About

Short Bio

Pat O’Grady is a musician, songwriter, producer, and academic specializing in popular music. He works as a Lecturer at the School of Music, Australian National University.

Pat holds a PhD (2016) in contemporary music recording and songwriting practice. He has published articles in Popular Music and Society (2018, 2022), Popular Music, Journal of Popular Music Studies, Creative Industries Journal, Convergence, Continuum,  and Perfect Beat. 

Pat has two decades of professional experience in writing, producing and performing music.

His teaching and research aim to help establish a more inclusive and diverse field of contemporary music production.

He is the current treasurer of the Australian/New Zealand branch of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music.

Pat is currently writing his first scholarly book to appear in the Ashgate Popular and Folk Music Series.

Career Overview

Jump to: Undergraduate and emerging music practitioner | PhD candidate, and emerging tertiary educator | Lecturer in Music Technology at the Australian National University | Curriculum vitae

2000-2010:  Undergraduate and emerging music practitioner

Pat’s passion for music originated in the early 2000s. Between 2003-2004, he studied popular music production, performance and theory at the Contemporary Music College in Sydney and was awarded an Advanced Diploma of Music. While at CMC, he was the recipient of the ‘Contemporary Music Centre 2003 Certificate IV Music Songwriter of the Year’. He furthered his studies in 2005, commencing a Bachelor of Music at the University of Western Sydney. In 2008, he completed a ‘Fourth Year Professional Strand’, which included a large research project (popular musicology analysis) and creative work (EP of original songs).

Pat established himself as a professional musician in Sydney during his undergraduate studies. Drawing from his teenage curiosity for using home cassette tape recorders to overdub instruments, he built a DAW-based project studio. Here, he worked as a songwriter, recordist and musician with established artists in the Sydney scene to produce a series of solo albums and works for other artists. He also began performing professionally. Represented by booking agency The Launch Squad, he performed his original work in Sydney’s premier small live music venues, and covers at clubs and pubs in Sydney and surrounding areas. In 2008, he hosted a weekly singer/songwriter evening in Newtown to foster performance opportunities for emerging artists.

In 2009, Pat completed a Master of Recording Arts at Macquarie University. His study of recording practice prompted an enduring passion for researching ‘studio-based songwriting’ and the cultural politics of aesthetics in music production. After completing his Masters, Pat developed a successful application to continue his research for a Doctor of Philosophy degree.

2011-2015- PhD candidate, and emerging tertiary educator and researcher

Pat commenced a PhD in 2012. His thesis contributed new knowledge to the musicological and creative practice-led analysis of studio-based songwriting. It examined the concept of the ‘studio as an instrument’ through emergent spaces – such as home and project studios – and the politics of aesthetics that shape value in this field. During his PhD, he presented his research at local conferences of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music, held in Hobart, Brisbane, Dunedin and Canberra. One highlight was presenting abroad at the 8th Art of Record Production Conference in Québec in 2013. Work from these presentations was published in two conference proceedings. During his PhD, he commenced lecturing and tutoring roles in music production, instrument technique, music theory and music history. He also returned to his Masters classes on multiple occasions to deliver guest lectures based on his practical experience and research findings.

During this PhD study, Pat continued to produce music. His thesis includes two albums of original works, Only Begun (2013) and Into My Own (2016). He co-produced and recorded the debut album of Sam Newton and the debut EP of Cameron James Henderson. As a postgraduate student, Pat participated in activities at Macquarie that advocated for social justice. In 2012, he recorded Room For Me (EP), as part of an internal funding grant to promote diversity and social inclusion. In 2013, he wrote, performed and recorded a song for STOP! Voices Condemning Violence Against Women (EP). 2013. Pat also continued to perform music at venues within Sydney.

2016-2022. Early Career Researcher and Sessional Academic

After completing his PhD in 2016, Pat built an international reputation as an music scholar, practitioner and educator. He established himself as a published researcher in music production across 13 publications, appearing in top tier popular music journals such as Popular Music, Popular Music and Society and Journal of Popular Music Studies. His research impacted the fields of media and cultural studies, published in journals such as Creative Industries Journal, Convergence and Continuum. In 2017, he presented at the International Association for the Study of Popular Music conference in Kassel, Germany.

