What we believe
In 2026, it's easy to find art.
It's never been harder to pay attention to it.
Great art has a way of asking us to slow down, listen carefully, become curious, and pay attention.
But we have to let it. And sometimes we need a little help doing that.
Surround Sound Studio was created out of the belief that thoughtfully-designed experiences centered around art can cultivate attention. And that attention, in turn, opens the door to curiosity, conversation, and meaningful connection.
Let's listen, discover, and connect.
Let's pay attention.
Together.
How we design Surround Sound experiences
Every Surround Sound experience is designed with intention
Surround Sound experiences blend music, art, history, silence, story, and conversation to shift how we engage with art and one another. To shift how we think and feel.
We might start with a question or two:
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What makes a wine taste Spanish?
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What makes music sound Spanish?
From there, we follow our curiosity into the cultural and sensory dimensions that arise.
We quickly find ourselves immersed in diverse art forms, history, geography, and science as but some of the forces that shed light on these questions.
The programs are structured to invite guests to join in this journey.
It requires pacing that allows for both silence and discussion. That requires and rewards attention.
Our goal is for guests to feel some of the same things we experience designing the program: curiosity, fascination, awe, surprise.
To feel the shift that results from a new perspective or just a closer look.
To feel calmer and more connected.
Each element of our programs is intentionally designed with this experience in mind.
About me
Don Atkins
I’m a classically-trained pianist, creative entrepreneur, and the founder of Surround Sound.
My goal with Surround Sound is to create the spaces where we can engage meaningfully with art.
I truly believe that a flourishing society is one in which we not only consume but experience and create art regularly. Rich and meaningful art-centered experiences foster personal, social, and economic growth.
My path to this work has been anything but linear. I studied piano performance and composition at Northwestern and then as a Fulbright Fellow in Vienna, Austria.
A college-era wrist injury led me to pause my focus on music and explore other paths. I spent my career prior to Surround Sound in manufacturing and export operations, biotech policy, and EdTech product marketing. During this time, I earned an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business.
Alongside that work, I've spent years designing programs and events that bring people together around music—from intimate dinner concerts pairing art song with food and beer or wine, to reimagined performances of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, to community listening parties and music appreciation programs for young people.
Though each looked different on the surface, they shared the same goal: creating spaces where art becomes a catalyst for attention, curiosity, and connection.
In addition to running Surround Sound, I serve on the board of the Brooklyn Art Song Society, America's leading presenter and commissioner of art song.
I'm based just outside Ann Arbor, Michigan, with my wife and our two children.
