Aaron Hynds is an Indiana-based audio engineer, tubist, and composer. His creative practice is centered on the intersection of technology and live performance, with a specialty in the interpretation of contemporary music. To this end, he remains active as a performer and composer, while working primarily as an instructor and audio engineer in higher education.
Since the fall of 2023, Aaron has worked as the Manager of Audio Operations for the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. Previous appointments include 4 years as the Lecturer of Music Business & New Media for the University of Kentucky, as well as the Sound Production Coordinator for the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Besides his academic positions, he is also the sole proprietor of Hynds Recording Services, a freelance audio engineering business.
As an engineer, Aaron’s recent projects include full-length CDs of music featuring the euphonium and tuba (Monkey to the Sky by Dr. Robert Benton, released in 2020 on Potenza Music, and Widening Circles by Dr. Daniel Rowland, released on Mark Custom Records in 2023), and recordings of his own work as a solo tuba player specializing in contemporary music (Berserker: New Music for Tuba, Vol. 1, released on Breathing Machine Records in 2021). Besides his work as a recording engineer, Aaron also has extensive experience as a live audio technician; responsibilities range from being A1 for multiple theatrical productions in Nebraska and Kentucky, to myriad live musical events.
Aaron's musical background is centered around performance, having performed on the tuba across the United States since 2008. As a specialist in contemporary music, he has performed at events such as the inaugural Omaha Under the Radar Festival, the 2014 International Summer Course for New Music in Darmstadt, Germany, the Null Point music series in Buffalo, NY, Constellation-Chicago, and the 2016 and 2017 New Music Gatherings. In March of 2019, he was the featured guest artist for the 2019 UNK New Music Festival, performing several recently-composed works for tuba and bass trombone. In addition, he has appeared on CDs with groups such as Ensemble Dal Niente, the University of Wisconsin Wind Ensemble, and the Midwest Hackers.
Besides his work as a performer, Aaron is also a composer and new media artist. Recent premieres include Bit rot for tuba and computer (for tubist Daniel Rowland), and SID 6581 for amplified violin and computer (for violinist Abdel Anzaldua). Upcoming works include hollow town hums for xiao+xun and computer (for Hong-Da Chin) and a work for tuba, live electronics, and live video, entitled The ghosts who learned to breathe.
Aaron earned Bachelor of Arts and Master of Music degrees from the University of Northern Iowa and University of Wisconsin-Madison, respectively, before completing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Contemporary Music from Bowling Green State University (the first brass player to graduate from the program since its inception in 2006). His document, entitled The Composer’s Guide to the Tuba: Creating a New Resource on the Tuba Family, is being prepared for publication as both a learning guide for extended techniques and a collection of concert etudes for tuba and euphonium.
He is lucky to have studied with the following educators, all of whom have directly contributed to his musical, intellectual, and personal growth: David Saltzman, John Stevens, Dr. Jeffrey Funderburk, Dr. Sharon Huff, Thomas Miller, James Culbertson, Steve Schepper, Thomas Barry, Dr. Jonathan Schwabe, and Dr. Jerome Soneson.
Since the fall of 2023, Aaron has worked as the Manager of Audio Operations for the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. Previous appointments include 4 years as the Lecturer of Music Business & New Media for the University of Kentucky, as well as the Sound Production Coordinator for the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Besides his academic positions, he is also the sole proprietor of Hynds Recording Services, a freelance audio engineering business.
As an engineer, Aaron’s recent projects include full-length CDs of music featuring the euphonium and tuba (Monkey to the Sky by Dr. Robert Benton, released in 2020 on Potenza Music, and Widening Circles by Dr. Daniel Rowland, released on Mark Custom Records in 2023), and recordings of his own work as a solo tuba player specializing in contemporary music (Berserker: New Music for Tuba, Vol. 1, released on Breathing Machine Records in 2021). Besides his work as a recording engineer, Aaron also has extensive experience as a live audio technician; responsibilities range from being A1 for multiple theatrical productions in Nebraska and Kentucky, to myriad live musical events.
Aaron's musical background is centered around performance, having performed on the tuba across the United States since 2008. As a specialist in contemporary music, he has performed at events such as the inaugural Omaha Under the Radar Festival, the 2014 International Summer Course for New Music in Darmstadt, Germany, the Null Point music series in Buffalo, NY, Constellation-Chicago, and the 2016 and 2017 New Music Gatherings. In March of 2019, he was the featured guest artist for the 2019 UNK New Music Festival, performing several recently-composed works for tuba and bass trombone. In addition, he has appeared on CDs with groups such as Ensemble Dal Niente, the University of Wisconsin Wind Ensemble, and the Midwest Hackers.
Besides his work as a performer, Aaron is also a composer and new media artist. Recent premieres include Bit rot for tuba and computer (for tubist Daniel Rowland), and SID 6581 for amplified violin and computer (for violinist Abdel Anzaldua). Upcoming works include hollow town hums for xiao+xun and computer (for Hong-Da Chin) and a work for tuba, live electronics, and live video, entitled The ghosts who learned to breathe.
Aaron earned Bachelor of Arts and Master of Music degrees from the University of Northern Iowa and University of Wisconsin-Madison, respectively, before completing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Contemporary Music from Bowling Green State University (the first brass player to graduate from the program since its inception in 2006). His document, entitled The Composer’s Guide to the Tuba: Creating a New Resource on the Tuba Family, is being prepared for publication as both a learning guide for extended techniques and a collection of concert etudes for tuba and euphonium.
He is lucky to have studied with the following educators, all of whom have directly contributed to his musical, intellectual, and personal growth: David Saltzman, John Stevens, Dr. Jeffrey Funderburk, Dr. Sharon Huff, Thomas Miller, James Culbertson, Steve Schepper, Thomas Barry, Dr. Jonathan Schwabe, and Dr. Jerome Soneson.