Wendy Smith
Exploring homage in electroacoustic music: Exposing the hidden histories and work of early women electronic composers in Europe (1940-75)
Thesis introduction
Wendy Smith’s PhD research investigates how homage can serve as both a creative and critical tool in electroacoustic composition to highlight the work and legacy of early women electronic composers active in Europe between 1940 to 1975. This period marks the formative years of electronic music, characterised by the establishment of pioneering studios and schools, as well as the emergence of musique concrète and early electroacoustic experimentation across Europe. While male composers from this era have been extensively documented, the contributions of women composers have often been overlooked, obscured, or erased. Wendy’s study addresses this imbalance through practice-based research, combining musicological inquiry, archival investigation, musical analysis, compositional practices, and oral histories gathered through interviews with early women electronic composers. By engaging creatively with these underrepresented stories, her research seeks to rediscover and celebrate their artistic and cultural legacy, contributing to a more inclusive understanding of electroacoustic music history and the foundations of electronic sound practices in Europe. Wendy’s PhD research is funded by the North West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership (NWCDTP).
Bio
Wendy Smith is an electroacoustic composer, sound artist, and modular synth performer whose creative practice is deeply intertwined with her research as a scholar of women in sound. Her work centres on forgotten, marginalised, and underrepresented voices, stories and histories that have been overlooked, lost, or insufficiently documented.
Blending field recordings, found sounds, and modular synthesis with oral histories, archival materials, and sound-library sources, she creates immersive, narrative-led compositions shaped by these untold narratives. Wendy’s composition practice includes experiments with unconventional recording methods (such as freezing microphones) and the exploration of spatial audio through multichannel, binaural, and ambisonics formats. Her artistic development has been supported and shaped by mentorship from leading women composers, including Dr Isobel Anderson, Assistant Professor Sarah Belle Reid, Vicky Clarke, and Dr Nikki Sheth.
Wendy’s compositional work has been performed globally, including at the Supersonique Festival in France (2023) and the Creative Electroacoustic Immersion Program Showcase, streamed online worldwide (2023). Her music has also been frequently broadcast on BBC Radio. Wendy was a finalist for the Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Impact Award: Health and Wellbeing Award (2021) for her interactive installation ‘dɪsˈlɛksɪə ˈɡeɪtweɪ’ [‘dyslexia gateway’], which transforms participants into co-composers exploring the dyslexic experience through sound and visual media.
Wendy is also a dedicated researcher of women in sound, disseminating her PhD work internationally through scholarly engagements, including the University of the Arts Helsinki’s Gender and Musicianship study days (2022) and the University of California San Diego’s Electronic Music: Sounding Women of the Americas course (2022). In 2024, she curated and presented the radio show ‘Women in the Field’ for Red Rebel FM, celebrating women soundscape composers by amplifying their voices and music. Wendy currently serves as an Ambassador for Saffron, supporting women, non-binary, and underrepresented practitioners in gaining access to music technology education and creative opportunities.
As a PhD student with dyslexia, Wendy is dedicated to advocating for equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in higher education. Drawing on her lived experience and understanding of the systemic barriers faced by neurodivergent students, she has taken on several EDI roles that contribute to policy development, peer mentoring, and the creation of practical toolkits and initiatives that promote accessibility, representation, and inclusivity across research and the creative arts.
Teaching and learning
Wendy is currently a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) in the Department of Music at the University of Liverpool, where she leads and has previously led seminars and workshops across the following undergraduate modules, including:
- Introduction to Sound and Music in Audiovisual Mediag
- Introduction to Digital Audio Workstations
- Introduction to Sound Recording and Production
- Foley and Sound Design
- Sound Studies
Her teaching philosophy focuses on empowering students to develop the skills and confidence needed to become independent learners and creative practitioners. In her GTA role, she also assesses compositions, exams, group presentations, essays, and video projects, providing constructive feedback to support student growth.
Wendy has further supported students with additional learning needs as a Study Skills Assistant for Barry Bennett. Drawing on her own experience as a student with dyslexia, she emphasises teaching strategies that foster independence, confidence, and accessible learning, ensuring all students are able to engage fully with their studies. In recognition of her dedication to inclusive and student-centred teaching, Wendy was awarded a Teaching Fellowship by the University of Liverpool in 2025.
