SIGNALS
Harris Institute Celebrates 30 th Anniversary
Toronto-based audio production and music industry college
Harris Institute is celebrating its 30 th anniversary throughout
2019. When it was founded in 1989, Harris Institute introduced
the first accelerated one-year diploma programs taught by
music and audio industry leaders. Its goal was to strengthen
the Canadian music industry and prepare graduates for life-
long careers in music. Over the last three decades, graduates
have established a wide range of successful companies and
have won or been nominated for 247 awards in the last two
years, according to the school.
JOHN HARRIS
In 1994, the college relocated from its original 3,200-sq.-ft.
campus to a 15,000-sq.-ft. industrial building designed in 1908 by Massey Hall architect George M.
Miller. It repurposed the building for education and included three recording studios designed by
world-renowned studio designer and founding faculty member Martin Pilchner.
For 10 years starting in 2007, the college offered weekend professional development courses
for mid-career professionals. As well, in a partnership with Nashville’s ProMedia Training, Harris
Institute introduced the first Certified Avid Pro Tools courses in Canada.
Harris Institute was the only Canadian school featured in Billboard magazine’s Top 11 Music
Schools and Mix magazine’s Audio Education’s Finest. It has also been ranked the best private
school for seven consecutive years in the Media Arts Education Report.
In 2018, the college’s founder, John Harris, received the Cashbox Legacy Award as a Canadian
music industry builder.
For more information, go to www.harrisinstitute.com.
16 PROFESSIONAL SOUND
… By 2020, Messe Frankfurt, the
German company and convention
centre campus that hosts Musik-
messe and Prolight + Sound, will
change over completely to green
power, sourcing 100 per cent of its
electricity from renewable energy.
This includes the power supply for
the stands, halls, and exhibition
grounds. Messe Frankfurt says its
average energy needs are com-
parable with those of a town with
around 40,000 inhabitants. By
switching entirely to renewable
energy sources, 19,000 tonnes
of CO2 a year will be eliminated.
Given that 80 trees compensate for
approximately a tonne of CO2, you
would need more than 1.52 million
trees a year to offset this quantity of
CO2. www.messefrankfurt.com.