ARTS 1010 - Media Studio Audio/Video: Music
(this syllabus was originally designed by Neil Rolnick)
Course Syllabus: Spring 2009 (session two)
Course website: http://www.vodstrup.com/bbw/teaching.htm
Lectures: Tuesdays 6-7:50p.m., Sage 2112
Studio Section 1: Thursday 10-11:50am, West Hall 112
Studio Section 2: Thursday 12-1:50pm, West Hall 112
PROFESSOR:
Bart Woodstrup
Email: woodsb@rpi.edu (best way to reach me)
Office Hours: Monday, Noon – 2p.m. (appointment preferred), West Hall
Phone: 518-276-4778 (this is the Arts Department phone)
STUDIO SECTION LEADER:
Jonathan Chen, chenj20@rpi.edu
Office Hours: TBA and by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This seven-week course is one half of the Media Studio A/V course, which is required of all EMAC and BS EArt majors. It will provide an introduction to computer music. Our primary focus will be hands-on creative work with sound. There will also be an introduction to some of the literature, history and theory of the field. Weekly assignments will include reading and listening assignments, as well as studio work.
The materials for the course, which you must purchase, include a textbook of source readings and a pair of good headphones. You will also need to purchase a midi keyboard, available at the Rensselaer Computer Store. The device comes with a digital audio workstation program (Ableton Live LE), which you will use for your music and audio projects, along with the freeware audio editing program Audacity. Listening assignments are posted on a password protected area of the H&SS server. Using your laptop, your Live LE software, Audacity and iEAR’s studio facilities you will make two computer music pieces in the seven weeks of the course. You will also write a brief paper relating to your reading assignments.
By the end of this segment of the course, you will be prepared to go on to the intermediate computer music course. However, even if you never take another computer music course, you will have the basic tools and experience which will allow you to work with sound and music in a more sophisticated and flexible manner in any future media projects, in school or on your own.
LECTURE: The 2-hour weekly lectures will be divided between:
a) Listening and discussion of musical examples and their historical and theoretical context, and
b) Specific technical and conceptual exercises related to your studio assignments.
*Always bring your laptop to lectures, in order to participate in in-class projects.
• STUDIOS: The studio is the place where you will receive specific technical instruction and constructive critique of your work in progress. Please arrive punctually to your studio sections.
*Always bring your laptop and any other materials you need to be able to work on, or receive critique on, your current project.
ASSIGNMENTS:
There will be three major assignments for this class, in addition to keeping up with regular reading and listening assignments:
1) A brief sonic portrait of some aspect of your aural environment, using sound materials which you have collected yourself; this includes a 500 word description of the sonic portrait.
2) A larger piece, which uses midi technology, with optional use of, sampled sounds, and which incorporates one of a number of structural ideas about music that will be discussed in class; this includes a 500 word description of the piece.
3) A 5-6 page paper (1750-2500 words) which discusses in depth some of the music, musical ideas, or musical personalities you have been exposed to in the listening and reading assignments.
Using the class’ Rensselaer Learning Management System (RPILMS) site, you will be asked to respond to all reading and listening assignments. Topics for discussion will be posted each week, and you must make weekly entries. These entries will not be graded individually, but your participation in the on line discussions will constitute 10% of your final grade. The listening and reading will be discussed in studio sections as well. There will be no final exam for this class.
READING & LISTENING:
Most of the readings will come from Audio Culture: Readings in modern music, edited by Christoph Cox and Daniel Warner, published by Continuum Books. This is a book of essays by composers, musicians and critics who discuss much of the music we’ll be studying. This book is in the RPI Union Bookstore, and you should plan to purchase it. There are also a few readings posted on the class website for you to download.
All the required listening for the course is posted in a password protected area of the Arts server. Instructions for how to connect to the listening server are on the Listening link on the class web page.
CONCERT REVIEWS:
You should attend at least 1 concert of music that is computer-related. This could include the events in the iEAR Presents! series, or some of the other computer music concerts presented in the area. A few local concerts scheduled for this semester will be listed on the course webpage.
You will submit a 500 word review of the concert (MS Word or PDF formats, double spaced), describing who you saw, what they did or played, how it relates to computer music, and what you thought of the concert in terms of the music, the performance, the presentation, etc.
Considering that there seems to be a limited number of concerts for the remainder of this term, I will allow a review of any one of the following DVD's located at the Folsom Library:
Call # M1473 .X46 L44 2005
The electronic works. I, La légende d'Eer [videorecording] / Iannis Xenakis.
