Stephen David Beck is a composer, pianist, computer programmer, researcher, digital media expert, professor, teacher, soccer coach, father, and husband. He is the Director of the AVATAR Initiative in Digital Media at Louisiana State University, where he is on the faculty of the School of Music. He holds the Derryl and Helen Haymon Professorship in Music, as well as a joint appointment with the Center for Computation & Technology.
His research delves into the connections between computational technologies and creativity, ranging from how musicians work in the studio, to new kinds of performance ensembles and methodologies. He is also an expert on digital media and its impact on creativity. At CCT, he leads the Cultural Computing group and looks at how applications designed for computational research in the sciences can be applied to the arts and humanities.
Along with Stacey Simmons, Beck is co-founder of the Red Stick International Animation Festival. Most recently, he founded the Laptop Orchestra of Louisiana (the LOLs) as an ensemble to explore the future of musical performance and as a musical metaphor for grid computing.
In his off time, he likes to cook and fly kites.
