Dr. David B. Smith

Professor, Sound, Music and Media TechnologyDepartment of Entertainment TechnologyNYC College of Technology, CUNYAdjunct Full Professor, Applied Data ScienceModul University, Vienna AustriaArtistic Director: Center for Holistic Integration
Founding Partner, Director of Creative InnovationRealtime Music Solutions, LLCPresident, Bianchi and Smith: Virtual Orchestras for the Performing Arts

An Update on 13 Driver's Licenses

The documentary short, produced by CUNY faculty Ryoya Terao (City Tech) and Elisabeth Gareis (Baruch) has achieved significant critical success, (see ---), has now been made publically available on Coonsider the Source New York Watch the documentary short

OAA AI Innovation Fund Grant Awardee

I have received a $25k grant to develop a self-aware interactive room: the funding will be used to acquire the necessry hardware and software components, as well as stipends for student researchers.More information can be found in these papers:The Self-Aware Room: A Framework for Operational Self-Awareness in Evolvable Blended EnvironmentsSystem Architecture: Self-Aware Room

New Appointment: Modul University

January 2026. I have been appointed to the faculty at Modul University, Vienna, as am adjunct Full professor. I will be teaching SEID3425: Societal and Ethical Impact of Data Science, in the Spring semester

Most Wanted: Music Berlin Festival

On November 13, 2025, I presented my research at the MW:M Research track at Frannzclub. My presentation, "Beyond the Tool: Testing Collaborative Intelligence in Hybrid Music Performance Systems," explored the intersection of human creativity and technical systems.📄 Read the Preprint on MW:M Research

Blended Shadow Puppet Spring Performances

CHI produced and performed our ever-evolving Blended Shadow Puppet production "The Archer's Tale".

Building Bridges to Knowledge OER

2025-March Our final Deliverables have been uploaded to the OER site. The link before this takes you to the entire project. Here is the link to my personal contribution.: Collaborative AI: OER Materials for Exploring AI as a Partner Rather than a Tool

City Tech 22nd Annual Poster Session

November 22 2024. I am presenting at the session with a poster on Balanced Blended Space. The link to a pdf of the Poster can be found here

Balanced Blended Space

One of my current research activities is the development of a universal theoretical framework to describe communication pathways in Combinative reality. Ths project involves the following major efforts

Creation of the Framework
Development of a syntax that can exhaustively describe any event within the Framework
Design and Engineering of a Blended Reality Performance System that can be used to test the framework and syntax.
Creation and production of artistic works that can be designed specifically to test premises of the system

AI in the Classroom

2024, June 8I present at a multi-day workshop on AI in the classroom, certainly an important topic in this day and age.

Building Bridges to Knowledge (BBK) Fellow

I have been selected (along with two other City Tech faculty) as part of a 25 person team to design open education resource (OER) material for the use of AI in the classroom. I am part of the Humanities team.

Summer and Fall BBK Activities

3 Minute BBK Presentations. Each member of the BBK
BBK Press Release
Photoalbum of the event (may be behind a pay wall)

Director: Center for Holistic Integration (CHI)

Project Lead: Balanced Blended Space (BBS)

Board of Advisors: (AAECA)

Austrian-American Educational Collaboration Association

Team Player: Collaborative AI

Join us!

Composition

over 60 compositions for a variety of genres, including concert, theatrical, interactive environment, and film.

Virtual Orchestra

Pioneer in live performance Virtual Orchestra.
Three patents
Two companies
400,000+ performances

Sound Design

over 150 individual designs for venues of all sizes.
Design and implementation of massively-multichannel immersive environments

Human Machine Collaboration

Investigation of AI as a partner, rather than a tool
Development of Universal Framework for Combinative Reality
Blended Reality Performance System
Blended Performance

*In a fit of whimsy, I sprinkle amongst these pages line drawings ("doodles") of mine, which improvization (particularly at meetings, boring or otherwise) has been a source of comfort

ACADEMIA

Tenured Professor of Music and Media Technology
Chair of Entertainment Technology 2004-2014
Former Dean of School of Professional Studies, 2014-2022
Extensive development of interdisciplinary and experiential programs and coursework

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