Call # M1473.S92 M334 2004
Morton Subotnick. Electronic works, volume 2 [videorecording]
Call # M1473.S92 M334 2001
Morton Subotnick. Electronic works, volume 1 [videorecording]
Call # M1473 .R43 2003
Recording field H [videorecording] / Interface (Curtis Bahn, Tomie Hahn, Dan Trueman) ; with Pauline Oliveros.
Call # ML3809 .E68 2002
Equal temperament [videorecording]
SOFTWARE & OTHER MATERIALS:
With a few exceptions, noted below, you are required to purchase a (relatively) inexpensive music hardware/software package for use in this class. The software is Ableton Live LE, which comes with the purchase of an M- Audio O2 USB midi keyboard. Both connect to your laptop via USB. You can purchase the keyboard for $80 from the Campus Computer Store. This is a special price for RPI students enrolled in this course.
You will also need to download the sound editing program Audacity at http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ This is a free, cross-platform program. It does not take the place of Live LE, but can be used along with Live.
If you have a Macintosh laptop, it is possible to do the assignments using the GarageBand software that is included with all recent Macs. There are a number of other, more expensive programs such as Cubase, CakeWalk, Digital Performer or Logic that you may use to do these assignments if you already own them and know how to use them. However, technical instruction in class will focus on Audacity and Live LE, which is the least expensive cross-platform entry-level digital audio workstation program we’ve been able to find. If you choose to use another program we may not be able to give you any technical support if you run into problems.
You will also need a good pair of headphones for this course. I’d suggest something like the Sony MDR-XD200 or the AKG K44 models. Each is about $20-$25, and they are widely available. However, any brand name closed-ear model headphone in this price range should work.
To collect audio samples, you will be able to check out a Flash Recorder with a microphone and cables from the Equipment Room (ER). The recorders contain flash media when you check them out, but you might also want to consider purchasing your own flash media. Later in the semester you’ll be using MIDI controllers, which will be available in the 110 Studio, or as part of your hardware/software purchase for this class.
• GRADING: You will be graded as follows:
10% attendance and participation in lecture & studio
10% for contributions to on-line discussions
10% for concert report
20% for first project
25% for second project
25% for final paper
To get an “A” you must do exceptional work. The “B” is given for superior work -- more than simply fulfilling the obligations of the class. A “C” grade is considered average, and below that is below average or failing.
• Any appeal for grades must be brought to the instructor during office hours or at a scheduled time convenient to both parties. Keep in mind that an appeal has the potential to raise or lower your grade.
• Incompletes will only be granted for the death of family member during the semester, note from doctor or documentation of hospitalization representing a significant period of time.
• Only if given the final grade of “I”, will additional work after the conclusion of a semester will be accepted for a change of grade.
• Points are based on the RPI +/- system as follows:
Grade Expectations Assigned Value Range
A 4.00 - 3.68
A- 3.67 - 3.34
B+ 3.33 - 3.01
B 3.00 - 2.68
B- 2.67 - 2.34
C+ 2.33 - 2.01
C 2.00 - 1.68
C- 1.67 - 1.34
D+ 1.33 - 1.01
D 1.00 - .68
F 0.67 - 0
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
Student-Teacher relationships are built on trust. Students must trust that teachers have made appropriate decisions about the structure and content of the courses they teach. Additionally, teachers must trust that the assignments that students turn in are theirs. Acts that violate this trust undermine the educational process.
All work produced in this course must be original and created by the student. The first infraction will result in a failure for the course and a report to the Office of the Dean. Works that involved the use of appropriation should be discussed with your instructor before you submit them for grading.
Collaborative work will not be allowed for this course.
ATTENDANCE:
Attendance at all lectures and section meetings is required. Attendance will be taken. You are allowed one absence from the lecture, and one from your studio section. After that, each absence will diminish your final grade. If you miss a combined total of 5 lectures and studios, you will fail this portion of the course. The only exception is a written excuse from the Dean’s office. We will be following an extremely rigorous schedule. If you miss any classes, you are expected to make up the missed work on your own - please befriend a kind colleague and work out some kind of deal.
LAPTOP USE:
Because there will be specific technical instructions in lecture, you should always bring your laptop to class. And, of course, the laptop will be a key component of your work in the studio. However, when I speak to the class, I try to give you my full attention, and I expect the same consideration in return. It’s a waste of my time to lecture to students who are reading email or browsing the web. Therefore, except when working on a specific in-class assignment, you may not use your laptop during lectures.
|
