Ben HougeView profile
Professor
Ben Houge is a Professor in the Electronic Production and Design (EPD) department at Berklee College of Music, where he has been teaching music technology since 2011. He also serves as a Senior Audio Lead at Bungie and previously held key audio roles at Sierra and Ubisoft. His work spans academia, game audio, digital art, and immersive multisensory experiences. Bachelor of Arts in Music, St. Olaf College (1996) Houge’s research and artistic practice focus on the intersection of music, technology, and sensory experience. He is best known for his food operas —multisensory dining events that use real-time, interactive soundtracks delivered via mobile devices. These projects apply video game audio techniques to everyday experiences, exploring cross-modal correspondences between taste and sound. His work often involves algorithmic composition, audience participation, and interdisciplinary collaboration with chefs, scientists, and musicians. His recent creative output includes large-scale installations and performances such as Night Rain , On the Sensations of Beer , and Mugaritz XX , which blend real-time audio, mobile technology, and cultural narratives. His publications and performances reflect a strong trend in interactive music systems , site-specific sound design , and audience-engaged art , often drawing from historical, poetic, and scientific sources. Selected awards and recognitions include: Faculty-Led Innovations in Education (FLY) Grant (2019) Berklee Newbury Comics Faculty Fellowship (2017) Knight Foundation Grant (2015) Artist Residency at MIT (2011) Shortlist, Guggenheim YouTube Play Biennial (2010) Stranger Genius Award (2004) Houge lectures widely at institutions such as MIT, Harvard, and the Shanghai Conservatory, and at major conferences including GDC, ICMC, and TEDx. He has advised and mentored students through academic and project-based learning, particularly in the areas of audio programming and interactive media. His work has been supported by grants from the Knight Foundation and Berklee, enabling large-scale public and collaborative art projects. He is actively involved in the global digital art and game audio communities, with exhibitions and performances across North America, Europe, and Asia. He has led initiatives such as the Vox Festival and the launch of Berklee’s master’s program in Valencia, Spain. His labs and creative teams often involve collaborations with ensembles like Zeitgeist, institutions like the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and research groups such as Oxford’s Crossmodal Research Laboratory.