Pat gained extensive tertiary teaching experience at Macquarie University, leading learning activities as a lecturer, tutor, convener, marker, and unit developer across multiple skill levels, including pathways, first year, second year, third year and Masters. In 2021/2 he redeveloped and delivered a popular music unit for the University of New England. He gained experience not only in teaching introductory contemporary music and media units, but also in highly specialised units such as advanced music production as well. At Macquarie, he led and developed several modules on contemporary music technology-related topics, such as studio practice ranging from DAW operation (Logic Pro X and Pro Tools) to large recording studio workflow (signal flow of microphones, preamps and operating mixing consoles (Neve, SSL).

Pat served in various roles within academia and produced a series of music projects. He was an External Advisory Committee Member for the Bachelor of Music, at Western Sydney University. Pat also continued to produce music. In 2021, he released a solo album, In Plain Sight. In 2020, he recorded CJ Stranger, the album Hey Stranger. During the Covid-19 lockdowns between 2020-2021, Pat regularly live-streamed performances on social media from his project studio.

2022- Lecturer in Music Technology at the Australian National University

Pat was appointed Lecturer in Music Technology at the School of Music at the Australian National University in 2022. At the school, he teaches into ‘Music Recording and Production Techniques’, ‘Materials of Music: Sound, Perception and Documentation’, ‘Creative Practice as Research’ and ‘Popular Music In Culture and in Context’. He has also had multiple research outputs and is currently writing his first monograph for the Ashgate Popular and Folk Music Series, due for publication in 2024.

At the ANU, Pat has led a number of music production activities. In September 2022, he chaired a round table discussion with Visiting Fellow Thomas Weiber, along with Virginia Read and Bob Scott. In October 2022, he chaired a recording discussion panel at Dashvile Skyline Music Festival. In November 2023, Pat co-convened a workshop on Audio, Acoustics and Signal Processing, which involved members from the Audio & Acoustic Signal Processing research group at ANU and representatives from Dolby.

Pat has taken on multiple service roles in the school. He is a member of the School of Music Education Committee and Research Committee. He is currently the Acting Convenor of Honours.

Pat brings to this role ten years of experience as a scholar and educator and twenty years of experience as a musician. His teaching and research aim to establish a more inclusive and diverse field of contemporary music production.

He is the current Treasurer of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music (Australia/New Zealand branch, 2019-present)

Curriculum vitae

2012- 2016Doctor of Philosophy Macquarie University Fields of inquiry: songwriting, music production, music technology, popular musicology, cultural production Thesis: ‘Studio-based Songwriting’: Music Production and Shaping the Pop Song 
2009-2010 Master of Recording Arts Macquarie University 
2005-2009Bachelor of Music Fourth Year Professional Strand, University of Western Sydney 
2003-2004Advanced Diploma of Music Contemporary Music Centre, Nirimba TAFERecipient: Contemporary Music Centre 2003 Certificate IV Music (‘Songwriter of the Year’)

Lecturer in Music Technology, Australian National University (2022-)

Faculty: School of Music, Research School of Humanities & the Arts, ANU College of Arts & Social Sciences

Teaching:

  • Convenor: ‘Creative Practice as Research’
  • Convenor: ‘Popular Music In Culture and in Context’
  • Convenor: ‘Music Recording and Production Techniques’
  • Convenor: ‘Materials of Music: Sound, Perception and Documentation’
  • Convenor: ‘Scholar Musician 2’

Service:

  • Member: School of Music Education Committee (July 2022-Present)
  • Member: School of Music Outreach Committee (2022)
  • Member: School of Music Research Committee (2023-Present)
  • Convenor: School of Music Research Seminar (July 2023)
  • Convenor: Honours (2023-present)

Casual Academic, University of New England (2021-2022)

Summary of roles and responsibilities:

  • Delivered online learning modules via the Moodle, including leading forum discussions and liaising with students.
  • Redesigned assessments to incorporate new technologies and redeveloped 4 weeks of content (lectures and activities) to incorporate up-to-date scholarship in popular music studies
  • Provided detailed written feedback on assignments tailored to help students further develop their practical and theoretical knowledge of popular music.

