Dr. Pat O’Grady is a music researcher, educator, and artist. He is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Music at the Australian National University, where he serves as Education Lead and convenor of the Bachelor of Music and the Contemporary Music Production and Honours programs.
His research focuses on how people make songs in recording studio environments. He explores the creative use of recording technologies, with a particular interest in how tools contribute to musical outcomes in ways that may remain latent – or inaudible – in the final work. His work also investigates how value becomes attached to specific studio technologies—especially those associated with historically significant studios and iconic artists. Pat is committed to developing more inclusive approaches to music production. He is the research lead at Addi Sounds, a community recording studio in Marrickville, Sydney (est. 2025), designed to expand access to recording for underrepresented groups.
He has published extensively in music studies. His first book, Bee Gees, Process and Latent Elements in Music Production, was published in 2025 by Routledge in the Ashgate Popular and Folk Music series. He has also published in top music and media journals, including Popular Music and Society, Popular Music, Journal of Popular Music Studies, Convergence, Continuum, Creative Industries Journal and Perfect Beat.
Pat has contributed peer-reviewed chapters to several edited volumes in music and media studies, including The Intellect Handbook of Popular Music Methodologies (Intellect), Lit-Rock: Literary Capital in Popular Music (Bloomsbury Academic), Researching Live Music: Gigs, Tours, Concerts and Festivals (Routledge/Taylor & Francis), Producing Music (Routledge/Taylor & Francis), and Networked Music Cultures: Contemporary Approaches, Emerging Issues (Palgrave Macmillan).
His research has attracted international recognition through both public media coverage and professional service to the field. His work has been featured in Medium (The Riff), ABC, and The Canberra Times, and in 2025 he received a Certificate of Merit in the category of Best Historical Research in Recorded Popular Music at the ARSC Awards. Pat serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Music Production Research and the peer review board of the Creative Industries Journal, and was Treasurer of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music (ANZ) from 2019 to 2024.
Pat has extensive tertiary teaching experience across diploma, undergraduate, honours, and master’s levels, spanning lecturing, assessment and feedback, and course and program design. He has taught across music and media studies, with particular strengths in recording, songwriting, popular music history, and music research.
Prior to his research career, Pat built a sustained professional practice as a working musician within the changing music industries of the twenty-first century. Operating through his business POG Music, he performed more than 2,000 live engagements between 2005 and 2015 across Sydney, Melbourne, and regional New South Wales and Victoria, spanning both ticketed headline shows and background performance contexts. Represented by multiple booking agencies, he worked in solo, duo, and band formats as a vocalist accompanied by guitar and/or keyboard, and developed an original repertoire of more than 500 songs alongside a broad range of cover material. He has also worked professionally in recording studio contexts, including large-format facilities in institutional and commercial settings, and has maintained a private recording studio since 2002 where he has produced albums as a solo artist. His studio practice includes experience as a recording engineer, songwriter, session musician, and recordist across ska, blues, singer-songwriter, and country styles. These experiences provide ethnographic material that informs his research.
Curriculum vitae
Education
| 2012- 2016 | Doctor 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 |
| 2005-2009 | Bachelor of Music Fourth Year Professional Strand, University of Western Sydney |
| 2003-2004 | Advanced Diploma of Music Contemporary Music Centre, Nirimba TAFERecipient: Contemporary Music Centre 2003 Certificate IV Music (‘Songwriter of the Year’) |
Professional Appointments
Senior 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:
- Course Convenor: ‘Creative Practice as Research’
- Course Convenor: ‘Popular Music In Culture and in Context’
- Course Convenor: ‘Music Recording and Production Techniques’
- Course Convenor: ‘Materials of Music: Sound, Perception and Documentation’
- Course Convenor: ‘Scholar Musician 2’
Service:
- Member: School of Music Education Committee (July 2022-2024)
- Member: School of Music Outreach Committee (2022)
- Member: School of Music Research Committee (2023)
- Convenor: School of Music Research Seminar (July 2023)
- Program Convenor: Bachelor of Music (Honours) (2023-present)
- Program Convenor: Contemporary Music Production (2025-present)
- Education Lead (2025-present)
- Chair, School of Music Education Committee (2025-present)
- Member, College Education Committee, College of Arts and Social Sciences (2025)
- School of Music Executive Committee (2025-present0
Casual Academic, University of New England (2021-2022)
Summary of roles and responsibilities: Led online learning modules on Moodle, engaging students through forum discussions and direct communication; redeveloped assessments with new technologies and revised four weeks of content to embed current scholarship in popular music studies: provided personalized written feedback on assignments to support students in enhancing their practical and theoretical understanding of popular music.
