Welcome to the Curriculum Vitae of Brent Silby. This will give you an idea of the work, education, and projects I have been involved in over the years. My professional history has covered a range of different areas, so for convenience I have categorized my work into the following headings:

I have also assembled a complete catalog of my creative products, which you can view HERE.

To contact Brent Silby, please refer to the Def-Logic Contact page.

Education

Graduate Diploma of Teaching and Learning
New Zealand Graduate School of Education
Christchurch
New Zealand
Completed 2003

Master of Arts (with Merit)
Department of Philosophy
University of Canterbury
Christchurch
New Zealand
Completed 2000

Bachelor of Arts (with Honors)
Department of Philosophy
University of Canterbury
Christchurch
New Zealand
Completed 1998

Teaching / Academic

April 2004 - Present
Learning Advisor at Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti (UPT). UPT is a secondary school that provides individualised learning programmes. The school is suitable for highly motivated learners. Students are encouraged to manage their own learning, and in doing so, their learning is enhanced as it is relevant to their interests. Courses I teach include:

  • Philosophy
    • Philosophy of Mind
    • Philosophy and God
    • Philosophy Through the Centuries
    • Skepticism: Defeating ghosts, astrology, and spook stuff
    • Philosophy Inquiry: Student directed research project
    • From the Big Bang to Evolution: How the universe gave rise to consciousness
    • What is Evolution?
    • Philosophy in Movies
    • Ethics
    • Language, Thought, and Consciousness
    • Are Videogames Art?
  • Videogame design and programming
  • DJ music performance and production

March 2001 - October 2001
Teaching Assistant: Philosophy 139: Ethics and the Good Life
Department of Philosophy, University of Canterbury, New Zealand

September 2000
One off Lecture to Stage 4 Philosophy, "Cognitive Science" course
Department of Philosophy, University of Canterbury

May 2000 - June 2000
Teaching Assistant: Aristotle: How to live the Good Life
Continuing Education Department, University of Canterbury

March 1998 - October 2002
Teaching Assistant: Philosophy 133: Philosophy and Human Nature
Department of Philosophy, University of Canterbury, New Zealand

March 1998 - October 2002
Teaching Assistant: Philosophy 138: How to be Rational
Department of Philosophy, University of Canterbury, New Zealand

RESPONSIBILITIES

2009 - Present
Development and maintenance of Philosophy website: www.certaindoubt.org

2009
Part of writing team developing Teaching and Learning Guidelines for Philosophy as a New Zealand Curriculum subject
Wellington City, June 22nd, 23rd

2009
Organization of Philosophy Conference for secondary school students. Conference to be held at University of Canterbury, June 12th

2008 - Present
Outreach, building close working relationship between UPT's Audiodreams project and Youth oriented White Elephant Trust

2008
Worked with Richard Tweedie (Hagley) and Michael Couch (University of Canterbury) to organize Philosophy in Secondary Schools Conference

2007 - Present
Member of Executive Committee for The NZ Association for Philosophy Teaching (NZAPT)

2007
Community co-ordinator, level 5 UPT

2007
ICT Systems manager

2007
Worked with Richard Tweedie (Hagley) and Michael Couch (University of Canterbury) to organize Philosophy in Secondary Schools Conference

Research

PAPERS / ARTICLES
1998 - Present
As a result of my research in Philosophy and Science, I have written several essays. They are listed here:

2009 - Starchild : Alien or Human?
2008 - A Christmas Question: Should Children Believe in Santa Claus?
2008 - Who Really Owns Music?
2008 - Should Parents Smack Children?
2007 - The Simulated Universe
2007 - The Immediate Solution to the Climate Crisis
2007 - The Theory of a Mixset
2007 - Is the DJ an Artist?
2006 - Climate Change
2002 - Nanomachines: A big promise in a small package
2001 - Of course we went to the Moon: A defense of the Lunar Landings
2001 - Correcting the Creationist
2001 - The Human Modification of Earth: Earth's survival is our survival
2000 - Memecosystems: Are Animal Minds Suitable Habitats for Memes?
2000 - Evolution of Technology: Exposing the Myth of Creative Design
2000 - What is a Meme?
2000 - New Worlds, New Hope
2000 - Revealing The Language of Thought (5 Chapter eBook)
1998 - On The Conceivability of Zombies
1998 - On A Distinction Between Access and Phenomenal Consciousness?
1998 - Dretske's Alternative to HOT Theories of Consciousness
1998 - Wittgenstein: Meaning and Representation (ANALYSIS AND METAPHYSICS Vol. 6, 2007)
1998 - The Problem of Qualia
1998 - Dennett's Reduction of Intentionality (LINGUISTIC AND PHILOSOPHICAL INVESTIGATIONS Vol. 7, Mar 2008)

