Sounds That Redefine Normal

CalArts Main Entrance   Photo by Rafael Hernandez

Three months after Jory passed away, we spent the day at CalArts, his alma mater.  It was as inspiring and exciting as the first time we experienced it.  We had taken Jory out of high school for the day to visit this integrated art school built by Walt Disney, pre-arranging a tour and a meeting with David Rosenboom, a professor of music composition.  

As we approached the building, a young film student was on the steps with her home movie camera focused on the cement walkway.  As students walked closer to her, she filmed their feet and shoes, the topic of her student documentary.  She chatted with us for a moment, recorded our shoes, and moved on with her project.  Jory, clutching his portfolio of original music compositions, was impressed and excited with the freedom of expression he was witnessing.

Art Walls in CalArts  Photo by Scott Groller

Sketches by Mochimancer

Inside the building, we were immersed in the excitement and enthusiasm of student activity.  There were huge open spaces full of engaged and passionate artists.  Around the perimeters, many were affixing their creations upon lengths of white walls.  Here students reserved wall space for a week to display their art, then returned the wall freshly white-washed for the next student's exhibit.  In the center of the room was a group of students studying Tai Chi and a separate scattering of animation students sitting on the floor sketching their movements. Wafting through the halls was the faint tinkling from music students learning traditional Indonesian gamelan rhythms.  Jory was absorbing it all, but like a magnet, was drawn down the hall toward the music.

While in high school, our son was determined to become a DJ when he grew up.  We knew that he was smart and talented.  He played piano, guitar, and trombone, composed original music, and knew computers from inside to out.  As parents, we couldn't quite see that his chosen career path would serve him for a lifetime, so we had taken him to a career counselor who recommended several colleges to us:  Berklee College of Music in Boston, Julliard School in New York, Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio, and California Institute of the Arts in California.  He wasn't excited about Oberlin, but applied and sent his portfolio of music compositions to the others.  Julliard was too stuffy, but we visited Berklee and now CalArts.  

CalArts Main Building   Photo by Rafael Hernandez

The entire art school was housed in one large half-millon square foot building so that the individual arts would be integrated through the students.  Common space was fluid and multi-purpose, accessible by all.  The performance spaces were modular to accommodate innovation and creativity.  Dance students were dependent upon musicians.  Portrait artists needed actors to pose for them.  Animators required composers for their films.  Music composition students needed films and performance musicians to bring alive their scores.  Our tour was fascinating as we explored recital rooms, practice rooms, and classrooms with new and different instruments.  As artists are often night people, the buildings were alive both day and night.  Always preferring darkened spaces and being most creative when the rest of the world was asleep, Jory fit right in as he absorbed it all.  

Finally we entered the School of Music and were directed to David Rosenboom's office.  He greeted us warmly and insisted that we all be on a first name basis.  Jory handed over his portfolio and David began to page through it.  

David Rosenboom       Photographer Unknown

"You've written quite a lot of music," he commented.  How did you have the time to do all this?"

"I use a Mac with a MIDI Interface, a keyboard, and Finale software," Jory explained.  We had decided that since SAT/ACT prep classes would have been a waste of time and money with Jory, we used that college prep fund to buy him a keyboard and MIDI Interface, and music composition software instead.  Our decision was validated when David seemed definitely interested.  The conversation narrowed as the two of them talked about technology and its influence on music.  

"I just got Finale," David commented to Jory.  "Can you show me how to use it?"

"Sure!" Jory replied and the two of them took off together to check out David's new acquisition, leaving us parents behind.  We knew that Jory was hooked on CalArts and we were pleased.  He was like a duck, finally finding his puddle.  These were his people and the world that he felt most comfortable within.

Jory at CalArts

Jory's flier at CalArts

He was accepted into the Music Composition Department with a scholarship, becoming the youngest student ever admitted to CalArts.  At the end of his second year, he wanted to play with the electronic toys in the film school, so he petitioned the administration for permission to create a double major.  He was required to apply to film school, was accepted, and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Composition for Film and Video.  He not only was the first CalArts student to graduate with a double major, he also earned the distinction of being the first film school graduate to never produce his own film.  But of course, his scores were listed in the credits of many student films, especially those created by animators.

