April 10, 1999 - Expression College for Digital Arts dedicates performance hall to Meyer Sound Laboratories, Inc.

EMERYVILLE, Calif. - Expression College for Digital Arts, a growing digital media arts school, will name its new performance hall to honor Meyer Sound Laboratories, Inc. of Berkeley, Calif., and its owners, John and Helen Meyer.

“It is an incredible bit of serendipity that one of the world’s best concert sound systems company is located only a few blocks away from us,” said Gary Platt, president and founder of Expression, which is finishing construction of its new facility in Emeryville, Calif. “It is an indication of the kind of expertise we find in the Bay Area,” Platt added, “and one of the reasons we chose this location for our school.”

Expression started classes in January teaching students the skills they need to win jobs in the fields of digital visual art and sound. Classes are ongoing in finished classroom and laboratory facilities as construction and equipment installation continues on the more-high-end recording studios and editing suites used in the 14-month curriculum.

Work is just being finished on the school’s 250-seat performance hall, which will be used for exhibiting students’ work, industry guest lectures, exemplary live performances and community events. The hall will also be a critical teaching venue, where such subjects as live theater lighting and sound will be practiced. One corner will also be equipped with a large “blue screen,” used for filming dramatic special effects and computer digital motion capture.

The hall will be equipped with a 5.1 Surround Sound system designed by John Meyer. An additional speaker placed in the middle of the ceiling will provide even more opportunity for experimentation and sensation.

“In our big digital studio we will be using a brand new speaker system being developed by Meyer Sound in conjunction with research done at the University of California at Berkeley,” said Platt. “These new speakers use the same kind of technology used to stabilize Mach 4 military jets, which allows them to produce distortion-free sound. We are thrilled to be able to use this kind of cutting edge technology in our educational program.”

“Meyer Sound is the best,” Platt said. “We’re very, very proud of our association with them and with the active involvement of John Meyer in the research he will be doing in conjunction with our facilities.”

By naming its new venue the Meyer Sound Lab Performance Center, Platt said, “Expression is honoring John Meyer for his enormous contribution to the world of live sound production. John Meyer will be seen in there on a frequent basis as we use the facility for teaching as well as for continuing research.”

The performance hall will be christened on April 17, when the first activity scheduled in the new venue will be Expression’s “Women in Media Day.” Women in important positions in all realms of digital media, from executive offices, sound studios, multimedia labs and performance stages, will come together at Expression to discuss career opportunities with 200 young women hand-picked from Bay Area high schools. One of those on the dais lending her inspiration, appropriately, will be Helen Meyer, vice president of Meyer Sound. Helen Meyer manages all aspects of sales and marketing for the company that she and her husband own.

About Expression College for Digital Arts
Founded in 1999, Expression is a unique, fully licensed digital arts college. Expression College for Digital Arts teaches and grants Bachelor degrees in three programs: Sound Arts; Digital Visual Media (comprising 3DAnimation and Visual Effects); and Digital Graphic Design (emphasizing Broadcast Design and Motion Graphics.) Expression utilizes a professional accelerated program and students live and learn in the culture of digital arts for approximately 2.5 years. Each class is limited to a small number of students to insure excellent and hands-on learning and the student to computer ratio is one-to-one. Students are taught by and work with the best practitioners and equipment that the industry can offer. Expression’s close ties to top industry professionals provide students with real-world client projects, mentorship and internship opportunities and a top-rated career development track that has resulted in a 80+% placement rate for graduates. When graduates leave their Expression family behind, they are prepared to assume sought-after jobs in Silicon Valley, Hollywood, and other art and high technology centers around the world. Expression College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Career Schools and Colleges of Technology, (ACCSCT).

Expression College for Digital Arts’ campus is located in an imagination-inspiring 85,000-square-foot building, at 6601 Shellmound St. in Emeryville, Calif., just across the Bay Bridge from San Francisco. For more information, please visit Expression’s Website at: www.expression.edu.

Contact:
Karen Wertman, Director of Marketing
Expression College for Digital Arts

Expression College for Digital Arts Website
www.expression.edu