DRAM 262: Sound Design
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
(1:00-1:50 PM)
Culbreth, Room 217
Instructed by Michael Rasbury
Corequisite: DRAM 263 (required for Drama Majors,
recommended to others)
OFFICE
Michael Rasbury, Room 208B,
Culbreth Theatre
Appointments can be scheduled
by phone at (434) 982-4542 or by email at mr2xk (at) virginia (dot) edu. I check email daily.
COURSE GOAL
In DRAM 262, we will explore
the qualities of sound and music through discussion, construction, critical
listening, and demonstration.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
DRAM 262 is an introductory course designed to stimulate understanding
of both the aesthetic and technical aspects of sound and sound design. Students will be introduced to
listening exercises, the properties of sound, sound-reproducing equipment,
music and sound construction for dramatic material, etc.
REQUIREMENTS
Notebook (for classroom
notes)
Access to a Personal Computer
with Internet Access, Mac OS or Windows
Audacity, for Mac or Windows,
download at http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Spindle of CD-R’s (for
submission of projects)
Full Size Stereo Headphones
with mini 1/8” and 1/4” adapter (for monitoring)
NO EARBUDS! Here are
some examples:
http://www.sweetwater.com/c412--Headphones and http://www.musiciansfriend.com/headphones
ATTENDANCE POLICY
You should make every effort
to be present at each class period. Excused absences are permitted. To receive an excused absence, please notify me before the absence or
provide an official notification
after the absence. Each
unexcused absence will result in the lowering of your final grade percentage by
three (3) percentage points per absence.
Please view the course calendar.
GRADING
There will be no formal
midterm or final exam; however, at least two quizzes will be given. Project grades will be determined by a
rubric relating to each exercise. A rubric is a grading chart outlining all
assessment criteria.
100-90= A, 89-80= B,
79-70= C, 69-60= D, and below 60= F
Participation 20%
This portion of the grade is
a subjective evaluation of the student’s performance during class meetings
based on the following criteria: 1) Attitude and Inquisitiveness- the student
displays an eagerness to learn and be involved, 2) Congeniality- the student
works well with others during the semester, 3)
Preparedness- the student is always prepared for class and concerned about the
quality of presented work, 4) Promptness- the student is always on time for
each session.
Sound Projects 1-4 40%
During the semester, students
will be responsible for completing four small sound projects. The projects will
reflect an aspect of the current topic of discussion and will require computer
editing using audio software. Each
student will need to visit http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ and download the latest copy of Audacity for Mac OS or Windows. Please see the attached rubrics for
further content and grading information.
Before starting each project,
a design statement must be submitted to me via email as a “.doc,” or “.rtf”
file. A design statement is a
declaration of purpose and plan for construction of an idea. The file name for the statement should
be “lastnamefirstname_p#”. The document should include a heading (name, project
number and title), a description of the goal, a description for accomplishing
the goal, and if necessary a list of potential effects and content. Upon completion, each project must be
submitted as an audio CD and a
data CD. Students will be responsible for all work regardless of computer
failures.
Sound Project Calendar
Project 1: Use Audacity to Edit Music (requirements and grading)
Design Statement Due: Friday,
September 5, 2008
Work Time: September
5-21, 2008
Listen To Project in
Class: Monday, September 22, 2008
Project 2: Use Audacity to Create an Environment
Design Statement Due: Friday,
September 19, 2008
Work Time: September
20-October 5, 2008
Listen To Project in
Class: Monday, October 6, 2008
Project 3: Music
Concrete/Sampling
Design Statement Due: Friday,
October 3, 2008
Work Time: October
4-19, 2008
Listen To Project in
Class: Monday, October 20, 2008
Project 4: Create Your Own Concept
Design Statement Due: Friday,
October 17, 2008
Work Time: October
17-November 9, 2008
Listen To Project in
Class: Monday, November 10, 2008
I would like to post selected
projects on my University of Virginia Sound Design website. If you have any objections to this,
please notify me.
Production Essay 20% Due
December 1, 2008
Each student is expected to
attend one of the following productions and create a critical essay reflecting
the sound design for the event.
Some Girls
by
Neil LaBute;
September 27-27, 30 & October 1-4, 2008,
Helms
Theatre, 8pm
Day of Absence
by Douglas Turner Ward;
October 23-25, 28-31, 2008,
Helms
Theatre, 8pm
Oklahoma!
by Rodgers/Hammerstein;
November 20-22, December 3-5, 2008,
Culbreth Theatre, 8pm
This essay should include
notation of actual sound elements, descriptions of the perceived effectiveness
of the sound design, thoughts about the symbolic meanings of sounds, noticeable
acoustic challenges of the environment, etc. The paper should be typed using a standard font (like Times
or Helvetica) and should utilize a 12-point typeface. At least three, double-spaced pages are required for
submission. The final essay must be submitted to me via email as a “.doc,” or
“.rtf” file. File name for the
essay should be “lastnamefirstname_essay”. Please see the attached rubric for
grading criteria and this list for content information.
Quizzes 20%
There will be at least two short
quizzes covering material discussed in class. These tests will not be comprehensive but will only cover
information discussed between each test. Tests may include multiple choice and/or essay questions. Each quiz is worth 100 points.
IMPORTANT DATES TO NOTE
September 5, Last Day to Drop a Class.
September 12, Last Day for Adding New Courses, Last Day to Elect the
AU (Audit) Option, and Last Day to Change to or from “Credit/No Credit” Option.
October 21, Last Day to Withdraw from a Course.
Students needing special
accommodations are encouraged to discuss the need with the professor as soon as
possible.
This syllabus is subject
to change at any time, without prior notice, and it is the responsibility of
the student to keep informed of changes, new material, or missed content.