CalArtiansLoveJoryPrum'sAftercare
GoFundMe Campaign on Facebook

Our current visit to CalArts, 20 years later, was with Jory in our hearts and thoughts.  His CalArts friends had established a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for post-hospital aftercare, but he never left the hospital alive.  There were also other donors who raised funds for a Memorial Bench for Jory in Fairfax City Park and Memorial Concerts in clubs that he had frequented.  We decided to donate that money, plus other personal donations, to CalArts and had come there to discuss establishing an endowment in Jory's name.  The pre-arranged tour and a meeting with David Rosenboom, who is now the Dean, were eerily a bit like walking back through time.  

We drove onto campus, first stopping by the previously non-existent guard gate.  There was plenty of parking, being July, but we decided to park in a handicapped space in honor of Jory's successful prank on the CalArts administration during his Junior year.  (More about that later.) We walked up the steps, remembering the girl with her obsession for filming shoes and feet, and into the building.  Again, there were students placing artwork on the walls and the tinkling of the gamelan reminded us of our first visit.  The halls were lively with young aspiring artists attending the California State Summer School for the Arts, which our youngest son Shanon had attended, while in high school, and loved.  We felt at home.

CalArts student lounge     Photographer Unknown  

Wild Beast Pavilion Amphitheater    Photo by Rafael Hernandez

Our guides were two lovely young women, who oversee and facilitate endowments.  They had been communicating with us, so we were happy to put faces to their familiar voices.  Since the Northridge earthquake in 1994, CalArts had remodeled and expanded, so they were anxious to show us all the construction that had occurred since our last visit during Jory's graduation in 1997.  We walked through the student lounge with its brightly colored chairs, glass walls, and abundant natural light, and out onto a deck where we could see rows of Fine Art individual studios.  Across a grassy expanse, we got our first glimpse of the Wild Beast Pavilion, a new multi-purpose performance space.  We were intrigued by this rounded, free form structure situated at the end of what appeared to be a lopsided, terraced amphitheater.  But our guides steered us back into the building to meet with David Rosenboom.

David Rosenboom  Photo by Nathanael Turner

David greeted us warmly and proceeded to take us on an extensive tour of the music department.  He unlocked door after door as we entered concert and recital rooms; recording facilities; practice rooms; specialized instrument rooms for African drumming, instruments of India, and Balinese gamelan.  We also visited the Sound Cave, a fluid exhibition space for student installations and innovations.  It was all very exciting, topped with a special private tour of the Wild Beast Pavilion.  This shape-shifting, multi-use music pavilion is both curvy and rectangular, made of steel, cement, glass, and warm, inviting woods.  We entered from the back and were enveloped by beautiful rows of wooden acoustic panels curving up the walls and across the ceiling.  David opened a rolling wall to allow the 3,200 square-foot structure to transform from an acoustically refined recital hall to the stage and performance space for a natural amphitheater lined with organic grass carpets.  

Wild Beast   Photo by Rafael Hernandez

"When in outdoor performance mode, sound is projected from the building's curved back wall and focused by front windows that pivot to become acoustic awnings above the stage," he explained.  "Of course, the Wild Beast is also equipped with 5.1 surround sound."

As our tour ended, we retreated to David's office to discuss endowment opportunities.  Along the way, David told us that he had remembered our first visit and how Jory had explained to him his creative processes using technology to record the music playing in his head.  He added that Jory was an extraordinarily talented and passionate artist who pushed the boundaries while studying at CalArts.  He remembered signing the paperwork allowing him to double major in music and film/video. 

Our meeting went well.  There were many opportunities for endowments, from scholarships to naming facilities, with different price tags for each.  Our interest was in creating an endowment that exemplified Jory's enthusiastic willingness to generously share his time and expertise with others.  

Steven Lavine  Photo by Joan Abrahamson

As we were talking, the long time President of CalArts, Steve Lavine, joined us.  He had written us a beautiful letter where he stated that he didn't know Jory personally, but that CalArts had followed Jory's career and considered him a distinguished alumnus.  We were touched and honored that he could find the time in his busy schedule to meet with us.