March 2001 - June 2002
Research Assistant
The Turning Project for the History of Computers under Professor Jack Copeland and Diane Proudfoot.
Funded by The Royal Society of New Zealand.
Department of Philosophy, University of Canterbury, New Zealand

Public Presentations / Talks

May 2009
Presentation about Philosophy teaching and Audiodreams at Unlimited given on Information Night at UPT

September 2008
Presentation: How 21st Century Technology Enhances the Philosophical Process
2008 Conference for the New Zealand Association of Philosophy Teaching (NZAPT)

September 2008
Seminar on Using Games in Learning
Linwood Secondary School / Horizon ICT PD Cluster

September 2008
Presentation on History of Def-Logic
SIGMA (South Island Game Manufacturers' Association) meeting

August 2008
Talk at Christchurch City Youth Conference
White Elephant / UPT

August 2008
Presentation on use of Forums in Learning
Horizon ICT PD Cluster

May 2008
Talk given at release of Youth Conference Report, White Elephant HQ
Click for full speech

May 2008
Presentation about Audiodreams given on Information Night at UPT

October 2007
Presentation on Social Networking technologies (with a focus on Audiodreams' use of such technologies) at The Secondary Futures conference held at Terrace Downs

September 2007
Presentation on Philosophy and Individualized Learning at The Philosophy in Secondary Schools conference

September 2007
Presentation on the History and Future of the Human Species as part of the Philosophy Coffeehouse Live Discussion, held with student presenters for an open audience

June 2007
Presentation on the Origin and Fate of the Universe as part of the Philosophy Coffeehouse Live Discussion, held with student presenters for an open audience

October 2006
Presentation on Audiodreams for the Outside of the Square Entrepreneurship group

September 1998
Seminar: "On The Conceivability of Zombies"
New Zealand Conference for Postgrad Students in Philosophy
Hosted by the Department of Philosophy, University of Canterbury

Music Industry

I perform and produce mixsets under the alias DJ "Maestro B"

2009 - present
Thursday night Mixshow on the new PulzarFM dance music station: 105.7FM
www.pulzarfm.co.nz

2008 - present
Co-Founder and resident DJ for "Curious Noise" clubnights.

2007 - present
Member of White Elephant radio and DJ production committees
www.we.org.nz

2007 - present
"Audiodreams-The House Sessions", live mixed house music radio show.
Every Thursday 7pm-9pm
White Elephant Radio

2006 - present
Founder, resident DJ, and event producer for "Audiodreams", a project dedicated to running dance music events in Christchurch City

2006 - present
DJ Performance at the following events:

  • 2009 "Audiodreams-RAVE" @ Level 5
  • 2009 "PulzarFM launch party" house set @ Liquidity
  • 2009 "Autumn Equinox" house / electro set @ MASSIVE's famous outdoor party
  • 2009 "Curious Noise" Monthly Residency @ Foam Bar, 2009 series
  • 2008 "Initiate 09" house set @ The Collective NYE party
  • 2008 "Curious Christmas" house house sets @ FOAM Bar
  • 2008 "Masquerave" house and hard house sets @ Level 5 (DJ and event producer)
  • 2008 "Curious Noise" house set @ FOAM Bar
  • 2008 "Sex in the Park" house set @ Latimar Square
  • 2008 "Secret Rave" house and hard house sets @ Level 5 (DJ and event producer)
  • 2008 "Bus Party" hard house set @ Final destination on the hilltop
  • 2008 "Super Rave" hard house set @ Media Club
  • 2008 "Curious Noise" house set @ Foam Bar
  • 2008 "Raver Strike" house set and hard dance set @ Laser Strike Rave (DJ and event producer)
  • 2008 "Heat Rave" house set and hard dance set @ Level 5 (DJ and event producer)
  • 2008 "Pak 'N Rave" house set and hard dance set @ WEHQ (DJ and event producer)
  • 2008 "FREE RAVE" hard dance set @ WEHQ
  • 2008 "Winter's Light" @ Level One, Manchester Street (DJ and event producer)
  • 2008 "Friday lunch in the Square--White Elephant promo" @ Christchurch City Square
  • 2008 "Ministry of Rave-The Return" @ Ministry Night Club
  • 2008 "The One" @ Level One, Manchester Street (DJ and event producer)
  • 2008 "Prophecy" @ Level 5 (DJ and event producer)
  • 2008 "Ministry of Rave" @ Ministry Night Club
  • 2008 "Preclub" @ Whatbar, Hotel SO
  • 2007 "Style Suite" @ WEHQ (DJ and event producer)
  • 2007 "Rinsed 4th Birthday, the ZINC Bar Zone" @ The Civic
  • 2007 "The 5th Level" @ Level 5 (DJ and event producer)
  • 2007 "Dual Core" @ WE HQ
  • 2007 "Reactivate" @ The Shed (DJ and event producer)
  • 2007 "Friday Sound Session" @ FOAM bar (DJ and event producer)
  • 2007 "Continuance" (DJ and event producer)
  • 2007 "BPM" @ Music Center (DJ and event producer)
  • 2007 "House Warning" @ Capitol Bar Lounge
  • 2007 "DJ Slipmatt" R18 Zone @ The Civic
  • 2006 "School's Out" @ The Civic
  • 2006 "House Warning" @ FOAM bar
  • 2006 "Halloween party" @ Level 5
  • 2006 "High Calibre" @ Level 5 (DJ and event producer)
  • 2006 "Amnesty International Appeal" @ City mall, Christchurch
  • 2006 "Enter the Dream" @ Level 5 (DJ and event producer)