Faculty: School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Teaching: ‘Popular Music’, (2021) lecturer and coordinator
Sessional Academic, Macquarie University (2012-2022)
Summary of roles and responsibilities: Led courses in contemporary music production, theory, and media, tailored to diverse student skill levels; Developed adaptive teaching strategies, accommodating international students and online learning environments; Provided detailed feedback to foster student development in practical and theoretical aspects of contemporary music production; Managed course coordination and design, while integrating university learning objectives
Department: Media, Music, Communication and Cultures Studies (from 2020 named: Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language and Literature)
- 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
- Music, Mind and Emotion (2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2015), tutor.
Macquarie University International College
- 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.
Professional Service
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
| 2024 – -present | Member, Editorial Board of Journal of Music Production Reserach |
| July 2019- -present | Treasurer, 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- 2021 | External 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 -2019 | 2019 Biannual Conference for the International Association for the Study of Popular Music in Canberra |
- Coordinated with the committee chair to assess abstracts of presenters
Research
2025, Bee Gees, Process and Latent Elements in Music Production. Ashgate Popular and Folk Music Series, Routledge, London.
2025, ‘Studio Labels’ The Intellect Handbook of Popular Music Methodologies. Dines, M., Rambarran, S., and Smith, G D. Bristol: Intellect Press.
2023 ‘Everyday Fidelity’: Analyzing Sound Quality in Ubiquitous Listening Practices. Popular Music and Society, 46:1, 21-34
2023 ‘An essential tool for creativity’: technologies, spaces and discourse within pop music production. Media International Australia. 186:1 126-148
2022 The Limits of Literary: Rethinking the Status of Literary Allusions in Pop Music. In: Hibbett R (eds). Lit- Rock. Literary Capital in Popular Music. New York, Bloomsbury. ISBN: 9781501392856
2021 ‘Under the Cover of Darkness’: Situating ‘Covers Gigs’ within Live Music Ecologies. In: Anderton C & Psifil S (eds) Researching Live Music: Gigs, Tours, Concerts and Festivals. London: Focal Press. pp. 44-55
2021 Sound City and music from the Outskirts: the de-democratization of pop music production. Creative Industries Journal. 14(3) pp. 211-225
2021 Rethinking criticism about lossy compression: Sound fidelity, large-scale production and audio capital in pop music. Convergence. 27 (4), pp. 1075-1091
2020 Making mirrors, making albums and making documentaries: the music of Gotye and negotiating Bourdieu’s field of cultural production. Popular Music. 39 (3-4) pp. 669-684
2019 The Master of Mystery: Technology, Legitimacy and Status in Audio Mastering. Journal of Popular Music Studies. 31(2). pp. 141-164
2019 The Analogue Divide: Interpreting Attitudes Towards Recording Media in Music Production. Continuum: Journal of Media and Cultural Studies. pp. 446-459
2019 The Politics of Digitizing Analogue Recording Technologies. In: Hepworth-Sawyer R and Hodgson J (eds) Producing Music. London: Routledge. pp. 119 -133,
2018 Latent Elements in Music Production. Popular Music and Society. 41(5) pp. 506-521
2017 Another Day to Swing on Clothes Lines: The Bee Gees and Australia. Perfect Beat. 18(1) pp. 27-47.
Co-authored with Collins S 2016 Off the Charts: The implications of incorporating streaming data into the charts In: Nowak R & Whelan A (eds) Networked Music Cultures: Contemporary Approaches, Emerging Issues. London: Palgrave, pp. 151-170.
2014 Studio Hubs: Changing Recording Environments. In: O’Regan J and Wren Toby (eds) Communities, Places, Ecologies: IASPM 2013 Australia and New Zealand Chapter Conference Proceedings. pp.103-111
2013 Disrupted Flow in the Studio. In: Wilson O and Attfield S (eds) Shifting Sounds: Musical Flow: A Collection of Papers from the 2012 IASPM Conference. Dunedin, New Zealand. pp. 127-135.
Conference Presentations
2023, ‘The Music Production Imagination,’Diversity in Popular Music Spheres International Association for the Study of Popular Music (ANZ) Kirikiriroa (Hamilton), Aotearoa New Zealand
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.
Media and Outreach
Interviewed, Martin, Amy (2024) ‘A Canberra academic studied Taylor Swift. Here’s what he found. Times’ Canberra Times
Interviewed, Obran, Elaine (2024) ‘Modern day Madonna? How Taylor Swift’s music takes inspiration from the 80s,’ ANU Reporter
Interviewed, Obran, Elaine (2024) ‘Murder (is back) on the dancefloor: TikTok gives old hits new life’ ANU Reporter
Chair, ‘Recording at Home Panel’ at Dashville Skyline Music Festival October 2022
Chair, ‘The Music Industries Panel: Challenges and Opportunities’ at Dashville Skyline Music Festival October 2023. Including representatives from artists, management and music NGOs. Focus on equity and inclusion
Author, 2022 “The Indigenous Voice in Australian Popular Music,” NiTRO Creative Matters. https://creativematters.edu.au/2022-10-14-the-indigenous-voice-in-australian-popular-music/
Professional Society Memberships
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