"Actually," Sam began, "you did know Jory.  Do you remember when all the faculty parking spaces at CalArts were painted with blue handicapped symbols?"

He nodded affirmative with a bewildered grin.

"Well, Jory was protesting the administrative decision to designate a section of the already outgrown student parking lot as reserved for faculty parking.  One night, he organized a posse, armed with walkie talkies to monitor the night guards.  With an official wooden stencil rescued from the earthquake aftermath and with regulation blue paint, the posse painted every space in the faculty lot as a designated handicapped space requiring a permit from the State of California."

"I remember it well, " chuckled Steve.

Jory spraying the handicapped stencil at Graduation

"Then, at graduation, he showed up at the podium with a can of spray paint and 2 assistants holding the handicapped stencil.  He proceeded to spray the logo onto the backdrop before he handed you the can of blue paint and retrieved his diploma."

We all laughed and Steve replied, "I want you to know that we don't have faculty parking anymore.  Everyone parks in the same lots."

"Unbeknownst to us, that handicapped stencil lived sequestered in our garage for over a year before it was returned to CalArts," I chimed in.

Getting back to our mission, Sam asked the most important question, " What do you think is the endowment that would be best for remembering Jory?"

Both David and Steve responded without hesitation.  "Students are our highest priority and we want to reach out to those with tremendous talent that don't have the financial means to come to CalArts."

David added, "Currently, there are no scholarship endowment funds dedicated for Music Technology or Experimental Sounds students."

Kermit at studio.jory.org

Sam and I looked at each other and knew that this was the right decision for remembering Jory in perpetuity, but we also wanted it to represent his unique spirit.  He was always out of the box and unpretentious.  Even though he was renown worldwide in the video game industry and considered an international legend in sound design by Forbes Magazine and others, he always referred to himself as simply a Sound Guy.  His colleagues looked forward to working with him because it was fun, not work.  studio.Jory.org was filled with muppets and toys, presided over by Kermit the Frog hanging upside down on a microphone boom.  Jory's days working at Jim Henson's Creature Shop set the tone for making work fun and lighthearted.  A stuffy scholarship title just wouldn't do.  We needed something out of the box creative.

"No problem," announced David with a huge smile, "we can come up with one.  It's exactly what we like to do here at CalArts.  After all, we already have the Wild Beast."

Just then, Steve received a message and needed to leave.  He warmly shared his condolences with us as he excused himself.  Tears were in his eyes.  It was evident that he truly loved and cherished each and every student who came to CalArts.

We left CalArts that day confident that we had made the best decision to carry on Jory’s legacy of helping others, along with his name.  Now we only needed to come up with the right title.  We called on both of Jory’s brothers, Darren and Shanon, to help us come up with an appropriate scholarship name.  

Darren, Jory, and Shanon

“Jory was obsessed with sound,” offered Darren.  “Everywhere he went, he recorded sounds that he could use in his work.  Do you remember when we were all in Hawaii and we had to be quiet while he recorded the birds chirping in the trees?” 

“Jory was always down to earth and unassuming,” added Shanon.  “On his business cards, he always called himself a Sound Guy.  He never bragged about his accomplishments.” 

“I remember when he told us he was going to the Jory Family Reunion in Oregon.  I reminded him that he was not part of that family.  It's not normal to go to someone else’s family's reunion, especially when you don't know any of them,” replied Sam.  “Jory always came back with, ‘Define normal.’  He was always challenging us,” recalled Sam.

Together we came up with the best title that could represent Jory:  The Jory Prum Scholarship for Sounds that Redefine Normal.  David Rosenboom agreed with us and CalArts established it as an endowed perpetual scholarship.

Eleven months later, we received a phone call from CalArts informing us of the name of the first recipient of Jory’s scholarship, a young musician from New Orleans who was coming to CalArts to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in The Herb Alpert School of Music/Experimental Sound Practices. 

Erin Demastes

Erin Demastes was perfect!  She came to CalArts because of its strong reputation in the experimental music scene.  I was so excited that I wanted to call her immediately and welcome her into our family, but I was afraid that my exuberance might scare her away.  Instead, I decided to check her out on Facebook.

