Brandeis University Fall 2014
Composing with Electronic Sounds and Computers 1
MUS 107
Class Times: Tuesday and Friday; 9:30 am - 10:50am
Instructor: Davide Ianni ()
Office:
Office Hours: by appointment on Tuesday
Section Times: tbd
Teaching Assistant: Richard Chowenhill ()
Office:
Office Hours: by appointment.
This course seeks to give the students the aesthetic and technical knowledge needed to complete individual, creative work in composition using electronic media alone. We will make use of computers, recording equipment, digital editing software, sound analysis software: developing basic skills in synthesis, sampling, digital recording and live performance techniques. Relevant aspects of acoustic and electronic theory will be discussed. An important component of the course will also be building the students’ knowledge of the relevant repertoire of compositions from the traditions of musique concrete, acousmatic, mixed and live-electronic music. We will work to develop vocabulary and strategies for discussing and analyzing these repertoires. Everyone will be expected to do both theoretical and creative work and all students will gain hands-on experience working with the equipment.
In addition to the 2 hours of class time students must also meet with the TA in small groups for an additional hour each week. These sections are fundamental for developing software knowledge, compositional and critique skills as well as fulfill the class requirements.
Grading:
Grades will be based on attendance, participation and homework assignments (30%), mid-term project (25%), and final project (45%).
Attendance:
For every absence the student has to provide reasonable justification in advance or within a reasonable period of time (24hrs). Unjustified absences or numerous absences (even with justification) will negatively impact the final grade.
Participation:
Participation is intended as measure of the quality, preparedness and thoughtfulness of class interaction as well as an ability to demonstrateretention of previously discussed material.
Homework assignments:
Homework assignments will include: learning software, readings on the aesthetics and compositional approaches of electronic music, acoustics and electro-acoustics phenomena. Listening and written analysis of electro-acoustics repertoire.
Mid-term project.
For undergraduate students: 2 to 4 minute multi-channel piece spatialized in 5.1 surround, using Pro Tools as the DAW environment.
For graduate students: 3 to 5 multi-channel piece spatialized in 5.1 surround, using Pro Tools as the DAW environment.
Final project.
For undergraduate students: 3 to 5 minute multi-channel piece spatialized in 5.1 surround, using Pro Tools as the DAW environment.
For graduate students: 4 to 6 minute multi-channel piece spatialized in 5.1 surround, using Pro Tools as the DAW environment.
The final project will be performed on a concert in the Marshall Room on Sunday May 8th, 2011 at 8pm. Students will be required to help with the set-up that morning and break-down after the concert and must be available for rehearsals during the afternoon.
In addition to class and section time each student should expect to spend an average of 1-3 hours of personal work in the studio each week and more time as the final project deadline approaches. Signup sheets will be posted in the hallway outside the studios.
Syllabus
Week 1
Friday August 29th – Class members introductions. Syllabus explanation class aims and activities.
Listening:
J. Harvey’s Mortus Plango Vivo Voco. Comments and impressions.
Reading:
Intro to Electro-Acoustic Music pp 2-13
Section:
- Intro to class studios/systems, (Creating/Saving, personal folders).
- Trouble shooting.
- Intro to SoundForge, basic functions and tools.
Week 2
Tuesday September 2nd–Presentation of the Studio facility. Basic acoustics principles. Waveform representation introducing sampling. SoundForge and basic editing techniques applied.
Listening:
Karlheinz Stockhausen Gesang der Jünglinge.
Reading:
The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Music
Section:
- SoundForge (continuation) basic editing techniques.
Friday Septmber 5th – Review reading materials. Introduce first small editing project (due in 1 week)
Section:
- SoundForgeintroducingDigital Sound Processes
Week 3
Tuesday September 9th – Help on editing project. Composition concepts; the musical work, its objects and structures. Why do we care. Assignment of analysis of a piece of music chosen from: Mortus Plango Vivo Voco, Concer PHby Xenakis or HaikubyRohan DeLivera (due in 1 week).
reading:
Christopher Cox and Daniel Warner, "Music and its Others: Noise, Sound, Silence"
Jacques Attali, "Noise and Politics"
Luigi Russolo, "The Art of Noises: Futurist Manifesto"
Section:
- SoundForge (DSP continuation).