Beyond higher education, Wendy has designed and delivered sound-based workshops for community groups, schools, and individual artists, covering field recording, sound composition, and modular synthesis. These workshops combine technical skills with creative exploration, reflecting her commitment to widening participation in sound and music technology. A central part of her approach is ensuring that participants leave each session feeling confident to continue their work independently. To support this, she prioritises accessible methods, teaching with free, open-source software and everyday technologies so that learning can continue beyond the workshop environment.
Outputs
Selected PhD Performances / Conference Presentations / Talks
The following talks, presentations, and performances are directly related to Wendy’s PhD research. A full list of her work and CV is available upon request.
2024
Kirkos Spatial Music Concert – Unit 44 (Ireland)
Performance: An 8-channel reduction of a 16-channel acousmatic composition titled ‘Homage to Janet Beat’
Interdisciplinary Centre for Composition and Technology (ICCaT) Concert – University of Liverpool (UK)
Performance: An 8-channel reduction of a 16-channel acousmatic composition titled ‘Homage to Janet Beat’
Red Rebel FM – Online (Worldwide)
Curator and presenter: A radio show titled ‘Women in the Field’
Creative Electroacoustic Immersion Program – Online (Worldwide)
Paper: ‘Sharing My Practice: How Research-Led Practice is Shaping My 16-Channel Acousmatic Homage to Janet Beat (1937–)’
2023
Creative Electroacoustic Immersion Program Showcase – Online (Worldwide)
Performance: A binaural reduction of a 16-channel acousmatic composition titled ‘Homage to Janet Beat’
ICCaT’s Creative Open Forum – University of Liverpool (UK)
Paper: ‘Homage in Electroacoustic Music: Honouring the Pioneering Work and Music of Janet Beat (1937–)’
The Tung Auditorium – Liverpool (UK)
Performance: An 8-channel reduction of a 16-channel acousmatic composition titled ‘Homage to Janet Beat’
Melodic Distraction Radio – Online (Worldwide)
Playlist curator and featured guest: Discussed pioneering early women electronic composers and their groundbreaking music on the radio show ‘Plattenschatz im Schattenplatz’
2022
Rethinking Women’s Work in Music Workshop – Bangor University (UK)
Panellist: ‘How Might We Shape Women’s Work in Music Scholarship in the Next Twenty Years?’
Electronic Music: Sounding Women of the Americas Course – University of California, San Diego (USA)
Guest lecturer: ‘Homage in Electronic Music: Honouring the Pioneering Work and Music of Janet Beat and Elżbieta Sikora’
Gender and Musicianship Study Days – University of the Arts Helsinki (Finland)
Paper: ‘Revealing the Hidden History and Legacy of Pioneering Electronic Composer Janet Beat (1937–)’
BFE/RMA Research Students Conference in Music – University of Plymouth (UK)
Paper: ‘Homage in Electronic Music: Honouring the Pioneering Work and Music of Janet Beat (1937–) and Elżbieta Sikora (1943–)’
2021
Student Research Presentations – Open University (UK)
Paper: ‘Revealing the Hidden History and Legacy of Pioneering Electronic Composer Janet Beat (1937–)’
NWCDTP Research, Resilience, Resurgence Conference – University of Manchester (UK)
Paper: ‘Navigating Creative Challenges: An Electroacoustic Homage to Pioneering Electronic Composer Janet Beat (1937–)’
Music Research Forum Series – Keele University (UK)
Paper: ‘Exploring Homage in Electroacoustic Music: Exposing the Hidden Histories and Work of Early Women Electronic Composers in Europe (1940–75)’
Workshops
This profile lists workshops delivered by Wendy during her PhD and does not include her earlier community-based workshop activities. Her full CV is available upon request.
2025
‘Introduction to Foley and Sound Design’
School of the Arts Taster Day; Year 10 Summer School Academic Sessions – University of Liverpool (UK)
Designed and delivered interactive sound design workshops for high school students, introducing them to the art of Foley and creative sound-making. Participants worked collaboratively to recreate sound effects and Foley sound for a short animated film clip using everyday objects and recording techniques. Through this process, students developed teamwork and creative problem-solving skills.