I put her name into the search box and immediately her page popped up, along with several group photos.  I looked twice because I couldn’t believe my eyes:  in the very first photo was our soon-to-be niece, Rebecca, who was marrying our nephew, André.  Bursting with excitement, I immediately sent her a message.

"Hi Erin, Congratulations on being named the first Jory Prum Scholar for Sounds that Redefine Normal.  Jory is my son and he would be thrilled to know that you are receiving his scholarship.  We are excited to meet you, too.  As an extra bonus, I am also the aunt of André, who is marrying Becca.  It's truly a small world!"

"Hi there!!" Erin texted back, "I do know Andre and Rebecca--small world!  Thank you for the scholarship.  Oh, yes!  I do know who Jory is.  Wow!  I am honored.  Thank you so much!!  Very excited to have received it, and CalArts has been such a great environment!!"

Erin performs with her sounds that redefine normal

Erin, like Jory, is flourishing at CalArts.  She is learning to build synthesizers and other hardware instruments, she is researching acoustics, and learning to program.  She also created a successful installation in the Wave Cave, the exhibition space in the School of Music.  The scholarship has helped her to make ends meet during the school year, which in turn helped her to focus on her studies.  

She wrote to us:  “Thank you so much for your generous scholarship!  I am honored to be the first to receive this scholarship in memory of your son Jory, whom I know was one of CalArts’ most distinguished young alumni and who had a prolific career as a sound designer and audio engineer in the film and video game industries.  I am so happy that I was considered for this scholarship and that my sounds are considered to “redefine normal.”  Again, it is such an honor. . . Without your help, none of this would have been possible, and I greatly appreciate it.”

We are so proud of Erin.  We will always be her cheerleaders as she makes her way through an exciting and innovative career as a change agent in sound and experimental music.  Our hope for her is that she will continue Jory’s legacy of always helping others and sharing her abilities with the world.

COMMENTS:  

Click on Jorysmother@gmail.com to send comments.

Jory Prum   24700  News From California Institute of the Arts  (March 25, 2013)

http://blog.calarts.edu/2013/03/25/the-walking-dead-video-game-sound-guy-and-lucasarts-veteran-jory-prum-discusses-his-work/

24700: While attending CalArts, did a particular class or faculty member 

leave an impression on you?

Quite a few, actually. Craig Smith, Doug Loveid, and John Payne were my mentors. I   think of them nearly every day, along with the encouragement and freedom they allowed me. Nathan Crow also has to be in this list, since he had to put up with my constant demands for access to more equipment. Scott Duncan, who ran the video studio, became one of my closest friends and we've kept in close contact ever since the day we met, despite great physical distance. Richard Whitehall gave me a tremendous insight into some of the best films I've ever seen and I often think of the selections he presented, as well as his comments about them. Without question, CalArts was a wellspring of influence and education for me. There are at least another dozen names I could write here.

24700: What advice would you give to current students who would like 

to enter your field?

The most important skill to have is problem solving. Anyone can learn to use a computer, and having good ears for mic placement can only get you so far. But if you can think on your feet, there will always be a job for you somewhere. I always encourage folks to learn to build their own solutions wherever they can, be they in electronics, software or another aspect. There's no question in my mind that what keeps my bills paid as an artist is the fact that my clients know that whatever task they send my way will be done not only with the highest quality and attention to detail, but as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Mitchell Waite

That’s what I loved about Jory.  His opinions were unique and always well informed.  I remember feeling his lifestyle made him a folk hero.”

Joyce Ono

Thanks for sharing.  I enjoy reading your blogs, you are such a great writer!  You and Sam have made such a positive impact from a tragedy and a fitting memorial for Jory.

Karen Block

I absolutely LOVED the story about Jory and CalArts. I can see that it was the perfect environment for Jory. I'm so glad he was able to spend his college years there. He was fortunate to have you and Sam as parents who were able appreciate his special talents and who could afford him the opportunity to work with other young artists in such an amazing place.  I'm so happy too that the endowment took the form of a scholarship that will enable other young students to pursue their talents in such a creative environment.  "Sounds that Redefine  Normal" is the perfect name for the Scholarship! I really like the design too.  I know that Jory would approve.

