Darren Sheehan
Award winning Music Producer, Composer,
Radio Presenter, DJ and Instrumentalist.
MA Mus. Tech / BSc Arch Tech.
Key Skills
● Comprehensive and highly developed knowledge of Electronic Music, composition, and many areas within the music recording and production process.
This encompasses a large variety of skills and techniques including sound synthesis and design, MIDI sequencing, audio editing and signal processing (e.g. advanced EQ, compression and limiting, psychoacoustic techniques, audio manipulation etc.), microphone choice and placement, audio mixing, right through to the final mastering stages of music production ensuring that the end product is to a high commercial standard.
● Professional level of scoring for film with a full proficiency of compositional
techniques such as orchestration, spotting and timing of instrumentation to correspond to onscreen cues.
● In depth experience and knowledge of many DAWs principally Cubase,
Ableton Live, Logic and Pro Tools. Proficient in Csound, Pure Data, ReakTIVision and Max/MSP/Jitter.
● Experienced within the music industry, with particular accomplishments
within the field of electronic music.
● Skilled musician specialising in saxophone performance and improvisation.
Education
Master of Arts in Music and Technology
2013 - 2014
Cork School of Music
Graduated with first class honours
Bachelor of Science in Architectural Technology
2003 - 2006
Cork Institute of Technology
Graduated with second class honours
Commercial Production & Imaging
Commercial Production & Imaging
May 2015 – Present
Dashka Audio (Self Employed)
Notable clients include Warner Music & Communicorp.
Music Producer and composer, creating musical and audio content for a variety of media including:
-Dealing in Film Music composition (features and shorts)
-Audio Creation and production (Dashka)
-Audio Creation and production for other artists (Clients include Warner Music)
-Engineering and Recording for other artists
-Mastering service (both stereo and stem mastering)
-Radio Imaging
-Audio Post Production
-Wide range of recording studio session experience
Commercial Production & Imaging Manager (Interim)
May 2015–Sept 2015
Spin Southwest (Communicorp)
Advanced knowledge of RCS, Commercial Production and Imaging gained as interim Station Commercial Production and Imaging Manager in Spin Southwest.
Musical Experience
Music for Film & TV
2005-Present
Composer of music for film & TV. Notable projects include:
Scéalta Grá na hÉireann (2021) ; a full musical score for this 6 part factual programme for TG4. Audio sample are available here:
The Cork Nativity (2020) ; broadcast on RTE1 Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2020. Winner of Wilbur Award (US) 2021.
Storage (2016) ; a full original score for this Irish feature film which debuted at the Cork Indie Film Festival in October 2016.
Winner of ‘Best Drama Film’ at The European Cinematography awards and ‘Best Arthouse Film’ at The Stockholm Independent Film Festival.
‘Hatch’ (2015) ; the score for the short film ‘Hatch’ by Damien McCarthy was included in the Cork Screen Commission’s ‘Music in Film’ workshop.
Electroacoustic Music
Sept 2013-Present
Composer of Electroacoustic Music, with a notable performance of the composition ‘Storm’ featuring at the 2014 Society for Musicology in Ireland conference held in Cork School of Music.
Quadraphonic recordings of these compositions are available upon request.
Electronic Music
2009 - Present
Electronic music producer under the alias ‘Dashka’, with releases signed to several of the biggest global electronic music record labels including Spinnin’ Records, Size Records, Natura Viva, Glasgow Underground and Cr2 Records.
Productions have been featured on BBC Radio 1 and supported by a variety of high profile DJs.
Performances also incorporate live saxophone, and tours include large-scale festivals and nightclubs internationally, including venues in Ibiza, Miami and Dubai.
Academic Experience
Guest Lecturer: Music Production / Composition for Film
February 2016 - April 2021
CIT Cork School of Music, Cork
Guest lecturer for music production / composition for film workshops presenting to the Music & Technology Masters class.
Instructor: Music Technology
Autumn 2017
Centre for Talented Youth, Ireland (Dublin City University)
Creating and teaching an academic programme for talented 6-13 year olds, introducing them to computer music and music production.
Lecturer: Music Production Workshops for Post-Primary
February 2016 - Present
Numerous Post-Primary Schools
Hosting workshops for students in post-primary education on Music Production / Music Technology for Leaving Certificate.
Ableton Live / Cubase Tutor
June 2014 - 2017
BMG Sound, Cork
Lecturer and tutor for music production classes introducing students primarily to Ableton's Live software. Skills covered within the classes range from basic recording and editing of audio and midi events, right through to a wide variety of advanced production and mastering techniques to ensure a professional sounding finished product.
Radio Experience
On-Air Presenting / DJing
Radio Presenter June 2014 - Present
Spin Southwest
Presenter/ DJ and producer of ‘Mainroom with Dashka’, a weekly 3 hour specialist electronic music show.
Instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist, primarily saxophone and piano.
1991-Present
Studied saxophone under the tuition of:
John O’Connor (Head of wind, Cork School of Music)
Karl Rooney (Cork School of Music)
Ken Marshall (Cork School of Music)
Former member of Ballincollig Concert Band and Cork School of Music Jazz Big Band, which included many performances in Cork Jazz Festival and a tour to the Apennino Jazz Festival in Italy.
Saxophone improvisation features regularly in both DJ and electroacoustic performances.
Professional Leadership
Guest Speaker & Performer
Nov 2014 - Present
Cork Pops Orchestra
This ongoing role entails addressing an audience of two thousand students at Cork City Hall & University of Limerick Concert Hall to discuss Music Technology. The feature centres on discussing the work of a music producer, showcasing musical scores created for films / animations, and performing electronics live with the orchestra.
Awards
IDMA (Irish Dance Music Awards)
2011
Awarded IDMA ‘Best New Artist’
Cork County Vocational Education Committee
2001
Awarded a full saxophone scholarship
References available on request.