Jeremy Morris joins the University of Wisconsin-Madison from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He has written about the aftershocks of the transition from music on compact discs to music on digital files and online, as well as the politics of podcasting, the technologies of music production and consumption (GarageBand, looping pedals, mp3 Players, and more), and how new media affect artists and their industries.
“The transition to digital has allowed for a re-thinking of how all kinds of artists, authors and musicians go about the business of their art,” says Morris. He hopes his work, with its concern for artists as creators and as entrepreneurs, helps contribute to conversations about healthy and vibrant local cultural scenes.
Welcome, Jeremy! Describe your work and research interests.
I'm interested in what happens to cultural goods like music, film, TV, books, etc. as they become digital products that are sold and distributed online or on digital devices. Why do cultural goods look the way they do on computers, the Internet and other portable devices? How do new devices and software mediate how cultural goods are presented, “packaged” and discovered? What do these new formats mean for how we experience and encounter the books, songs, movies, and other media we love in our everyday lives?
Why are you excited to be at UW-Madison?
Does everyone who answers this question say “Bucky Badger?” Or just Canadians who are new to Madison and U.S. college football culture? Other than Bucky, I’m incredibly excited to work with my colleagues in Communication Arts … they are the biggest reasons I decided to come to Madison.
What courses do you teach?
Critical Internet Studies (CA346) and New Media and Society (CA459)
What can students expect from you in the classroom?
I rely heavily on class discussion and media examples. I hope to have lively lectures and thoughtful debates.
How do you unwind?
I have three small kids at home. “Unwind” is a relative term.
What’s the most-thumbed book on your shelf?
Right now, it’s the metro bus routes map. I missed three buses at the beginning but am aiming for a better record as the semester wears on.
Your favorite part of campus?
The Arboretum.
What did you know about Madison before coming here?
Madison made plenty of headlines last year, so I was following the protests and marches with keen interest.
Which UW sporting event are you most excited to attend?
Just to live up to the Canadian stereotype, I’ll go with men’s and women’s hockey.
Any other events on campus you're excited to attend?
There’s a multitude of guest lectures and talks I’m looking forward to. I've also heard Union South gets some decent concerts, and I can’t wait to see Camp Randall at full capacity.