Elaine Asa

You did it again! As I sat reading your blog this morning about Jory I was mesmerized by his exceptional, and unfortunately, short journey in life. He was an amazing and talented young man and was fortunate to have you and Sam as his parents who understood him and supported him in his alternative “normalcy.” You have managed to continue his legacy through your support of underwriting future young people in their journeys of alternative “normalcy.” I know that Jory would have loved what you are doing to perpetuate not only his name but his legacy.  May Jory’s name continue to serve for blessings and may you continue to see the results of your “tzedakah” through your commitment to continuing his legacy.

Molly Presser

What an homage to a wonderful institution that helped develop and support Jory's unusual talents.  You are amazing parents to have discovered the specialness in him that made him tick and supported him all the way through.  You have a way of making me happy and sad to remember Jory.  He accomplished so much in his years and yet left us too early with such a beautiful legacy.

Lynda Guenther

Thank you Leslye......enjoy your stories! Real life adventures with your beautiful son.

Linda Saslow

Thank you for the latest Jory installment. We are still waiting on

hearing about Silvie's admission into Character Animation at CalArts.

Paul Stevens

Very interesting post. Loved it.

Erin Green Mautone

That is amazing. Jory's spirit lives on in so many wonderful ways. You and your husband are such a light and inspiration. No wonder Jory was so remarkable.

Pamela Boscoe

Love reading your families story.

Gail Hara

Another wonderful story about Jory.  He was a free spirit most definetly.  It is a pleasure to know of his many talents and people skills.  And generous heart ! He contributed so much in such a short life. 

Dawn McIntosh

Oh, how I miss our conversations my dear sweet friend.  You were wise beyond your years. I sure could use some of that wisdom right about now.

Connie Di Gerolamo

What a treasure, your postings about Jory! I appreciate the opportunity to read about your (and his) adventures! I am amazed at the stories and pictures you put together . . . not sure my memory would serve me as well.

Judy Sowell

I enjoyed your latest story about Jory.  He turned out to be a really outstanding young man.  It was a fine culmination of his life and what his friends had to say about him.  It is an honor to know more about him through you.  As usual your writing is excellent. 

Vicki Karlan

I think Jory was just perfect. And he remains in my memory a vibrant, talented and loving soul.

Jim Bolner

 Thank you once again for these superb stories about Jory.  They are so wonderfully done and they reflect his noble character and his talents. 

Sandy Klein

Again, beautifully written Leslye.  I learned a lot about CalArts.   Thanks for sharing. 

CalArts receives endowed scholarship in honor of Sound Designer Jory Prum

 https://www.calarts.edu/news/2016-oct-20/sound-designer-jory-prum-remembered-endowed-scholarship-music-students-calarts-0

The CalArts press release is out! And is being picked up by other pubs. 

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Sound Designer Jory Prum Remembered with Endowed Scholarship for Music Students at CalArts

October 20, 2016

Pictured: Jory Prum. Photo Stephanie Mohan. Courtesy of the Prum family. 

“The Jory Prum Scholarship for Sounds that Redefine Normal” will support exceptional young artists in the Music Technology and Experimental Sound Practices Programs.

With his boundless imagination and technical prowess, Prum made significant contributions to the video game and film industries in the U.S and Europe.

October 20—Valencia, CA—In its remembrance of the acclaimed sound designer and audio engineer, Forbes Magazine cited the “massive impact” of Jory Prum’s career. An alumnus of California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) Schools of Music and Film/Video, the Marin County-based Prum passed away in April 2016 at the age of 41. In his memory, family and friends established The Jory Prum Scholarship for Sounds that Redefine Normal. This endowed scholarship will support, in perpetuity, exceptional young artists studying in the Music Technology and Experimental Sound Practices Programs in The Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts.