2005 - present
Production of mixed house music sets, music reviews, dialog with international DJs
BRENT IS HOUSE
www.brentishouse.com

2006 - 2008
Supply of mix sets for broadcast on 88.7 pulzarfm, local dance music station
www.pulzarfm.co.nz

2005 - 2006
Live mix show on Metropolis radio "BRENT IS HOUSE"

2001 - 2002
Resident DJ at Carlton Hotel

1998 - 1999
Resident DJ at Carlton Hotel
Guest DJ at Rattlesnake

1997 - 1998
Resident DJ at Sneakers Bar & Cafe

1995 - 1997
Resident DJ at The Palladium Niteclub

1995 - 1996
Resident DJ at Chancery Dance Bar
Guest DJ at Scandals
Guest DJ at Lochinvars
Guest DJ at The Palladium Niteclub

1994 - 1995
Resident DJ at Equestrian Hotel
Guest DJ at Boatshed bar

1993 - 1994
Resident DJ at Esplanade

1992 - 1993
Resident DJ at Flappers Nitespot
Guest DJ at Chevy's bar

1988 - 1992
Ex-Ray Staging Sound and Lighting

  • Design and operation of lightshows
  • Sound engineering for bands and various shows
  • Installation of sound and lighting systems
  • Account management

TEN MINUTE MIXES
A Ten Minute Mix is a quick fire selection of tracks (or parts of tracks) that are mixed together to form a unique, stand-alone musical piece.

2009, 02 - You Want Me
2008, 10 - Shout, its Crazy
2008, 10 - Free to Believe

MIXSETS
Most recordings of mixes prior to 2006 have been lost. In 2006 I decided to archive recordings of sets. The following is a list of all mixset recordings from live events, radioshows, and internet sites.

2009, 05 - Fly Doves
2009, 05 - Weekend
2009, 04 - Enlightenment 4 - Finale
2009, 04 - Enlightenment 3 - Third Movement
2009, 04 - Enlightenment 2 - Second Movement
2009, 01 - Enlightenment One
2008, 11 - Curious Noise
2008, 11 - Masquerave Promo
2008, 10 - A Feeling
2008, 08 - Textures
2008, 08 - Heat Rave - Hard House Set (Maestro B b2b eDestiny) Recorded LIVE
2008, 08 - Heat Rave - House Set (Maestro B b2b Loca) Recorded LIVE
2008, 08 - Our Belief CD
2008, 07 - Freedom and Desire CD
2008, 04 - The Wedding Dance, 4x CD package of disco fused with house
2008, 03 - Feel The Push CD
2008, 02 - Delight
2008, 02 - Preclub
2008, 01 - 33 Deg C BBQ
2007, 12 - Need Your Lovin
2007, 11 - Everybody
2007, 11 - Salvation
2007, 09 - Elektra CD
2007, 08 - Giveawy CD for Audiodreams
2007, 08 - Hard dance set @ Dualcore
2007, 08 - Turn the Beat
2007, 07 - You Know Why
2007, 07 - Destination
2007, 05 - New Day of Disco
2007, 05 - Disco to Electro House
2007, 04 - My Girl Wants
2007, 03 - House Warning
2007, 02 - Something better
2007, 01 - Tell me
2007, 01 - Intention
2006, 12 - The One
2006, 12 - School's Out
2006, 10 - Dare to Rise
2006, 09 - High Calibre
2006, 08 - House Sensation
2006, 08 - Take it
2006, 06 - Special Groove
2006, 06 - Together
2006, 04 - Hold your head up
2006, 04 - Bring me
2006, 04 - Wonderful Feeling
2006, 03 - Untitled
2006, 03 - Untitled
2006, 02 - Untitled
2006, 01 - Untitled
2006, 01 - Untitled
2005, 12 - Untitled
2005, 12 - Untitled
2005, 12 - Untitled
2000 - Untitled
1995 - The Palladium Niteclub

REMIXES
This is something I come back to from time-to-time. Most of my remixes were done with Acid Pro software and involved slicing up the original track, re-editing it, and selecting vocal (or instrument) samples and inserting them in the new track to give a new feel to the original song.

