Curriculum for Sonic Arts Degree

Provides a historical context for the music of our age, including the study of medieval through contemporary musical styles of Europe and the U.S. Particular attention will be given to innovations that transformed Western musical thought and expression through the ages. Students will develop listening skills and gain an understanding of the roots, influences and cross-cultural impacts of music of their own time and place through experience with music listening, readings, discussion and comparative analysis.

The recording and mixing of sound requires numerous aesthetic decisions that are technically realized. This hands-on class introduces students to the use of the Sound Studio for recording, mixing, and mastering audio. Through lectures and in-studio practice, students gain a comprehensive understanding and working knowledge of the professional recording environment. There will be recording and mixing projects as well technical evaluations, all done in the CCM Sound Studio.

This course will teach students the basics of music, and how to create music on the computer. Topics include rhythm, phrasing, harmony, melody, and song construction. This is an exciting opportunity, given the virtually unlimited power of today?s Digital Audio Workstations. Music can be assembled from pre-composed elements, played live into the computer, written as notes on an electronic score, or keyed in using a midi piano keyboard. Students will use these digital tools to capture their ideas or inspiration and turn them into music. Several projects will be required, in various styles, for a number of different purposes.

After a brief history of the development of electronic synthesis, students will delve into creating sounds using current industry standard synthesizers. Types of synthesis will include virtual analog, frequency modulation and physical modeling. Digital audio workstations will be used to record and organize the sounds. The vast array of electronic effects in Logic will also be explored. Students will gain a functional knowledge of not only synthesis, but also powerful electronic effect and sequencing options.

The course starts with a critical look at interactive sound history,examining its cultural impacts, and analyzing the underlying theory of creating immersive sound environments. Following this, the course will look at techniques and design principles specific to interactivity as students begin to learn the fundamentals of the core technology. These include sound editing software for creation and editing as well as game software. The course culminates with the creating of a complete interactive audio package.

This course will take students through the exciting process of creating music for film. First discussing the history of music in film, and the production process, the course will then dive into the actual process of writing cues for film, including spotting, syncing to picture, understanding visual sequences and dramatic intent. Students will be challenged to write cues for a variety of visual sequences in different tempos and moods.

PLACEHOLDER

Offers the opportunity to do advanced scoring and sound design work. Students will propose a substantial project (such as scoring a film, or building sound for game levels), then take the project from conception to final recording, including composition, sound design, orchestration, recording, signal processing, mixing and mastering. Some exceptional projects may be selected for live recording sessions in a professional studio. Students will create portfolio pieces that go beyond technical proficiency, honing their work to generate emotional impact.