Composition Major: 16 MTHC400/800 (offered Fall/Winter/Spring, 4 course units)
Private studies in composition; occasional group lessons
Composition Symposium: 16 MTHC 485/885 (F/W/S, 0 c.u.)
Weekly meeting of all undergraduate, masters, doctoral and composition faculty; includes presentations by visiting composers, post-concert discussions of student work, presentations by students and faculty.
Composers Practicum: 16 MTHC 600 (varies, 3 c.u.)
Workshop for composers and performers; includes assigning of composition etudes, readings by participating performers, discussion; sometimes taught in collaboration with CCM dance department as a music/choreography workshop
Advanced Orchestration I, II: MTHC 511/512 (varies, 3 c.u.)
Two-quarter course on advanced orchestration topics from the classical era to the present; for advanced undergraduates and graduate students only; undergraduates must have taken undergraduate orchestration courses as a prerequisite.
Analysis of Music Post-1890: 16 MTHC 611/612/613 (varies, 3 c.u.)
Special topics course taught by theory or composition faculties for advanced undergraduates and graduate students; topics taught by the composition faculty have included topics such as Stravinskian Neoclassiciscm, Music of Witold Lutoslawski, Music of the 21st Century, and Minimalism.
Intermedia: 16 MTHC 593 (varies, 3 c.u.)
Collaborative course in music and visual art co-taught by DAAP and CCM composition faculty; includes screening/discussion of interdisciplinary work, presentations by guest artists, and facilitation of collaborations between student composers and visual artists culminating in an end-of-the-quarter performance.
Introduction to Electronic Music: 16-MTHC-571,572,573 (F/W/S, 3 c.u.)
Overview of electronic music. A look at the historic events, people, and technologies that have shaped the current state of electronic music. Introduction to acoustics and some MIDI sequencing with digital audio. Introduction to signal processing and algorithmic composition. Students will create individual projects.
Computer Music Composition: 16-MTHC-575, 576, 577 (F/W/S, 3 c.u.)
Computer music composition on current computer music platforms with recorded acoustic sound and synthesis techniques. Digital signal processing and micro to macro-level algorithms. Introduction to music programming and interfaces. Aesthetics and performance contexts of tape and live electronic music. Includes mixing techniques, music programming environments, algorithmic composition, and listening strategies for new music. Sonic Explorations Concerts present works created in the course at least twice a year.
Live Electronic Music: 16-MTHC-581 (offered one quarter, 2 c.u.)
This course explores performance and composition with live electronic music. Experimenting with new expanded instrumental possibilities, the collaborative process between composer and performer, and collectively amongst all participants will be experientially investigated by the composition of a piece and the realization of its performance on a concert given by the class as well as in collective composition and group improvisation. Performer/composer pairs will write their own pieces as well as participate in group improvisations. Sometimes offered as Composition Practicum.
Timbre Studies: 16-MTHC-584 (offered one quarter; 3 c.u.)
Study of music, electroacoustic and acoustic, in which timbre is a primary parameter. Theories of timbre discussed in relation to writings and music by recent composers. Course project may be a composition or analysis. Sometimes offered as Analysis of post-1890 Music.
Computer Music Programming: 16-MTHC-582 (offered one quarter; 3 c.u.)
Creating software instruments and algorithms in current computer music platforms. Applications for real time performance and for composition will be discussed. Student projects such as compositional and improvisational interfaces may combine graphics and music or incorporate MIDI controllers or other hardware.
Advanced Computer Music Programming: 16-MTHC-583 (offered one quarter; 3 c.u.)
Advanced work in computer music programming on current platforms. Focus on Object Oriented Programming for composition. Students design projects for their own composition or performance.
Studio Design and Administration (offered one quarter; 3 c.u.)
Focus on electronic music studio design considerations. Administration of computer networks will be discussed. Students will undertake projects to enhance the computer music studio audio systems, computer networking, programming, or room acoustics.