2008 - "Suliman-Short Stab Edit", remix.
2007 - "Tainted Love-Mainly Instrumental Mix", remix.
2007 - "Tainted Love-The Love Mix", remix.
2005 - "Lola's Theme", remix of the Shapeshifter track.
2002 - "You give me something", extended mix of the Jamiroquai track.
2001 - "You Rock my World", mashup of the Michael Jackson track with a house groove.
2001 - "It's in your eyes", remix of the Kylie Minogue track.
2001 - "Rendezvous at midnight", remix of the Kylie Minogue track.
2001 - "Out of Control", remix of the Darude track.
2001 - "Murder on the Dancefloor", remix of the Sophie Ellis Bextor track.
2001 - "Get the Party Started", remix of the Pink track.
2001 - "Starlight", remix of the Superman Lovers track.
2001 - "Riva", remix of unknown artist--perhaps Dani Minogue .
2001 - "Rapture", remix of the iio track.
2001 - "Can't get you out", remix of the Kylie Minogue track.

Videogame Design, Animation

PROGRAMMING EXPERIENCE
Javascript/dhtml, Flash Actionscript 3, Java, PHP, c++, c#, Delphi, Visual Basic, Pascal

2009 - Present
Creative Director for Cerebral Fix, a New Zealand based producer of Flash games. This role involves the overseeing of several game development teams, as well as designing games and working within one of the teams.

2001 - Present
Design and programming of Arcade-Style games for my company, Def-Logic. The games are web-based and have been licensed to numerous casual game sites.

GAMEOGRAPHY
The following is a list of all games I have created. The list includes several very early games which have, unfortunately, been lost.

2008, 12 - Aesop
2008, 10 - Hive
2008, 05 - Elecktra
2008, 01 - Dante's Inferno
2007, 11 - Skyhigh
2007, 05 - Cortex
2006, 09 - Snapple
2006, 04 - Panic Run
2005, 12 - Flatland
2005, 10 - Dalek
2005, 07 - Swarm
2005, 05 - Dark Age
2005, 02 - Equalizer
2004, 12 - Replicator
2004, 10 - Popaloon
2004, 10 - Fitznik (web version for Screaming Duck Software)
2004, 09 - DNA
2004, 07 - Counter Terror
2004, 04 - Eliminator
2004, 02 - Kenocrush
2004, 01 - Amenra
2003, 11 - Virii
2003, 10 - Holomatrix
2003, 08 - Free Jack
2003, 06 - Event Horizon
2003, 04 - JR Kong
2003, 02 - Apothoesis
2002, 12 - Antarctica
2002, 10 - Defense Unit
2002, 09 - Commando 21c
2002, 07 - Bustn Redzta
2002, 06 - Circle Bobble
2002, 05 - Balloons and Droids
2002, 02 - Aerial Drop
2001, ?? - Simon Says
2001, 08 - Bug Control
2001, 05 - Music Catcher
1995, 07 - Orbs (Windows)
1986, ?? - Scruples (for Acorn Electron)
1986, ?? - Ghosts and Demons (for Acorn Electron)
1986, ?? - Skier (for Acorn Electron)
1985, ?? - Doodlebugs (for Acorn Electron)
1985, ?? - Suleed (for Acorn Electron)
1984, ?? - Poppy(for Acorn Electron)
1984, ?? - Moon Patrol (for zx81 and version for Acorn Electron)
1983, ?? - Hyper Olympics (for zx81)
1983, ?? - Creepy Cavern (for zx81)

WEBSITES
The following is a list of some sites I have designed and/or maintained.
www.certaindoubt.org
www.nzapt.net
www.def-logic.com
www.audiodreams.co.nz
www.brentishouse.com
www.unlimited.school.nz
www.apriori.canterbury.ac.nz (2001-2006)
Department of Philosophy, University of Canterbury (maintenance, all scripting for site) to 2004
Department of Religious Studies, University of Canterbury (maintenance) to 2004
Honey House (all design, scripting, and maintenance) to 2003

1992 - 1994
SILBY MARKETING

  • Production of computer animated graphics for advertising clients
  • Installation of videoscreens in key locations of high traffic flow for display of advertising
  • All graphics, animation, audiosync for 30 minute Nursery Rhyme video for Hughes Leisure Group Australia
  • Marketing and promotion of advertising system
  • Accounting, administration