After graduating from CalArts in 1997, Prum quickly established himself as a leading figure in the film and video game industries. Over his two-decade career, he contributed to over 130 video games, many successful and critically-acclaimed.  As part of his video game work, he contributed sound effects, recorded voiceover and music, and mixed cutscenes and orchestral scores.  Most notably, he recorded, edited and mastered the dialogue in 2012’s Game of the Year The Walking Dead: The Game. His portfolio also includes feature films such as Focus Features’ Lost in Translation; and Pixar's Oscar-winning short film, For The Birds, directed by Ralph Eggleston. 

CalArts alumnus Eggelston was among the first to contribute to The Jory Prum Scholarship for Sounds that Redefine Normal. He recalled, “I cannot say enough about how much Jory Prum meant to me. He was a consummate professional, a dedicated worker, and above all, a truly fine artist. His ear for sound and music—and silence—was unique, and always went far and above the ordinary, delving into both the character and storytelling aspects of sound that add subconscious  levels of subtext to images. There will never be another like him.”

Prum’s willingness to share his expertise was an inspiration to many of his friends and collaborators in the worldwide gaming, animation and sound design communities. He often lectured on game sound design at universities in Europe, Canada and the U.S., and became a change agent for the development of the Norwegian video game industry.  His colleagues and friends rallied around him when he was critically injured in a catastrophic motorcycle accident, raising funds for his care through a GoFundMe.com campaign and individual donations. Tragically, he did not survive his injuries, and those initial funds, along with an additional contribution from his parents, Sam and Leslye Prum, were used to establish the Jory Prum Scholarship for Sounds that Redefine Normal endowment fund with a total gift of $50,000. Additional contributions in honor of Jory’s legacy will create a lasting, transformative impact for CalArts students in the years to come.

“Jory entered the Institute with a passion for music, art, and technology,” recalled Leslye Prum.  “It was there that he was surrounded by imaginative, divergent thinkers, who like himself, were designing their own paths through life.  Embracing Disney's vision for an interactive art school, Jory actively pursued integrating music and technology with animation and film.  He was determined to create art that combined them all and became an out-of-the-box catalyst who inspired collaboration between other artists and disciplines.”

The endowment is a fitting tribute to Jory, who was passionate about advancing the field of music and sound.  It is CalArts’ first scholarship endowment fund dedicated to BFA or MFA level Music Technology or Experimental Sound students. "Jory was, quite simply, a brilliant sound designer and engineer who left his mark in the entertainment industry in a very short time," said David Rosenboom, Richard Seaver Distinguished Chair in Music and Dean of The Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts. "While we deeply mourn his passing, this scholarship is a wonderful tribute to Jory, whose memory will live on through the work of future Prum Scholars. CalArts is grateful to Jory's family and friends for their generosity." Since its beginning, CalArts has pushed the boundaries of innovation in music. In particular, the Music Technology: Interaction, Intelligence & Design Program and the Experimental Sound Practices specialization provide opportunities for some of the world’s most forward-looking music students to explore new areas of music and possibly to invent their own.

Click here for more information about the Jory Prum Scholarship for Sounds that Redefine Normal. For questions about making a gift to CalArts, please contact the Office of Advancement at (661)291-3435 or giving@calarts.edu. 

More about Jory Prum’s legacy: After graduating from CalArts, Prum worked at Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, and then at Disney online. In 1999, he joined the sound team at LucasArts Entertainment Company. His gaming credits encompass the greatest hits of the genre including games based on Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Back to the Future and CSI, among many other video game franchises. He was foley recordist for films including Columbia Pictures’ Adaptation. Prum received three Aggie Awards, A Spillprisen (Norwegian Game Awards), and a Game Audio Network Guild Award for his gaming sound design. In 2013, CalArts’ 24700 blog talked to Jory about his work and time at the Institute. Click here to read the interview.

Scholarships at CalArts: Scholarships are a vital part of the financial aid students receive at CalArts and increasing the number of scholarships is among CalArts’ greatest priorities. In the 2015/16 academic year, CalArts awarded more than $17 million in scholarships to 77 percent of its students, with awards averaging $11,000 per undergraduate student. In addition to supporting students of artistic distinction, the Institute’s goal is to provide scholarship support to all students with financial need.

©   Leslye J. Prum   2017   All Rights Reserved