Faculty: School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

Teaching: ‘Popular Music’, (2021) lecturer and coordinator 

Casual Academic, Macquarie University (2012-2022)

Summary of roles and responsibilities:

  • Led classes in contemporary music production, history, theory, technique, and media. 
  • Developed and executed teaching strategies tailored to different skill levels, ranging from introductory lectures for undergraduates to specialised seminars to Masters level students.
  • Tailored teaching practices centred on flexibility to suit the needs of international student cohorts and online delivery approaches. 
  • Provided detailed written feedback on assignments tailored to help students further develop their practical and theoretical knowledge of contemporary music production.
  • Coordinated units by implementing faculty learning and teaching policies, liaising with students, processing special consideration requests, designing rubrics, moderating grades and attending department meetings.
  • Created learning material from the ground up, including lecture notes/slides, class activities, unit structure and assignments.
  • Implemented the university’s strategic objectives in learning and teaching into course delivery and design. 

Department:  Media, Music, Communication and Cultures Studies (from 2020: Media Communications, Creative Arts, Language and Literature)

Teaching:

  • Music, Sound and Moving Image (2020, 2021) tutor.
  • Music Production (2018) lecturer.
  • The Art of Recording (2017) lecturer.
  • Advanced Music Production (2017, 2014) lecturer and tutor.
  • Music at the Limits Experimentation and Innovation (2015) convenor and tutor.
  • Guitar Principles (2020, 2018, 2017, 2013) tutor and lecturer.
  • Passion Rebellion and Identity (2012, 2013) tutor. 
  • Reading Contemporary Music (2012, 2013) tutor and lecturer.
  • Introduction to Digital Media (2016 [S1 S2], 2017 [S1 S2], 2018 [S1 S2], 2019 [S1 S2]) tutor.
  • Mass Media and Communication (2020, 2021) tutor.
  • Media Cultures (2019, 2018, 2015) tutor.
  • Media Technologies (2020, 2021), tutor.
  • Theorising Media (2018, 2021) tutor.
  • Australian Media (2019, 2015) tutor.
  • Media Futures (2017, 2016, 2015) tutor.

Department: Psychology 

Teaching:

  • Music, Mind and Emotion (2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2015), tutor.

Macquarie University International College

Teaching:

  • Media Cultures (2016), teacher.
  • Introduction to Digital Media (2021 [T3, T2], 2018, 2016), teacher and course developer 

Singer, Songwriter, Producer and Director, POG Music (2007-present)

Summary of roles and responsibilities:

  • Performed original music at premier live venues in Sydney and Melbourne 
  • Released several albums of original music (see ‘Selected Creative Works’)
  • Produced and recorded albums for singer/songwriters (see ‘Selected Creative Works’), which have received coverage in mainstream music press and radio. Worked with artists to develop strategic plans for their project. Project managed the recording time to work within a budget set by the artist. Tailored the workflow of the studio to the artist’s requirements. Led the process of capturing performances that were suitable for mixing and release. Recorded and mixed the work in accordance with genre and stylistic preferences of artist.
  • Coordinated with industry stakeholders such as The Launch Squad (ABN: 11 568 249 807) to provide live music activities including: (1) curated ‘open mic’ songwriter nights aimed at offering performance opportunities for emerging artists (2) developed and executed performances for specific briefs, including public bars, clubs, restaurants, private functions (3) organised for additional musicians to suit specific performance briefs. (4) developed a network of musicians to call upon to suit specific ensemble and genre requirements. (5) provided audio technical support for music performances of original music.

Invited Peer Reviews

  • Bloomsbury Academic (2022)
  • Convergence (2020, 2023) (link to Proftn)
  • New Media and Society (2020) (link to Proftn)
  • IASPM ANZ 2013 Conference Proceedings.

