MUSIC 339
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS IN MUSIC

MATTHEW BURTNER

University of Virginia, Department of Music / VCCM

Images: Digital Performer, building circuits, Supercollider, Peak, students from the 2001 class building microphones

COURSE OVERVIEW

REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING

SYLLABUS AND CREATIVE PROJECTS

 

COURSE OVERVIEW

 

MUSI 339, Introduction to Computers in Music (3 credits)
Maximum Enrollment 20

Monday and Wednesday, 3:30-4:45 Rm. B012 Old Cabell Hall

Professor Matthew Burtner - mburtner@virginia.edu
office hours: Wednesday 1-3pm, OCH 201, and by appointment

TA: Damon Osgood - deo6f@virginia.edu
office hours: regular hours TBA, and by appointment

Lab Assistant: Marilyn Yang - my6d@guppy.mail.virginia.edu
Lab hours: Tuesday 5-6pm, Music Library computers

Music 339 is an introductory course in music technology. Students gain theoretical, practical and historical knowledge of electronic and computer music. An emphasis is placed on creative hands-on experience composing computer music. Theory topics include introductions to acoustics, digital audio, electricity and circuit design for musicians, recording techniques, MIDI, and computer programming. Hands-on work will involve sound editing and digital signal processing, building working audio circuits, multitrack sound mixing, and MIDI synthesizer programming. This is primarily a composition course and assignments will emphasize creativity. Short technical quizes will be given on material covered in class.

Texts: Readings will be taken from the Computer Music Tutorial by Curtis Roads (on reserve in the library and in the UVa bookstore)

Required materials: 1 Digital Audio Tape (DAT), recordable CDs for assignments and data back ups.

Lab (no credit): dates and times TBA (you must register for the lab as well as the course)

Equipment Resources: computers, synthesizers, DAT machines, manuals, etc are located in the Music Library, available during regular library hours.

REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING

SYLLABUS

Part 1

Subject:
* Introduction to Acoustics
* Digital Audio
* History and literature of early electronic music
* Soundfile editing in Peak

Assignment 1 - "Anamorphose" : In the late 1940s when Pierre Schaeffer began working with Musique Concrete, he observed the radical transformation of a prerecorded signal's nature due to simple manipulations of the sound captured on tape. He called this acoustic transformation an "anamorphosis". Like many of Schaeffer's early works this creative project will use only one layer of material. Find a short sample of music from your CD collection, chosen for its acoustic character. Rip the sound onto the computer and create a new piece by using playlists in Peak. The composition should be short (30" - 2'). Choose the sample carefully and be prepared to talk about why you chose it.
Quiz 1: acoustics

 

Part 2

Subject:
* Introduction to electricity and audio circuit design
* Introduction to Recording engineering
* History and literature of early computer music
* Multitrack editing in Digital Performer

Assignment 2 - (in two parts)

1) "Transducing the Environment": We will build microphones from scratch in class and learn basic sound recording techniques. For this assignment, first find a sound in the UVA environment that is of interest to you. Feel free to bring your own sound into the environment or record your instrument, voice, etc. Again, think carefully about what sound you choose and be prepared to talk about it. (it may help to think about the next assignment before beginning). Using the VCCM DAT machine on reserve in the library, record your sound and transfer it to the computer using Digital Performer or Peak.

2) "Clouds of Sound" : import your sound into Digital Performer and create a short multi-track composition. Using the techniques we discuss in class of multi-track editing, limit the residual sounds of the digital audio (clicks, clipping, etc) - these aren't necessarily bad but they are not allowed in this assignment because first we need to gain a mastery of multitrack editing. Be creative and feel free to explore any of Digital Performer's signal processing techniques.
Quiz 2: digital audio

 

Part 3
Subject:
* Introduction to MIDI
* MIDI sequencing in Digital Performer
* History and literature of computer music since 1980
Assignment 3- "Computer Rhythms ": create a short mixed-meter and/or polyrhythmic composition by building a MIDI sequence in Performer. Play the sequence through one of the Korg patches. Experiment with the graphic and notation-based editing in Performer. Try to explore an idiomatic use of the computer as a rhythmic instrument. Be prepared to talk about your rhythm - what, why, how.
Quiz 3: MIDI

 

Part 4

Subject:
* Introduction to music programming
* Discussion of original class compositions
* Programming and sound synthesis in Supercollider

Assignment 4 - "Microtonal Oscillators": we will learn how to program and compile code for basic sound synthesis. Create a microtonal melody of your own creation. The melody can be intuitively written or algorithmically generated.

Final Project

"Create": Compose an original musical composition using the tools and ideas we have discussed in class. The piece does not need to be long (2-5' is fine) but it should be well made. A personal approach to the tools explored is encouraged. Try to bring your previous musical sensibilities to the computer medium. There are no "wrong" aesthetics but you should question all musical assumptions (especially style-based) and try to personalize your approach to the composition. The main goal is to make good music, something you might like to program on a concert in the recital hall. This project could an expansion and integration of the previous assignments. The project will be graded on 1) musical originality, 2) production quality (careful editing of clips and distortion and sound quality)

 

Copyright 2002, Matthew Burtner