‘Introduction to Modular Synth’
Liverpool Scholars Academic Discover Day – University of Liverpool (UK)
Designed and delivered a hands-on modular synthesizer workshop introducing students to synthesis fundamentals, signal flow, and the historical contributions of women pioneers in electronic music. Participants explored modular sound design and composed original pieces inspired by iconic early sci-fi soundworlds (such as the electronic tonalities of Bebe and Louis Barron’s ‘Forbidden Planet’ and Delia Derbyshire’s pioneering work on the ‘Doctor Who’ theme), reinterpreted through contemporary modular techniques.
2024
‘Spike Island: Soundwalk and Field Recording Day’
Funded by Arts Council England – Hazlehurst Studios and Mersey Gateway Environmental Trust (UK)
Co-designed and led a wellbeing-focused field recording day that explored the natural soundscapes of Spike Island and the ways it has been shaped by human activity and environmental change. Participants took part in a guided soundwalk, actively listening to and engaging with the environment, before learning professional field recording techniques using accessible and affordable equipment. The workshop combined practical skills with creative reflection, enabling participants to capture, interpret, and respond to the evolving sonic landscape.
2022
‘Musique Concrète Workshop’
Amplify the Studio Project: Youth Music Funded – The Studio (UK)
Designed and delivered a workshop introducing participants aged 16–25 to the creative and technical practices of early women musique concrète practitioners (including Elżbieta Sikora), covering sound editing, processing, and montage composition. Using only free and open-source software, participants created their own short sonic pieces from found and recorded sounds, developing both technical skills and creative expression in an accessible, hands-on way.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) / Outreach Contributions
This profile outlines Wendy’s EDI work undertaken during her PhD and does not include her earlier EDI initiatives in community settings outside of academia. Her full CV is available upon request.
2025–present, Saffron – Online (Worldwide)
Ambassador: Supports women, non-binary, and underrepresented practitioners in music technology by mentoring emerging artists, facilitating collaborative projects, and fostering community engagement through discussion spaces, peer mentorship, resource sharing, and creative challenges. This role supports inclusivity, accessibility, and equality within the field of music technology.
2024–present, North West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership (NWCDTP) PGR Neurodiversity Network – University of Manchester (UK)
Co-founding member, coordinator, and facilitator: Co-leads and facilitates peer-support spaces and workshops for neurodivergent researchers, both online and at academic conferences (held at Keele University, Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Liverpool). In these sessions, Wendy provides mentorship, practical guidance, and strategies on a wide range of academic topics, including but not limited to securing funding, disseminating research, meeting deadlines, navigating conferences, and developing self-confidence in academic contexts.
2024–2025, PGR EDI Working Group – University of Liverpool (UK)
Champion: Represented postgraduate researchers and co-led initiatives aligned with Athena Swan and Race Equality Charter goals, advocating for inclusive policies, equality practices, and improved student support across the School of the Arts.
2020–present, Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) NWCDTP EDI Working Group – University of Manchester (UK)
Committee consultant: Contributes to developing strategies that address structural inequalities and improve accessibility, representation, and support within the NWCDTP’s postgraduate research community.
2020–2021, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in Music Studies (EDIMS) Physical, Sensory, and Cognitive Differences Working Group – Online (UK)
Co-founding member and consultant: Co-developed inclusive strategies and access plans informed by lived experience and disability-led advocacy, enhancing participation and accessibility for students with diverse needs in higher music education.
2020–2021, Decolonising the Curriculum Committee – Keele University (UK)
Working group member: Contributed to initiatives promoting curriculum inclusivity, challenging structural biases, and ensuring that diverse voices and perspectives were meaningfully represented in humanities teaching and learning materials.
Supervisors
Prof Lisa Colton and Dr Jenn Kirby
Web presence
NWCDTP Student Profile: Wendy Smith – NWCDTP
SoundCloud: Wendy E.A. Composer – audio works and compositions
Instagram: @wendyeacomposer – updates on creative projects and performances