Music 207 Spring 2000
Music, Science and Computers

Dr. Andrew Schloss
Office: A174 Local: 721-7931 or studio: 721-7929
Office hours: Tues 4:30-5:30 and Weds 2-3 pm or by appointment (call to confirm)
email: aschloss@finearts.uvic.ca

Classes: Corbet 112: Tues, Weds, Fri 11:30 - 12:20 pm

TA: Steve Cannon
Office hours: Mondays 11:30 - 1:30 in the Reading Room, MacLaurin B117
email: sccnnn@uvic.ca

Text: The Science of Musical Sound, by John Pierce, paperback (in bookstore)

On reserve or available in the library:
The Science of Musical Sound, by John Pierce
Wave Tutorial, by Peter Wolfendon (manuscript)
Current Directions in Computer Music Research, Mathews and Pierce
The Technology of Computer Music, Mathews
Computer Music Journal (CMJ) Strawn, et alia (in stacks, not on reserve)
The Music Machine Curtis Roads
Electric Sound, The Past and Promise of Electronic Music Joel Chadabe (may also be on reserve for MU307)
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, Kuhn
Spectrum Analysis Tutorial, Jaffe (from CMJ)
Gravikords, Whirlies and Pyrophones/book & CD Bart Hopkin Ellipsis Arts CD 3530 (pending acquistion by the library)

Grading:
papers (2) 30%
mid-term exam 35%
final project 35%

This course blends Musical Acoustics, History of Science, an introduction to Computer Music, and (for some students) an introduction to 20th century music and non-Western music. Issues involving the relationship between technology, culture and society are examined and are important to discussions. There are no prerequisites for this class, but some knowledge of music and/or computers is extremely useful. Note: students enrolled in MU207 are entitled to use the facilities in the Laboratory for Extended Media, in the Fine Arts building across the ring road.

Week 1 January 11, 12, 14 Reading: Chapt. 1
Introduction and Overview. An informal survey of the class to find relative backgrounds of students in Music, Mathematics, Computer Science, etc. The first music produced on a computer (Bell Labs).

Week 2 January 18, 19, 21 Reading: Chapt. 2
Introduction to acoustics. Sinusoids, Hooke's law, SHM.

Week 3 January 25, 26, 28 Reading: Chapt. 3
Acoustics cont'd. The vibrating string, Harmonics, Fourier Theory.

Week 4 February 1, 2 4 Reading: Chapt. 4
Acoustics cont'd: Wave behavior, Light vs. Sound

Week 5 February 8, 9, 11 Reading: Appendices A-F
Digital Audio, Sampling, Nyquist Theory. How does a computer make music?
HW1 due Feb 11: Contributions and interactions in music, science and technology in Western culture from the Greeks to the present time.

Week 6 February 15, 16, 18 Reading: Chapt. 5,6
The physics and mathematics of intervals, tuning systems and cents.

Week 7 February 22 Reading: Chapt. 7
Psychoacoustics, JASA CD (READING BREAK)

Week 8 February 29, 1, 3 Reading: Chapt. 8,9,10
Psychoacoustics cont'd.

Week 9 March 7, 8, 10 Reading: Chapt. 13
International Computer Music Associations (ICMA) videos
Musique Concrete, Early Electronic Music
[Week 9 -- Schloss at International Electroacoustic Music Festival ]

Week 10 March 14, 15, 17 Reading: Appendices G,H
Recording Technology, MIDI and computer music systems. Finale, SoundEdit demos.
MIDTERM Tuesday, March 14

Week 11 March 21, 22, 24 Reading: Chapt. 12
"Intelligent" musical instruments. Software for NeXT computer and ISPW system. Algorithmic music.
StudioVision, AudioDesk, Max/MSP

Week 12 March 28, 29, 31 Reading: Chapt. 11,14
HW2 Due
The future and the past. In-class demos.

Week 13 April 4, 5, 7 Reading: Appendix I
Final Projects, in-class demos

Optional class: Basic Music Theory Musical intervals, scales, musical notation, the keyboard.
Field Trip: Laboratory for Extended Media Students have full access to this lab on their own as well.

Demos
Standing waves, resonance, reflected pulses, sympathetic vibrations, etc.
Harmonics demo: whirling toy in conjuction w/ MSP patch that matches harmonics (and contrasts w/ ET approx of harmonics)
Music software: MAX, SoundEdit, Performer, Vision, DX/TX Editor/Librarian, etc.
Synthesis/analysis on NeXT computer with the IRCAM Signal Processing Workstation,
Auditory Demonstrations CD (Acoustical Society), Video: International Computer Music Society, Theremin documentary, NOVA documentaries.
Forbidden Planet: the first all-electronic music sound track.

TACOMA NARROWS BRIDGE (resonance isn't always a good thing!)