Committee/Organizational Positions

July 2019- -presentTreasurer, International Association for the Study of Popular Music (Australia/New Zealand branch)
  • Responsible for the organization’s finances.
  • Responsible for liaising with potential members to set up membership and existing members for renewal.
  • Led change in the payment system platform
  • Reported to membership on a yearly basis with a summary of finances.
  • Responsible for complying with requirements of parent international organization.
Sept 2019- 2021External Advisory Committee MemberBachelor of Music, Western Sydney University 
  • Reported to Dean of School of Humanities and Communication Arts 
  • Advised on the relevance and presentation of the music program
  • Identified emerging needs and opportunities for the direction and scope of the program
  • Identified ways to increase the level of engagement with community groups and employers
  • Worked collaboratively with a panel of academics and industry stakeholders to reach a consensus on recommendations for the program
  • Attended yearly meetings to learn about developments and assess the implementation of previous recommendations 
Sept 2017 -20192019 Biannual Conference for the International Association for the Study of Popular Music in Canberra
  • Coordinated with the committee chair to assess abstracts of presenters

2022, ‘Filling in the Gaps: Negotiating Process and Sound in Music Production’, Opening Up: Reconnecting, Remixing and Remastering 7-9 December, International Association for the Study of Popular Music (ANZ) Conference RMIT, Melbourne

2021 ‘iCapital’: the role of popular music in Apple’s keynote presentations in the 2000s. Musical Scales. International Association for the Study of Popular Music (ANZ) Conference, UTS Sydney Australia.

2021 Sound Fidelity, Mobility and Wireless Speakers. Sound and music technologies: Mobilities, listening, space and the body Thursday March 18, 2021;  Macquarie University

2019 ‘Nights on [insert place]:’ Relocated and Dislocated Place within the Bee Gees’ Music’.  XX Biennial International Conference of IASPM, School of Music, Australian National University. 24-28 June 2019

2017 ‘The Art of Creativity.’ Cultures of Capitalism. Cultural Studies Association of Australasia Conference, 6-8 December 2017. Wellington NZ.

2017 ‘The Mystery of Mastering.’ Mixing Pop and Politics: Subversion, Resistance and Reconciliation in Popular Music. International Association for the Study of Popular Music (ANZ) Conference, Wellington NZ.

 2017 ‘The Politics of Digitising Analogue.’ Popular Music Studies Today. International Association for the Study of Popular Music Conference, Kassel, Germany.

 2015 “‘Another Day To Swing on Clothes Lines” Constructing a connection to Australia in the case of the Bee Gees.’ Popular Music, Stars and Stardom International Association for the Study of Popular Music (ANZ) Conference, Canberra.

 2014 ‘Brian Eno and the Recording Studio.’ Into The Mix People, Places, Processes. International Association for the Study of Popular Music (ANZ) Conference. 5-7 December, Dunedin.

 2014 ‘Recording Technologies and Studios in Singer-Songwriter Creative Practice.’  The Charisma of Dissonance. Musicological Society of Australia Conference 29 Nov – 2 Dec, Melbourne.

2013 ‘Studio Hubs: Changing Recording Environments.’ Communities Places and Ecologies. International Association for the Study of Popular Music (ANZ) Conference, Brisbane.

2013 ‘Brian Wilson and the Recording Studio.’ Metamorphosis and Music. Musicological Society of Australia Conference 18 – 22 November, Brisbane,

 2013 ‘Passive Studio-based Songwriting: Considering Reverb and Documentation Recording in Songwriting Practice.’ Rewriting The Rules Of Production. The 8th Art of Record Production Conference, July 12th – 14th 2013, Québec.

2012 ‘Disrupted Flow in the Studio.’ Shifting Sounds: Musical Flow. International Association for the Study of Popular Music (ANZ) Conference, Hobart.

International Association for the Study of Popular Music – Treasurer 

Centre for Media History, Macquarie University – Associate Member

Audio Engineering Society – Associate Member 

Musicological Society of Australia – Member

Songwriting Studies Network – Member

Association for the Study of the Art of Record Production – Member