Paul Steenhuis

President and Founder

Paul’s father Wout was a successful post-war jazz guitarist and bandleader in Europe, recording over 40 albums. Paul virtually grew up in his dad’s U.K. recording studio, learning to play guitar and record music almost from the time he could walk. So while many budding artists focus solely on live performance, music-making and recording studios were inseparably wed in Paul’s youthful imagination and creative activities.

After a brief detour to earn a diploma in Business Studies from the London School of Business, Paul discovered his true calling — producing records during the golden age of British rock. As a tape op and assistant engineer at the U.K.’s storied Lansdowne Recording Studio, he worked with artists like Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Yes, Uriah Heep and Mantovani.

Emigrating to Canada, Paul created the Recording Engineering program at Fanshawe College, and taught Recording Technology at the University of Western Ontario. After varied teaching and recording experiences, he recognized the growing need for well-rounded, technically literate sound artists, and OIART was born.

Today Paul continues to collaborate with Ken and Peter as OIART’s CEO, always involved in leading edge sound engineering technology; mindful of its impact on both the art and science of music making, as well as the Institute’s ongoing development.