Syllabus for Mus 88 - Introduction to Computer Music
Harvey Mudd College, Fall 2021
Tuesday / Thursday 1:20 - 2:35 Shanahan B450
A collection of computer music for listening and
supplemental articles for presentations will be available on Sakai.
Computer music in the broad sense is everywhere in our culture, and it is possibly the
most artistically empowering technology in the history of music. You may be interested
in this course as a way to learn to use synthesizers, to help you realize your own
compositions, or just for a deeper understanding of the basics of how music like this
is made. This course will address all of these issues, and I hope you will bring to my
attention topics of particular interest to you.
This course will concentrate on the basics of using a general purpose computer to generate
and manipulate digital sounds. We will primarily use the software
Csound. It is installed on the studio Macintosh
though free versions of Csound are also available for Windows, Linux, Unix, and other platforms. I
encourage you to download a copy for yourself. (To do so, go to
the Csound download page and download the appropriate version for your system.
See also the "Get Started" link. An
Csound FLOSS manual
and a reference manual are available.
Because there are no prerequisites for this course, though I recommend some experience with computer coding.
I expect that students will come from very disparate musical backgrounds, and a background in music is not required.
Office hours
At this time in-person meetings are being discouraged, but I welcome meeting with you via zoom. Please
send me an email request (alves at hmc. edu). If there's interest, I may also arrange for drop-in zoom
meetings during regular office hours.
Evaluation
| Digital audio fundamentals quiz | 10% |
| Music Assignments | 5 x 9% = 45% |
| Short Assignments | 3 x 5% = 15% |
| Group presentation and composition | 15% |
| Final project | 15% |
Assignments
Most of the work of the semester will be in the form of assignments which involve the
generation of music (though a background in music will not be necessary to complete them).
The Computer Music Studio is available for these assignments, though most assignments can
be completed without access. Assignments that do require the studio generally
have a one week lead-time, so it is vital that you do not wait until the last minute, as
studio time may not always be available. Also, if there are any problems, you may need to
consult with me in order to complete your assignment.
In addition to the music assignments, there will be a few brief assignments having to
do with class readings and listening to the collections of computer music on Sakai.
Group Presentations
In the second half of the semester, groups of approximately four students each will prepare
a presentation on a particular computer music process, method, or technology. The presentation
will include theoretical background, aesthetic discussion, and practical coding of examples
to hand out in the form of a short original piece. Meetings with me a week before the
presentation will be required to discuss the presentation content and progress. Presentations
will be evaluated, in part, by your peers in the class, and your conscientious participation
in the evaluation process for other groups will be considered in your class participation
grade. Your final project will also demonstrate application of at least some of the concepts
presented by groups other than your own.
Final Project
The final project will be an original musical composition realized using, at least for
the major part, Csound. Group final projects are not normally allowed. Don't be intimidated
by this requirement, as a musical background is not necessary for you to express your
creativity with these tools. I will not be grading your technical knowledge of music or
application of traditional music theory.
You will write a proposal for a final project, which may be approved immediately, or only
after negotiated revisions if the proposal is not quite appropriate, sufficient, or practical.
A recording and code listing of your work-in-progress will be required
before the final due date. A concert of all the class projects will take place during the
last week of classes. There will be no other final exam.
Late Assignments
Late assignments will normally be penalized one letter grade per class meeting late, but
any assignments that are late because of illness, isolation, or other unavoidable problems
will not be penalized. In rare past instances technical problems have necessitated an extension
for the whole class. However, not being able to get into the studio because you have
neglected to sign up for time until the last minute is not a valid justification for an
extension. Because studio time is limited, it is crucial that you plan your schedule
in advance.
Laptops
Please do not have laptops open during class, unless I explicitly give
permission for an individual accommodation or for group work, for example. If you normally use
your laptop to take notes, then you will
need to find an alternative, like taking paper notes. Flat tablets, such as iPads, are acceptable,
as long as they are only used for taking notes.
Internet Resources
Information about and examples in software used in this class is widely available on the Internet,
including for Reaper and Csound.
Included here are links to
download various versions, tutorials, auxiliary software, examples, and other
resources. (Please note that the use of example Csound instruments in any of your assignments must
be credited to the original author. The use of someone else's instrument without attribution
is plagiarism and subject to Honor Code sanctions.)
Discussions, questions, and updates on assignments between classes will be made through the
class electronic mailing list: music-88-1-2021-fa@g.hmc.edu. This is an especially efficient method of alerting
the members of the class to software and hardware problems between classes. All registered
students should be automatically have access to this mailing list through their google groups.
There is also a
mailing list for Csound and various public forums for Reaper and other DAWs.
