 2, at the family’s home in Grayson, Ga. Valori is the executive director for the Georgia Home Furnishings Association and Jon is the preconstruction manager for New South Construction in Atlanta. Andrea Hill, ChE 97, and Jason Hill, Mgt 94, announce the birth of a daugh- Jill Wieder Goodrich, IntA 94, MS PubPol 96, and Glenn Goodrich, ME 94, announce the birth of a daughter, Becca Finn, on March 18. Becca joins sisters Lily, 1, and Emma, 5, and brother Logan, 7, at the family’s home in Charlotte, N.C. Christopher O. Green, EE 94, has been named a principal in the Atlanta office of Fish & Richardson PC. He will continue to focus his practice on complex intellectual property litigation involving a diverse range of technologies. Greg Griffis, EE 99, of Cox Communications, received the IP Innovator Award from the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers at its Conference on Emerging Technologies in January. Griffis is a senior network design engineer who focuses on designs for the backbone with Cox Business Services and Cox Digital Telephone. He lives in Roswell, Ga., with his wife, Ellie, and sons Drew and Will. Leslie Owen Hamlin, ISyE 96, and Shawn Roy Hamlin, Arch 95, M Arch 99, BC 99, of Atlanta, announce the birth of a son, Owen Roy Hamlin, on Oct. 10. Leslie is an independent business analyst 32 TECHTOPICS | SUMMER 2008 “ and Shawn is an architect with Perkins+Will. James Harper, AE 99, MS AE 00, and Amy Walker Harper, HTS 00, of Greenville, S.C., announce the birth of a daughter, Emerson Juliette, on Aug. 22. Amy is an elementary school teacher in Greenville County and Jim is a combustion engineer for GE Energy. Valori Skipper Harris, HTS 97, Mgt 99, and Jon H.
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