The Beginning
IRN was founded in 1993 by Jay Williston and Paula Chase as a music school (IRN Studios), and a recording studio/record label (IRN Productions). Both Paula and Jay bring a unique set of skills to the company. Jay studied Music Synthesis and Film Scoring at Berklee College of Music with a emphasis on Electronic Music, Film Scoring, and Jazz Theory. He has been involved in producing and recording local Boston music for over 10 years. Paula has a Bachelor of Science in Music Education, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and a Master of Music in Composition from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Both have been teaching private music lessons since 1984.

The Internet
like many people during that time, Paula and Jay got online and used their programming skills (a hobby at first) to learn HTML, and create IRN's web site (www.irnoise.com). IRN's first professional web site design was for the Massachusetts Easter Seals 1996 telethon. IRN donated its services to this multi-media, charitable event by creating a lively, interactive web site where participants could make pledges online before or during the broadcast. They were present on the set of the broadcast, coordinating the online activities and pledges. At this time IRN wasn't an "internet company" per se. However, word-of-mouth brought IRN more and more internet work. As a result IRN Internet Services was formed in the summer of 1996.

The Name
Growing up, Jay Williston used to have a choir teacher by the name of Mr. Schoeb. When the choir was a bit too talkative, Mr. Shoeb (pronounced sheb) would exclaim "Music is defined as ordered sets of sound and silence and I WANT SOME SILENCE!!" Although it was probably not the teacher's intent, Jay's curiosity was peaked as to wether music could be defined and if so, how. Later, when Jay was in college and studying electronic music, the subject came up again. Just what is music? How can it be defined? "Integrated rhythm & noise" is a somewhat simplified answer to these questions. Jay continues to probe the definition of music and of art in general. If you ask him he could probably expand upon that definition.

"Inc."
Having long been a partnership, IRN officially incorporated in February of 1999, becoming "Integrated Rhythm & Noise, Inc." (or "IRN, Inc."). With this incorporation came much expansion.

IRN Studios
IRN Studios has developed a few different programs to extend the reach of its teachers into the community. The School Partnership Program places music teachers in Boston area schools during the after-school period to teach private and group lessons.

IRN Productions
IRN Productions has carved out a nich for itself as a project studio for singer/songwriters in the Boston area, covering a wide range of styles, from folk to hip-hop.

IRN Internet Services
IRN Internet Services' largest web project to date is Synthmuseum.com: The Virtual Synthesizer Museum. This web site displays information and pictures of over 300 electronic musical instruments. It is now the most comprehensive presentation of it's kind on the Web. Web design clients include M. Steinert & Sons (www.MSteinert.com), Career Choices (www.YourCareerChoices.com) and Rainbow Eagle (www.RainbowEagle.com). Jay spends an increasing amount of time talking with businesses about the internet and how to separate the useful features of the internet from the hype. He also lectures about the history of the internet and its impact on society.

IRN Internet Services has also been on the forefront of a new aspect of the business - Website Renovation, freshening up older sites that have gone stale, and consulting with businesses on better ways to use their web sites distinguishing the useful features of the internet from the hype.