Course Outline
Dates may be revised depending on class progress.
| Date | Topic | Assignment due |
| Aug. 31 | Introduction to the studio; audio basics |
| Sep. 2 | MIDI | |
| Sep. 7 | DAWs and sequencing | Read 1 Introduction to MIDI |
| Sep. 9 | Introduction to acoustics | Read 2 Reaper Intro |
| Sep. 14 | Introduction to digital audio | Assignment 1 due -- MIDI sequence
Read 3 Dodge Chapter 2 |
| Sep. 16 | Digital audio (continued) | Read 4 Digital Audio
Brief assignment 1 due |
| Sep. 21 | Digital recording | Digital audio / acoustics / MIDI quiz |
| Sep. 23 | Musique concrète | Read 5 Pro Tools intro |
| Sep. 28 | Sampling |
| Sep. 30 | Introduction to Csound | Assignment 2 due -- Audio multitracking |
| Oct. 5 | Digital oscillators & wavetable synthesis | Read 6 Dodge Chapter 4.1 to 4.7 |
| Oct. 7 | Introduction to digital filters |
| Oct. 12 | Using samples in Csound | Assignment 3 due -- Csound program |
| Oct. 14 | Modulation | Read 7 Dodge Chapter 4.8 to 4.10
Brief assignment 2 due |
| Oct. 19 | Fall break |
| Oct. 21 | Audio-rate modulation |
| Oct. 26 | FM synthesis | Brief assignment 3 due |
| Oct. 28 | Effects Processing | Read 8 Roads FM |
| Nov. 2 | Global instrument interaction | Assignment 4 due -- digital concrète |
| Nov. 4 | Presentation 1: Algorithmic composition |
| Nov. 9 | Presentation 2: Digital reverberation and sound spatialization | |
| Nov. 11 | Presentation 3: Distortion synthesis | Assignment 5 due -- Csound modulation |
| Nov. 16 | Presentation 4: Analysis/resynthesis | |
| Nov. 18 | Presentation 5: Granular synthesis | |
| Nov. 23 | Presentation 6: Physical modeling | Final project proposal due |
| Nov. 25 | Thanksgiving break | |
| Nov. 30 | Csound instrument analysis | |
| Dec. 2 | Analysis of interim projects | Interim version of final project due |
| Dec. 7 | Analysis of interim projects | |
| Dec. 9 | Guest speaker | |
Dec. 12
7:00 p.m. | Concert of final projects | Final project due |
Accessing the Computer Music Studio
HMC students registered before the first class should have card swipe access to the Computer Music Studio. Non-HMC
students need to get a temporary card from the Facilities and Maintenance Office, which is located in the basement
of Platt Campus Center, the next building to the east of Shanahan. If you have registered for the course before the
first day, a card will be available for you there during regular business hours. If you have added the class, you
may need to ask me to get access to the studio.
Rules for using the Computer Music Studio
In order to keep the studio functional and safe for all students, you need to follow the following rules:
- There is no smoking at any time in the studio. Food and drinks are not allowed in the
vicinity of equipment or on the same tables as equipment.
- Do not touch any equipment not directly related to this course without permission.
- It is all right to have a friend in the studio with you, but no one not enrolled in the course
is allowed to be in the studio without supervision.
- Under no circumstances are you to remove, even temporarily, anything from the studio
without permission.
- NEVER modify, disable, or delete any applications, system files, or other related files
on the studio computer, even if you know what you're doing. Do not install any applications
or system files on the studio computer without permission.
- Do not delete, move, or modify anyone else's files. There should be plenty of disk space,
but contact me if there are any problems.
- Never touch any of the cables in the back of the patch bay or other equipment, even if you
know what you're doing.
- The Claremont Colleges'
Appropriate Use Policy applies to the studio computer.
Breaking any of these rules will be regarded as very serious and may result in the revocation
of studio access privileges. Whenever you are using the studio, you are responsible
for the studio and the equipment in it.
If there are any problems with the computer or any other equipment, please contact me AS SOON
AS POSSIBLE by phone (x74170) or email, even if the problem does not affect you personally.
My prompt attention to any technical problems will help your fellow students.
Accommodations
HMC is committed to providing an inclusive learning environment and support for all students. As we return back to
in-person instruction, we recognize that the challenges facing students may be different and student accommodation
needs may change. Students with a disability (including mental health, chronic or temporary medical conditions) who
may need accommodations in order to fully participate in this class are encouraged to contact the Office of Accessible
Education at access@g.hmc.edu to request accommodations. Students from the other Claremont Colleges should contact
their home college's Accessible Education officer. You will find information
about disability resources on the college website: https://www.hmc.edu/ability.
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Updated on August 23, 2021, by Bill Alves.