Friday 12th – Discuss and review 1st project. Composing usingDAWin particular Logic. Assign a small research on the following composer in regards to their electroacoustic works. Scaeffer, Varese Risset
listening:
Scaeffer, Varese, Risset.
Section:
- Logic multi track environment. Basic editing techniques including fades.
Week 4
Tuesday September 16th–Analysis of an electro-acoustic piece is due.Continue discussing DAW. Assignment of a graphical/verbal plan of a 1 min long gesture/ composition (due in 1 week).
Reading:
Pierre Scaeffer, “Acousmatics”
Brian Eno, “Ambient Music”
Francisco Lopez, “Profound Listening and Environmental Sound Matter”
Section:
- Logic introduction to dynamictreatments.
Friday September 19th – More on compositional considerations and approaches.
Section:
- Some Basic audio treatments (Reverberation, Delay, Doppler, Time stretch, Chorusing, Flangers, etc…)
Week 5
Tuesday September 23rd –Formal plan assignment is due. In-class discussion on compositional plans realizations. Assignment of 2nd project 1 min composition realization of the plan due 1 week.
readings:
Karlheinz Stockhausen “Electronic and Instrumental Music”
Friday September 26th – NO CLASS
Section:
- Help on individual projects
- Review of treatments in Logic
Week 6
Tuesday September 30th –In-class listening and discussion of project 2. Digital sound, sampling rate and bit depths. Assign project 3; everyone should look for and eventually record (using field recorders) sounds that they find particularly striking or beautiful or sounds that could be potentially used for the Midterm/ Final project.(due in 1 week)
Section:
- Introduction to recording kits (H2; H4 etc…)
Friday October 3rd– Conclusion on digital sound. Microphones and field recordings techniques. In class explanation and demostrations.
Week 7
Tuesday October 7th – SHOW AND TELL new recorded sounds. Small in-class presentation.
Friday October 10th – Quiz on digital sounds and microphones.
Week 8
Tuesday October 14th – Introduction to FFT analysis andsonogram representation.
Working in the frequency domain, advantages and disadvantages. Assign sound treatments in Spears.
Section:
- Introduction to Spear
Listening:
Tristan Murail Désintégrations
Readings:
Tristan Murail "The Revolution of Complex Sounds"
Friday October 17th – More FFT and frequency domain treatments. Additive and Subtractive approaches to sound sculpting.
Section:
- Spear and sound sculpting.
Week 9
Tuesday October 21st – Quiz on FFT, and sonogram analysis. Assign Midterm Project plan. 3:30 min minimum length (due on Friday).
FridayOctober 24th – The formal plan for the midterm project is due. In class individual presentation with feedback and reviews. Synthesis overview; discuss additive, subtractive physical modeling, analysis/resynthesis. Midterm Project due on Friday October 31st.
Section:
- Mid term Project Logic session set up.
Week 10
Tuesday October 28th – Introduction to Granular Synthesis. The MAX/MSP environment.
Section:
- Help with Midterm project.
- MoP Tools, Granular engines.
Friday October 31st –MIDTERM PROJECT IS DUE. Individual in-class and discussion.
Week 11
Tuesday November 4th– More on Granular Synthesis and Max/MSP interactivity. Assignment for formal plan for Final project. (due in 1 week)
Section:
- Max/MSP and MoP Tools, Granular engines.
Friday November 7th –Max/MSP interactivity. Show and Tell live electronics pieces.
Week 12
Tuesday November 11th–Plan for Final project is due. In-class presentation,discussing the realization.
Section:
- Max/MSP and MoP Tools,
- Review as needed
Friday November 14th – Electronic music, history and practice. A few inspiring examples.
Section:
- Help on recording new sounds.
- Review as needed
Week 13
Tuesday November 18th– More on electronic music history and practice.A few inspiring examples
Section:
- Review as needed
Friday November 21st – Help on final project actualization of the formal plan.
Review on topics as needed.
Section:
- Help on final project.
Week 14
Tuesday November 25th– More on electronic music history and practice.A few inspiring examples
Section:
- Review as needed
Friday November 28th– Help on final project as needed. Mixing and mastering.
Review on topics as needed.
Section:
- Help on final project.
Week 15
Tuesday December 2nd – Help on final project as needed. Mixing and mastering.
Section:
- Review as needed
Friday December 5th – FINAL PROJECT DUE DATE. In-class presentations.
Review on topics as needed.
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